Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Lazarus: Now That is a Testimony!
I’m sure you have heard people give powerful life-changing testimonies before. I’m thinking of people who were taken out of an alternative lifestyle or saved from a life of drugs or crime when they met Jesus Christ. The truth is, we all have a powerful testimony because anyone who has given their life to Jesus has been saved from death.
It doesn’t get much better than that does it?
If you are saved, there is no need to waste time wishing you had a “better testimony.” Your testimony is your own and it is powerful because Jesus has saved you from the wages of sin, which is death.
But still, some testimonies are special.
Take Lazarus for example. You are probably familiar with his story in John 11:1-44. Lazarus is sick. His sisters send word to their friend Jesus to come heal Lazarus. Jesus waits and Lazarus dies. But when Jesus does show up and He calls Lazarus out of the tomb, grave clothes and all!
We never read about what Lazarus thought of being called back from Heaven or what he experienced during that time of death. Many people think the story ends when Lazarus is given new life by Jesus. But actually, the story of Lazarus has one more chapter that often gets overlooked.
Check out this verse in the Bible (John 12:9-11): “Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.”
Did you read that last part: “for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.”
Turns out Lazarus had one of those fantastic testimonies and he was out sharing it. I would have loved to have heard Lazarus give his testimony!
It is fun to speculate about these things, but don’t miss this part: Lazarus’s testimony was moving people to follow Jesus. But better yet, his story reminds me that I need to be out sharing my own testimony and how Jesus has saved me from death too!
It doesn’t get much better than that does it?
If you are saved, there is no need to waste time wishing you had a “better testimony.” Your testimony is your own and it is powerful because Jesus has saved you from the wages of sin, which is death.
But still, some testimonies are special.
Take Lazarus for example. You are probably familiar with his story in John 11:1-44. Lazarus is sick. His sisters send word to their friend Jesus to come heal Lazarus. Jesus waits and Lazarus dies. But when Jesus does show up and He calls Lazarus out of the tomb, grave clothes and all!
We never read about what Lazarus thought of being called back from Heaven or what he experienced during that time of death. Many people think the story ends when Lazarus is given new life by Jesus. But actually, the story of Lazarus has one more chapter that often gets overlooked.
Check out this verse in the Bible (John 12:9-11): “Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.”
Did you read that last part: “for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.”
Turns out Lazarus had one of those fantastic testimonies and he was out sharing it. I would have loved to have heard Lazarus give his testimony!
It is fun to speculate about these things, but don’t miss this part: Lazarus’s testimony was moving people to follow Jesus. But better yet, his story reminds me that I need to be out sharing my own testimony and how Jesus has saved me from death too!
