All who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and come out.

What a moment that was when the Lord, looking up to heaven, stood before Lazarus' open tomb!

All was quiet inside the cave, for death was there; and all must have been quiet outside, while the Son of God prayed to His Father in heaven.

The first sentence shows His faith. “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” (John 11:41)

The next showed His confidence in His Father's love — “I know that You always hear Me.” (v. 42)

The last displayed His own love to sinful people — “Because of the crowd standing here I said this, so they may believe You sent Me.”

He knew their unbelief, and He wanted to convince them that He and the Father were One.

Who can conceive the breathless expectation that filled every heart when He uttered the words, “Lazarus, come out?” (v. 43)

If that voice had not been obeyed, it would have been little wonder that the sisters had never again seen their brother; the hopes of all the dead, the hopes of all the living, the hopes of future generations, were hanging on the event of that moment.

Had no movement been heard in that tomb, then all the dead would have slept forever.

But now we know that all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and come out; those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life.

They shall come out as Lazarus did; not like him to die again, but to live forever.

They shall come out, not wrapped in burial clothes, but robed in white; not with muffled faces, but with faces shining like the sun at midday.

John has not described the meeting of Lazarus with his sisters and with his Lord; we may try to imagine the joyous greetings, and it is possible for us to conceive the joy of that loving family; but it is impossible for us to form any idea of the meeting of the saints above, with each other and with their Lord.

Lazarus found his sisters the same as he had left them, and they found him the same mortal creature as before. But one day every saint will regard his companion with delighted surprise.

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The importance of investigating diligently

Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has the Scripture not said that the Christ comes from the seed of David, out of the town of Bethlehem where David was?” ( John 7:41-42 ) ——————— It was prophesied in the Scriptures that the Christ should be born in Bethlehem, of the royal line of David. These Jews, therefore, thought that Jesus could not be the Christ, thinking that He was born in Galilee (He was only brought up there) and they did not know that He was of David's family. But had they investigated diligently, they would have found that the reports about Him were false, and that He really had been born in Bethlehem, and was a descendant of David. They were much to blame for such remissness. Oh, how many are now in error, because of their own negligence! They credulously believe the rumors they hear against Christ's ministers; they readily believe the objections that unbelievers make against the Bible; and they never inquire in...

God always lived

Jesus said, ‘In very truth I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am.’ ( John 8:58 NEB'70 ) ——————— The expression “I am,” gives the idea of an existence which had no beginning, and will have no end. Such is God's existence. He is the first and the last. He always lived. We, in our finite minds, can never grasp this. However, we can rejoice in the thought that before we were even born God already existed. Among other things, this would mean that no plans could be formed against us, before He had arranged everything concerning us! “Known to God are all His works since the beginning of the world.” ( Acts 15:18 )

For what is man?

May the Lord give us grace not to be afraid of mere humans, who whither like the grass and disappear; but to fear Him who stretched out the skies and laid the foundations of the earth, even Him who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, and will raise us also, if we believe in Him. For what is man, and what his smile? The terror of his anger, what? Like grass he flourishes a while, But soon his place shall know him not. Thro’ fear of such an one shall I The Lord of Heav’n and earth deny?

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