Jesus’ resurrection was the dawn of a phenomenon.
Just like the first appearance of light in the morning sky, the resurrection was God’s shining declaration of love for all humanity; the miracle after a sacrifice that has given us salvation. It initiated the upheaval of men and women eager to spread the gospel, starting with the Pentecost, to the origination of Christianity and followed by the persecution and testimony of faithful individuals. In itself, it was the elixir and solution that mankind was in need of to be saved and that only Jesus was capable of accomplishing. Within this reflection, however, I’ve chosen to fixate on another individual’s resurrection in the New Testament.
The narrative told of Lazarus’ death and resurrection found in John 11:1-4, explores themes that are common in our everyday lives, such as death, grief, times of affliction and heartbreak. It is a story that allows us to relate to ALL the characters: Mary, Martha, Jesus and Lazarus.
“How would we relate to Lazarus if he was dead?”
Well, what if I told you, we are all in need of a revival, a spiritual revival? Lazarus experienced a resurrection where Jesus restored his body, mind and soul and gave him life.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it states that “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”.
Reflect for a moment with me on Lazarus’ story, it had begun with his sickness, which led shortly to his death and was then followed by his revival. What began as a tragic tale ended with a message of hope and promise that whoever is in Christ will have life once again. There are times in our lives when we become sick like Lazarus, where circumstances have taken over our thoughts and have influenced our actions, where we’ve lost our value, our worth and frankly, our way. We then become spiritually dead, we’ve sunk into a stagnant state of mind and the past guilt of sin has left us defeated; lifeless.
There are moments, we may deflect our own anger and frustration onto God, saying things like “if you had been here with me, this wouldn’t have happened” but don’t you see that just like Jesus who was ready to revive Lazarus, whom he loved abundantly, God is also ready to give us new life? It is not God that pulls away from us during hardships, it is us who allow Satan’s attacks to come between our relationship with God.
Jesus says it clearly to Martha when she meets him upon his arrival, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Let me ask you the same question “ Do you believe this? And if so, are you ready to be revived?”
God wants to give you and me clean slates, blank sheets of paper, fresh starts and countless opportunities to grow spiritually and become young men and women who are on fire for Him. To God, there is no individual whose sins overrule the blood of Christ that was spilled upon the cross.
Yes, the struggle is real but so is God’s presence in our lives. Let us leave behind our old self, as Paul states in Galatians 2:20, let us be restored and allow Christ to shine through us.
AUTHOR: Jaris Valls Hermosilla, attends Wetherill Park Spanish Church.