MAN, with all his boasted power, lies helpless and conquered by death. His plans, whether affecting a few individuals in a family or shaping the policy of an empire, must be laid aside at the approach of death. There is something truly arresting in the helpless impotence with which man faces the king of terrors. And then, beyond the stilling of man’s restless and active spirit, there is the thought which we cannot banish from our minds—the thought of the future. We see in death the utter helplessness of man, whether we view it spiritually or physically—a helplessness which no human power can remove. Has the Gospel any message bringing hope to sinners—any message that will throw light on this dark mystery? The answer is that it has, for in the Gospel life and immortality have been brought to light. And perhaps nowhere is this great truth so prominently and effectively brought before us as in the account of the events leading up to and connected with the death of Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary.
The inspired Evangelist tells of the urgent message sent by the sisters to Him whom they owned as their Master. Theirs was a truly happy home; the members of the family were bound by the tenderest ties of affection, and, more precious still, were followers of the Lord Jesus. To this happy home the Lord Jesus often repaired, but sickness came, and death broke the happy family circle. And the thought expressed in the words, “Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died,” must have often passed through the minds of the grief-stricken sisters. What could be the meaning of His delay? If He had only come before death entered the home, they thought, then He could have saved Lazarus from its power; but now the case seemed hopeless, corruption was already at work. The Lord met the desolation caused by death in Martha’s heart by the comforting message, “Thy brother shall rise again.” “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day,” said Martha, looking forward to the far-distant future without realising that the very Power
that would bring the dead from their graves on that solemn day was in her very presence. “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” The message, so full of meaning and bringing a sure hope to all believers, and to them alone, is worthy of our serious consideration. The Lord of Glory announces (1) that He is the Resurrection, and (2) that He is the Life.
(1) The Resurrection. The Scripture contains many references to the power of God in the raising of the dead. The utter helplessness caused by death can alone be removed by the power of God. Nothing short of this is of any avail either in the resurrection of the body or the spiritual resurrection of the soul. This power of God is manifested in a pre-eminent way in the resurrection of Christ from the dead—the Apostle speaks of it as the exceeding greatness of His power—and the quickening of the spiritually dead is brought about by a power as great. That mighty power dwelt in the Redeemer, and while Martha had no doubt it would be put forth in the distant future, she was not only to hear, but to see, that the power by which the dead are raised dwelt in Him whom she honoured as her Master and acknowledged as her Lord. And standing by that grave she was to learn a new lesson, and have her experience widened and deepened of the power of the Lord Jesus. We cannot tell with what meaning the words “Lazarus come forth” fell on Martha’s ears, but one thing we are assured of, they reached the ears of the dead man in the grave, and, in obedience to the command, Lazarus came forth. It was necessary that he should be called by name, as one of the Puritans put it, otherwise all the dead would have risen, so great was the power of Christ.
(2) The Life. Not only are believers raised, but life is given to them. Unbelievers will be raised on the Great Day, and appear before the Judge to give an account of the deeds done in the body; but while they shall exist for ever, Scripture never speaks of them partaking of life that shall never end. Eternal life is much more than continued existence—it is the gift that is bestowed upon believers, and in which no unbeliever has any part. This new life has been brought to light in the gospel, and it differs from our natural life in this respect, that death has no power over it. “He that believeth in me shall never die.” Not only has the Lord Jesus power to bestow natural life, but it is His wonderful prerogative to give life that shall never end, and all that believe in His name are put in possession of this priceless gift.
It is well that it should be clearly borne in mind that the above message is meant for believers. “He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” It is much to be regretted that some of the most wonderful passages of the Bible dealing with the resurrection, such as 1 Cor. xv., should often be read as if they applied to unbelievers and unbelievers; but such passages as these apply to believers only. One must clearly keep this in mind if we are to interpret the Word of God aright.