Jesus Invitation: Lazarus, Come Forth

Four Invitations from the Empty Tomb
On a day when we dress in our finest clothes and gather to celebrate victory over death, there's something profound happening beneath the surface. While we look our best on the outside, many of us carry heavy burdens within—wayward children, struggling marriages, addictions, grief, illness, uncertainty. The contrast between appearance and reality reminds us that faith isn't about pretending everything is perfect. It's about encountering a Savior who meets us in our brokenness.

The story of Lazarus in John 11 offers us four powerful invitations that speak directly to the resurrection we celebrate. These aren't just historical observations about something that happened two thousand years ago. They're living invitations extended to us today, calling us into deeper relationship with the One who conquered death.

The Invitation to Cry
"Jesus wept." Two words that form the shortest verse in Scripture, yet contain profound theological weight. This isn't the loud, theatrical mourning of professional grievers. The Greek word used here describes something more intimate—the shedding of tears, a quiet soberness in the face of loss.

Why did Jesus weep when He knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead? This question reveals multiple layers of truth. First, it proves His full humanity. Jesus wasn't playacting at being human. He experienced genuine emotion, authentic grief, real connection with those He loved. He thirsted, grew tired, needed food, and yes—He cried.

His tears also demonstrate what Scripture commands: "Weep with those who weep." Jesus entered into the pain of Mary and Martha. He didn't stand apart as a distant deity unmoved by human suffering. He came alongside them in their grief.

Perhaps there was also disappointment in those tears—sadness that even His closest followers struggled to grasp that the One standing before them held mastery over all things, including the grave. And certainly there was indignation. Death is an enemy, an alien intrusion into God's good creation, a consequence of sin that Jesus Himself came to destroy.

This gives us permission—no, an invitation—to cry. We don't have to be strong all the time. We don't have to hide our emotions or pretend we're not hurting. The God who wept invites us to bring our tears to Him.

The Invitation to Believe
"Remove the stone," Jesus commanded. What a strange request when everyone knew what lay behind it—a body four days dead, already decaying. Martha even protested: "There will be a stench."

But Jesus didn't approach that tomb as a spectator curious to peek inside. He came as a conqueror, a victor who held power over death itself. "Remove the stone" was an invitation to believe in His certain and sure word, to trust that He was exactly who He claimed to be.
The text goes to great lengths to establish that Lazarus was truly dead. Not mostly dead. Not in a coma. Not swooning. Dead. This matters because the miracle that follows cannot be explained away. When Jesus calls Lazarus forth, it demonstrates unquestionable power over death.

For many, the biggest stone isn't the one covering a tomb. It's the stone of unbelief. Doubt. Skepticism. Rejection of God's truth. The invitation to "remove the stone" is an invitation to move from unbelief to belief, from doubt to trust.

This isn't blind faith. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is grounded in historical reality. The empty tomb is evidence. The transformed lives of the disciples are evidence. Two thousand years of changed hearts are evidence. We're called to a faith that rests on truth, not wishful thinking.

As one father once cried out to Jesus, "I believe; help my unbelief!" We can bring both our faith and our doubts to God, asking Him to strengthen what is weak and confirm what is wavering.

The Invitation to See
When Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth," something extraordinary happened. The dead man emerged from the tomb, still wrapped in burial cloths. Why did Jesus specify Lazarus by name? Because the life-giving power of His voice was so potent that had He simply said "Come forth," every grave in the vicinity would have emptied.

Earlier in John's Gospel, Jesus had taught: "An hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live." The raising of Lazarus was a preview, a demonstration of that reality. It proved that Jesus' words carry creative, resurrection power.

This is an invitation to see—not just to believe abstractly, but to witness with our own understanding the evidence of God's power. We see it in Lazarus walking out of the tomb. We see it in the empty cross and the empty grave of Jesus Himself. We see it in transformed lives around us and, if we're honest, in our own hearts when we encounter Christ.

The glory of God is on display in Jesus' victory over death. Our final and greatest enemy has been defeated. This isn't theoretical. It's demonstrable, visible, seeable.

The Invitation to Freedom
The final words Jesus spoke in this account are perhaps the most powerful: "Unbind him and let him go."

Lazarus emerged from the tomb alive but still wrapped in grave clothes. He needed to be freed from the bindings of death to fully experience the life he'd been given. This is a picture of what Christ does for all who believe in Him.

Many of us, though we may look presentable on the outside, are bound in invisible grave clothes. Sin wraps around us. Addiction constrains us. Unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, and judgment tie us up and restrict our movement. We're alive but not free.

"Unbind him" is Jesus' command over our lives. He calls us to freedom—freedom from the penalty of sin, freedom from its power and bondage, freedom from the fear of death itself. Because Jesus paid the price, we're no longer under God's wrath. Because He rose from the dead, death no longer has the final word in our story.

This freedom allows us to experience the glory of God in two profound ways. First, we witness His power over death—the ultimate demonstration of divine authority. Second, and perhaps even more miraculous, we experience that same resurrection power in our own lives when we believe. We move from being children of darkness to children of light. We become new creations. The greatest miracle isn't just what happened to Lazarus or even to Jesus—it's what happens to every person who places their trust in Christ.

The gospel is beautifully simple: You are a sinner. God sent His Son to remove the penalty of that sin. When you believe and trust in Jesus, you transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. You are made free.

Come Forth

The empty tomb stands as an eternal invitation. It calls us to bring our tears, to move from unbelief to belief, to see the evidence of God's power, and to walk in the freedom Christ provides.

Lazarus heard his name called and came forth from death to life. Today, that same voice calls your name. The question is whether you'll answer.


He is risen indeed,

Pastor Kirk Flaa