Pondering John 12:1-19

You can read the passage by clicking HERE

The thing that strikes me about this passage is what is NOT recorded. If I was at that dinner with Jesus and Lazarus, given that I am by nature a question-asker, you can bet that I would be peppering Lazarus with questions. Here are a few that I would love for him to answer:

• Describe what you experienced during the 4 days that you were “dead”?
• What is heaven like?
• Did you see people that you knew? Did you get to talk to them?
• Did you see God? What was that like?
• What about angels? What do they look like? What were they doing?
• What is it like to be in a place where there is no sin or suffering?
• What were you thinking when you heard Jesus’ voice calling you back into this world?
• Given what you experienced, how has it changed you now that you are back on earth?
• What do I need to know now that will better prepare me for “death”?
• Are you going to write a book about your experiences? Are you planning a speaking tour?

That last question was written in jest. Not only am I a question-asker by nature, but I am also skeptical by nature. I have always been skeptical about books and people who claim to have had afterlife experiences. But if I had been sitting at that table, and if I had watched Lazarus die, and if I knew that he had been wrapped up in grave clothes and been 4 days in the grave, and if I had been there when Jesus said, “Lazarus, come out!” then I would have been hanging on every word that Lazarus said. And I would also have been talking about it with everyone that I met. I love verse 17:

“Now the crowd that was with Him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.”

Now, since the resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of my faith, the question for me is this: Do I not just believe that Lazarus was raised from the dead but that Jesus was raised from the dead – and if so to what extent am I spreading the word.

“Father, thank You for the reminder that my faith is founded on the fact of the resurrection. And would You empower me to spread the word with passion and enthusiasm.”

Next Week’s Passage: John 12:20-50