Raised to Life

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." JOHN 11:43-44

After uttering just three words, "Lazarus, come out," the man who had been dead for four days came out of the grave, still wrapped in strips of linen. Even though he was alive, he still had to be unbound and set free. Jesus commands those around Lazarus to help him take off his grave clothes. This account illustrates our need to let go of what's holding us back and the power of community.

This powerful scene highlights our ongoing struggle with letting go of the things that hold us back, whether it be lies we've come to believe, resentment, or unconfessed sin. In our lives, we may feel like we are still wrapped in our grave clothes, unable to move forward.

Dear Church, just as Jesus called the bystanders to unbind Lazarus and set him free, He calls us to do the same for one another. In our community of believers, we have the power to help each other cut the cords that keep us trapped. Who needs to hear the truth and be set free? Reach out to them, help them cut the cord representing sin and lies, and help them experience the freedom from being raised to life.