Loose Him

John 11: 43 – 44

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The story of Lazarus is a good metaphor for the Christian experience. Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb, from death, yet Lazarus was still bound hand and foot.

A few sentences earlier Jesus told Martha, “I am . . . the life,” (v. 25). In Jesus is the very essence of the life force that runs this planet, so he was well able to restore Lazarus to life. It is the same way with us. We were dead in our sins. We had the appearance of being alive but truthfully, we were dead bones walking around waiting for redemption. Jesus came. He called out to us as he did to Lazarus and Eureka! We were born again; born from death to life. His life was given to us.

When Lazarus came out of the tomb, he was bound hand and foot and had a veil over his face. That is the very picture of us. We were given new life; restored and redeemed, but still bound hand and foot and blind from the veil covering our eyes.

It takes another act of grace to loose us from that which binds us. There are needful steps to remove the veil so that we might see. Being restored to life is not the end of the story, as we can see from today’s passage. Jesus said, “Unbind him, and let him go.” This is the message he speaks to all the pastors of the world today. After being born again begins the work of removing all those things which bind people. If the veil is not removed then we still see the world around us as the world does instead of as Jesus sees it.

It’s great when people get saved and born again but if they (we) do not take the important next step then they are not free. Jesus wants us out from under every bondage. He wants the veil removed from our face so that we might see. As Christians, this is our task for our lives in Christ. He did not restore us to life so that we remain blind slaves to our old bondage. It was for freedom that Jesus set us free (Galatians 5: 1). Therefore, let us no longer be bound by all the things which entangle those without Jesus’ victory flowing through their bodies. Be free of the blindfold and the ties. They only serve to hold you back.