Welcome readers to another series here on Jaquelle's Rose Garden coming from Vancouver, British Columbia. Today in my devotions I was reading about Lazarus and Mary and Martha. That got me thinking about some other stories in the Bible that Jesus rose people from the grave. Then, I decided to start a series on them.Our story today is found in John 11:38-44. I'll give you the overall story: There was this really sick guy named Lazarus. He had this disease called leprosy. Lazarus was a friend of Jesus. Jesus loved Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. When Jesus found out that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two extra days. When He went to Bethany (Lazarus' home town) Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. Jesus wept. He felt the loss of a dear friend. He then told Martha to open Lazarus' tomb. Martha responded with, "But Lord, he has been in there for 4 days. He'll stink!" Jesus just told Martha to open the tomb. Martha did. Then Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out!" Then, Lazarus came out! He was dead, but now he was alive.
Wow! Lazarus was a dead man walking! Literally! He was dead, but then he walked right out of the tomb when Jesus called him! How exciting is that? Jesus took a dead person and gave him life. Did you know that that is what He does with us? We are dead, deceased, breathless. Then, Jesus comes and breathes life into us. That makes us a "little Christ," a Christian.