Rising from the Dead: The Power of Obedience

The Power of Obedience: Rising from the Dead

Have you ever wondered how a dead man can obey a command to live again? It seems like an impossible task, yet in the Gospel of John, we see Jesus commanding Lazarus to rise from the dead, and Lazarus actually does it. How is this possible? How does a dead man obey a command to come alive?

In John 11:43, Jesus cries out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" And in the very next verse, we read that "The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips." Lazarus, a dead man, obeyed the command to rise from the dead and walked out to Jesus. How did he do it?

The answer lies in the power of the command itself. When Jesus commands Lazarus to come out of the grave, the command carries within it the power to create new life. Lazarus didn't have to create that life himself. He simply responded to the command by doing what living people do – he came forth, he rose, and he walked out to Jesus. The call of God creates life, and we respond in the power of what the call creates.

This truth is echoed in the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:14, where he writes, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." How do we obey a command to wake up from sleep? Just as in the case of Lazarus, we don't wake ourselves up. The command itself carries the power to wake us up. We obey by doing what wakeful people do in the face of danger – we get up and leave the house. The call creates the waking, and we respond in the power of what the call created – wakefulness.

This understanding of the power of God's commands helps us make sense of the seemingly paradoxical statements in the Bible about new birth. On the one hand, the Bible tells us to "circumcise your heart" (Deuteronomy 10:16) and "make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit" (Ezekiel 18:31). On the other hand, it also tells us that "the Lord will circumcise your heart" (Deuteronomy 30:6) and "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:26). Similarly, Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:7, "You must be born again," and the Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:3, "God caused us to be born again."

The key to understanding this paradox lies in the fact that the command to be born again carries within it the power to bring about new birth. We cannot create new life ourselves, but when the command of God comes with the creating, converting power of the Holy Spirit, it gives life. We respond to this divine gift of life by believing, rejoicing, and obeying.

So, how can we apply this truth to our own lives? First, we need to recognize that we are spiritually dead apart from Christ. Just as Lazarus was physically dead in the grave, we are dead in our sins and trespasses. But just as Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave, he calls us to new life in him. We cannot obey this command in our own strength. We need the power of God's Spirit to bring about new birth within us.

Second, we need to respond in faith and obedience to the call of God. When we hear the command to come alive in Christ, we must trust in the power of that command to bring about new life. We must believe that Jesus is the source of life and salvation, and we must repent of our sins and turn to him in faith. This is how we respond to the call of God – by doing what living people do, by trusting in Christ and following him.

Finally, we need to continually walk in obedience to God's commands. Just as Lazarus walked out of the grave and followed Jesus, we are called to live a life of obedience to God. This obedience is not a means of earning or maintaining our salvation, but rather a response to the new life that God has created within us. As we walk in obedience, Christ shines on us, and we experience the fullness of his presence and blessing in our lives.

In conclusion, the power of obedience lies in the fact that God's commands carry within them the power to create new life. We cannot obey these commands in our own strength, but when we respond in faith to the call of God, he brings about new birth within us. Let us, therefore, trust in the power of God's commands, respond in faith and obedience, and walk in the newness of life that Christ has given us. May we experience the fullness of his presence and blessing as we live in obedience to his commands.