Bystander turned Believer

For a few moments picture yourself living as a local in the small village of Bethany a little over 2,000 years ago. The village is slightly less than 2 miles from Jerusalem and you have made the trip back and forth many times. As is the case with most days in this part of the world, it's scorching hot. The blinding sun is beating down on you and all you really care about is finding a nice shade tree to sit under and eat your figs.

Just as you find a good spot on a hillside, you notice a dusty disturbance in the road below. More than a dozen people have gathered and are making their way toward another group walking into the village. The last thing you want to do is lose your shady spot, but Bethany is small and rarely has much excitement.

Even though it's probably nothing, seeing the crowd in the distance is enough to peak your curiosity. Thus, with a surrendering sigh you take the last bite of your fig, rise, and head back out into the baking sun to see what all the commotion is about.

As you make your way closer to the crowds you notice many familiar faces. Everyone in Bethany knows each other... there are no strangers in this paltry town and not a day goes by that you question why you haven't moved to Jerusalem yet.

As you are pondering your life circumstances a women abruptly bumps your shoulder and falls to her knees weeping to a man whom you do not recognize.

Instantly, you recognize the women. She happens to live in a small abode directly diagonal from your small home and her name is Mary. She and her sister, Martha, had recently buried their brother, Lazarus. Both sisters were still in deep mourning and you had just stopped by their home two days earlier to give your condolences.

In a quivering voice, you hear Mary say... "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Clearly, he must be physician of some sort, you reason.

As you look closer at the man (whom you still do not recognize), you see a deep compassion in his eyes and you can tell that he is deeply saddened by this situation.

“Where have you laid him?” The man asked.

There was something in his voice that made you stop in your tracks. It was as if everything around you went into slow motion and for a moment... you gave him your full attention.

“Come and see, Lord,” another replied.

Thus, Mary and her sister, Martha, led the stranger up the road and over some rocky terrain. Not knowing exactly what to expect, you decide to follow the crowd. It's not like you had a lot of other options anyway.

Walking up the hillside you recognize the tree that you sat under just a few moments ago. Curiously, you also realize the intense heat from the sun doesn't seem to bother you like it had earlier. Looking up, you see the stranger briefly look toward the tree, then to you, then back to the tree. For a moment you wonder if he saw you sitting under the tree as he approached Bethany. You quickly dismiss the notion, chalking it up as a coincidence and nothing more.

After a few more minutes of walking the crowd stopped. They had reached the tome of Lazarus... which happened to be carved into the rocky hillside.

There was complete silence and strangely, the wind was calm as you stand at the top of this hill.

Now what? You wonder.

As if he had read the question in your mind you hear the stranger say...

“Take away the stone."

If it could have been physically possible, your jaw would have hit the ground by your sandals.

Then Martha replied... “But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

You begin to interject in agreement, but instead you hesitate... your lips still slightly ajar.

Then the stranger said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone and the stranger looked up to the sky as if praying. Once finished, he cried out in a loud voice...

“Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

You hear yourself gasp as you fall to your knees.

The stranger said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”


Jesus raises Lazarus from the Dead

In a matter of a few short moments you went from being bored and hot, to curious, to witnessing Jesus glorify God by raising Lazarus from the Dead.

Can you truly picture the actions of the crowd as Lazarus walked out of that tome? I can't even begin to imagine what that would have felt like if I had seen it with my own eyes.

That day in Bethany started off like every other typical day. Yet, after a few short minutes of Jesus' arrival a miracle occurs. Not only did He raise Lazarus from the dead... He turned many from being lone bystanders to believers!

God bless you. And this is for His Glory!