A MARKED MAN - LAZARUS

John 12:1-2; 9-11


Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

9 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. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

I never noticed, in all my readings of these scriptures over the years, that Lazarus was a marked man. This one who had died once and was resurrected by Jesus four days after he officially was declared dead, this one whom Jesus instructed those standing around weeping, “take the grave clothes off him!”; this one of whom the people said: “He stinks! Don’t you know he’s been dead so long already?” and this one of whom the shortest verse in the Bible is written, “Jesus wept” - he, resurrected and testifying of the power of the long-awaited Messiah, was a marked man. And who was out to get him? None other than the religious leaders of the day – the Chief Priests made plans to kill him ‘as well’ – or at the same time they did away with Jesus.

We don’t know anything more about Lazarus so he may have died a martyr or he may have died naturally at a ripe old age but of one thing we can be certain – he was a marked man.

Yes, marked by the religious zealots bent on destroying the testimony of the One who came to redeem us all but more importantly, Lazarus was a marked by the power and love and grace of God and his life was forever changed. He got a first-hand lesson that few have or will ever experience – one that allowed him to know death and life are held only in the sovereign hands of God and none other. He got to know the passion of Jesus as his sisters told him how Jesus wept at his grave site. He got to experience the stench of death leaving him as those strips of death shroud were carefully removed by friends and family standing by his tomb as he came forth. He experienced, first-hand, what it meant to be marked by the redeeming grace of the Son of God who came to seek and to save that which was lost. No doubt this marked man was hunted down the rest of his life and he may very well have died a martyr’s death just like most of those first century evangels; and yet the mark on Lazarus that remains most significant is the mark that sealed his fate forever – the mark of eternity stamped on his heart and soul and mind that day in Bethany by the Messiah.

We who have received Jesus into our own hearts are marked as well. Yes, we too are marked by those yet out to do away with our own testimonies, but more importantly we, like Lazarus are marked for all time and eternity by the imprint upon our hearts and souls and minds of God’s unending, matchless, redeeming love and grace.

suemccarysargis 12/22/2012