IT IS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE GRAVE!

It is time for you to come out of the grave. Today I am back with the Lazarus story again. But don’t worry, I have a slightly new perspective, so let me not keep you waiting. As you all know, we start from genesis and in this case; I have to summarize who Lazarus was and why I love his story so much. John 11 starts with Lazarus sick and his sisters, Mary and Martha sending a report to Jesus telling Him that the one He loved was sick.

The sisters knew Jesus could heal because they had seen Him heal others, so they were confident in that. But Jesus delayed and because of that, Lazarus died. Now, obviously, that could have been the end of the story, but Jesus has the final word. It is not over until Jesus says it is.

Anyway, Jesus delayed for 4 days and by the time He went to Bethany, Lazarus’s body was stinking. Fast forward to verse 34 where Jesus asks Mary to take Him to the tomb where they had laid Him. Mary obliged. In verse 38, Jesus, groaning in Himself, asked them to roll away the stone.

But Mary reminded Jesus that there would be a stench because he had been dead for 4 days. What do you do when Jesus is 4 days late? Jesus did not listen but reminded Martha that all she needed to do was believe for her to see the glory of God. Jesus after praying and thanking God, cried out in a loud voice and asked Lazarus to come out. Lazarus heeded the call and came out of the tomb bound. For emphasis, let us look at verse 44 again.

And he who had been dead, came out bound head and foot with grave clothes and his face was wrapped with a cloth and Jesus told them to loose him and let him go. John 11: 44

Wow, what a beautiful and encouraging story. Lazarus, who had been dead for 4 days came out of the tomb with the grave clothes still wrapped around him until Jesus commanded to have him loosed. This is a beautiful testimony of how God can resurrect even the old and buried things, too. What areas in your life do you think have been dead for years? Is there something in your life that looks impossible? Remember, God knows what He is doing and His ways are higher than our ways, as He says in Isaiah 55.

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Maybe it is time for you to cry out to God to resurrect those areas in your life. He is The Resurrection after all. It does not matter how long something has been dead. Jesus can resurrect it and make it new. We know that the word of God was written so that we could apply it in our lives, so let us first look at some key points.

Key points to note.

• Mary and Martha knew Jesus as a healer, but through Lazarus’s death, they got to know Him as resurrection too.
• Before Jesus could resurrect Lazarus, Mary and Martha had to take Jesus to the tomb where he was buried. They had to deal with that trauma yet again before the resurrection.
• Lazarus obeyed the call of Jesus while still bound.
• Jesus had to be specific in calling out Lazarus by name because Him being resurrection could have resurrected others too.
• Mary and Martha both identified with Jesus through the relationship Jesus had with their brother, but through this Jesus got to show them that He cared about them too. It was their tears and broken heart that moved Jesus to compassion.

Application.

Have you had moments where you waited on Jesus to come through for you in an area but because of His delay, you ended up losing the opportunity and had to close that chapter? And what do you do when, after coming to terms with the loss of the thing, Jesus asks you to take Him to the place where you had buried it, knowing very well that you going back there could revive that old feeling yet again? Will you obey?

And what about when He tells you after taking Him there to roll away that stone, will you? Are you willing to face the same situation that broke you yet again? Will you deal with the possibility of experiencing the same trauma again? Now imagine Jesus calling out that dead situation and asking it to come alive again!

Let us focus on Lazarus for a second.

When Lazarus heard the voice of Jesus calling him out of the grave, imagine the confusion and the thoughts going through his mind. Who knows, he might have been comfortable and used to the place. After all, it had been 4 days. And now here comes Jesus calling him out of where he was and telling him to come out. Picture the fact that Jesus was asking Lazarus to come out of the grave where he had been for 4 days. Have you gone through something that caused you to retreat to a place you never thought you would?

And then just when you were getting accustomed to the place and situation, Jesus then calls you and asks you to come out of the place? The good thing is, once he heard that voice, he came out wobbling because both his hands and feet were tied. Has Jesus been calling you to come out of the grave? Has Jesus been asking you to get out of the place you are currently in and you don’t know if you have it in you to do it? There are many different graves that Jesus could be calling you out of:

• Could it be the grave of heartbreak and disappointment?
• Or maybe it is the grave of doubt and unbelief.
• Worse still it could be the grave of poverty, failure, and lack.
• Or maybe it is the grave of addiction.

Obviously, there are many more Graves and we all go through different grave seasons. But whatever grave you are in God is calling you out. Have people counted you out because you stink? Martha, although she loved her brother, could not stand the stench and was okay with letting him die.

But let me ask you this: have you been dealing with some addiction and the habitual sin that has caused people to count you out because you are not like them? Have you lost the essence of who God called you to be because of the grave you are in? Have people discounted you because of your current situation? Maybe the situation has been going on for a while and now people are just over having to see you deal with that situation, so they let you be.

Dealing with the same problem for years can cause you to get comfortable with dysfunction, and that is not okay. God always wants to bring healing and deliverance. Jesus knew that Martha and Mary were hurting because of the loss of their brother. And they did not want to face the stench that comes with it.

Jesus knew they needed healing, so to have them confront their trauma, He took them to the place that brought them the most pain. Jesus will take you back to the place that broke you so that He can heal you. But one thing to note is that healing will come on the other side of confronting your pain and trauma.

Also, Jesus knew Lazarus needed resurrection because he had a greater purpose to fulfill. Jesus did not count Lazarus out. Instead, He delivered him and set him free. Jesus came to set the captives free. It does not matter what has held you captive. The truth is that Jesus wants to set you free and make you whole. And the good thing is that not only will Jesus set you free, but He will make you whole. He will restore you to greater than you have ever been.

When Lazarus came out, he was bound. Although he had been resurrected, he was still bound. Let’s think about this for a second. He came out disoriented and also weighed down by the grave clothes. In fact, he had to be helped out. Can you relate? You know, there are situations where resurrection and healing are not enough. You find yourself living in the place you wanted, but you are still stuck because the trauma of your previous season, is still engraved in you.

Have you been in some form of mental prison despite being set free? Maybe now you finally have the career you have always wanted, but because you have not healed from your past, you find yourself unable to move forward and feeling like you are a stranger. Jesus does not want you to be weighed down by your past season. He knows that what you went through was tough and painful. But today He is calling and asking you to let go of the grave clothes. He wants to give you a garment of praise for your mourning and beauty for ashes.

God sees the chains that have held you captive for years. He does not want you to stay stuck any longer and today He is calling your name and asking you to come out of the grave. Have you become comfortable in dysfunction? Are you operating at a level that is beneath you? Have you been dealing with something for years that is holding you back from walking in the fullness of who you really are?

Do you have areas that could use the resurrection power of Jesus? If so, it is time for you to heed the voice of God, He is calling out your name and He is telling you to come out. It does not matter how long you have been in the grave, Jesus is calling you today. He will lose you of the grave clothes and you will be set completely free. Jesus came to make you whole so that you can live the abundant life. He paid the price for you to experience. It is not enough for you to be healed. It is time for you to be made whole

How to experience wholeness and come out of the grave

• The first step is to heed the call of Jesus. Jesus is always beckoning, but the question is, are you listening, and are you ready to say yes to His call?
• Once you have said yes, the second step is to come out of the grave. Come out of that place of bondage. It could mean changing your mindset and allowing the truth, which is the Word of God, to help you replace the lies that have been holding you captive.
• Next, take the grave clothes to Jesus. Place them at His feet and ask Him to make you whole. He is more than willing to do so, so stop staying stuck in the chains. It is time for you to allow Jesus to break the chains!

Summary

Today I want you to know that Jesus does not care about the stench that is in that dead place in your life. His concern is to see you free. But it has to start with you obeying His voice when He tells you to come out of the grave as you are. You might be bound and it might be that you will have to wobble your way to Him. It is okay though, because He is cheering you on when He sees you take the steps to Him. You see for Jesus to set you free you have to come out of that grave. He will lose you once you come out.

Jesus knows it is difficult for you to come out, but as long as you are willing, He is ready. That is how loving He is. He says He will leave the 99 just to come to you. And in Psalm 100 He says that He is loyal and all-loving. So what is it that has you bound? Bring it all to Jesus.

It does not matter how far away you have been from God. He is asking you to come to Him now just as you are. He does not want you to come to Him once you get your act together. God will not count you out. All Jesus wants is to give you the freedom that He paid such a huge price for you to have. He says that He came to set the captives free and proclaim the year of the Lord- Jubilee which means freedom.

Do you want to receive His freedom? The cool thing that will happen to you once you get out of the grace is that Jesus will command you to be loosed and for all the things holding you captive to let you go. His word alone will bring healing and deliverance in your life and so just come to Him as you are. He has a father’s heart and His love for you is wider than any ocean, deeper than any river, and unconditional. It is time for you to receive your freedom. Are you ready?

RADIANTLY RESURGING!