Raised to be Unbound from Sin, John 11, Ezekiel 37:1-14

In the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Jesus proclaims that he himself is the resurrection and the life. These things are not abstract promises, but are fully embodied in Jesus himself, which will be completely revealed to all through his death and resurrection into his glorified state. The Valley of Dry Bones becomes an emblem of this reality about Jesus for we all who have trusted in him will likewise be raised to new life from the grave. That life is hidden for now, but will also be revealed to all in the end.

Image: The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Gustave Dore, Public Domain. Image location: https://www.wikiart.org/en/gustave-dore/the-vision-of-the-valley-of-dry-bones-1866

Unbound from Death, John 11:1-44

Jesus is able to raise Lazarus from the dead because he is the Resurrection and the Life. What does that mean for us today? Jesus being the resurrection and the life means that we are unbound from sin because death is the result of sin.

Image: Jesus Raising Lazarus from the Dead, Woodcut of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, scanned from the 19th century book, Half Hours With the Bible, New Testament. Photo by Martin LaBar, CC BY-NC 2.0, no changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/2079382

The True Story of Our Hearts, John 11.17-44, Romans 6.15-23

The reality of this world is that it is broken and that there is a longing deep in our hearts for redemption. And yet, there is a deep set resistance within us to this longing, wanting us to believe that there is no fulfillment for that longing. Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is a small foretaste of that fulfillment of the longing. What can be done to answer this longing? What of the resistance within us to this longing?

Image: The Resurrection of Lazarus, Giovanni di Paolo (Public domain). Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giovanni_di_Paolo_-_The_Resurrection_of_Lazarus_-_Walters_37489A.jpg