(I want to take you on a journey.  Down the road to Calvary.  There were so many people who played a part in this story.  If you think about it, the domino that started it all came when Jesus received word that a good friend of his, Lazarus, was very sick.  Jesus could have immediately come, but He didn’t.  He knew there was a bigger plan.  Two days passed.  Lazarus died.  Finally, Jesus went back to Judea, already knowing the truth.  That truth was that witnesses were about to see one of the greatest miracles ever.)  

You may have heard of me.  My name is Lazarus.  Yes, I was a friend of Jesus.  Yes, I died.  And yes, Jesus did the unthinkable, raising me from the dead. 

So many people ask me … What was it like?  You were dead!  What did you see?  How did you feel?  I can’t say much to it.  It was as if it was all a horrible, awful dream.  A total nightmare. 

When I closed my eyes thinking I had come to my end, the weight of death came upon me.  I don’t remember much.  All I recall is that I felt like I had fallen into a deep slumber.  I was out!  Totally and completely comatose. 

Then the impossible happened.

It is difficult to find a suitable comparison so you can relate.  I mean, none of you have probably tasted death as I did and had air breathed back in your lungs.  The closest I can come is this …

Have you ever had a deep sleep awoken by a loud noise?  Maybe a midnight thunderclap jolted you?  Or your dog barked loudly in the middle of an afternoon nap?  That was me.  That was what it felt like.

It was like a jump scare.  And when I jolted awake in the tomb, I couldn’t see a thing through the linen wrapped around my eyes.  My entire body was covered.  Wrapped up like a swaddled baby.  A mummy.

When I stumbled forward, I could see the brightness of light through the sheets.  Jesus was there.  Although I couldn’t see Him, I could feel His presence.  The closer I came to Him, the more commotion I heard from outside the tomb.

There were blood curdling screams.  Shouts.  Weeping.  Laughter all the same.  Before I knew it, the cloths surrounding my face were being stripped away.  Never before had air tasted so sweet!

You should have seen Jesus’ face.  It was as if He knew all along I would be raised.  Through the brightness of the blinding sun, I blinked numerous times until He came into focus.  Wet tears shimmered on the corners of His cheeks, but his smile radiated.  We embraced, and I felt every ounce of His love for me. 

Your life changes when you experience a day like this.  It is like you have been given a second chance.  I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to waste it.  Jesus had breathed air into my stale body, and I was going to give Him all the glory.

People kept hounding me the rest of that day.  The rest of the WEEK if you want to know the truth!  All kinds of people.  People who wanted to seek the truth.  People who were Jesus’ friends.  Even people like the Pharisees who couldn’t take someone like Jesus stealing their thunder. 

That was what hurt most.  Seeing that anger in their eyes.  There was nothing I could say to soften their callous hearts.  They had already made their decision.  It was time.  Jesus needed to die. 

I could feel the tension in the air.  It was as thick as a humid day in the heart of summer.  Its weight was felt by all.  My emotions flipflopped like a roller coaster.  Surprise.  Elation.  Joy.  Guilt.

Yes, guilt.

I finally found some quiet at the end of that day, but I already knew.  The Pharisees were busy at work, plotting the death of Jesus.  My Savior.  My everything.  And I was the one that started it all.

That guilt racked me.  I knew Jesus was done for, and I was to blame!  No, it couldn’t be my fault … Could it?  Maybe this was all part of a bigger plan.  A plan that led Jesus down a road He’d rather not go but willingly walked. 

I brushed the guilt away.  It did me no good.  Instead, I focused my heart on savoring my new life ahead of me.  That life was going to be relished for all eternity.

Video application: Be inspired by the scene from The Chosen Season 4 where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

Bible study: Read John 11 and journal about or discuss the following questions. 

1. Mary and Martha told Jesus that Lazarus was sick.  Why didn’t Jesus go immediately to help His good friend?
2. How would you have felt if you were Mary or Martha, seeing Jesus walking up so late when He could have been there earlier?  Keep in mind, Lazarus was their brother. 
3. What reaction came from the witnesses of this dramatic event?  How did it stir the pot in the realm of the Pharisees?
4. Lazarus was raised to life after being dead for four days.  Where do YOU need a resurrection in your life?  What door to your heart have you kept closed that Jesus can open up?

Song application: “Rise Up” by Cain

In the dark and all alone, growing comfortable
Are you too scared to move and walk out of this tomb?
Buried underneath, the lies that you believed
Safe and sound, stuck in the ground
Too lost to be found

You’re just asleep and it’s time to leave

Come on and rise up, take a breath, you’re alive now
Can’t you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
You’re brand new, the power of death couldn’t hold you
Can’t you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
Rise up, rise up, rise up
Out from the grave like Lazarus

Prayer: Lord, resurrect my heart!  Open my eyes to experience the true magic of Easter as if I were seeing it for the first time.  Let the awe inside me have no choice but to spill into those around me.  Amen.