Once we have experienced the truly impossible happen right before our eyes, we cannot contain it, hold back, or casually put it aside.  No, we must tell as many people as will listen.  “I know a guy who just did the impossible!”  “Listen, he came into town, spoke briefly to the family, then went to where the family member was placed in a tomb.”  “And, get this—He ordered the dead for four days man to come out!”  AND he did!

The greatest witness is a fresh from the scene eye-witness—someone who saw it happen when it happened!  Imagine being that eye-witness.  Maybe you knew Lazarus personally.  You knew your friend died from a terrible sickness.  You were there with the mourners when Lazareth was wrapped up in burial cloths and placed in a tomb by family members.  And speaking of family, you were filled with empathy for his sisters, Mary and Martha—good people of the community who helped others.  You helped other strong men roll the stone over the entrance.  Maybe you kept vigil with the family over this great loss, as was the custom.  Yes, you felt the pain of losing someone dear to you in death.

Then, after four days, this guy comes to the village who knows the family well.  You have heard about Him from the previous stories of Mary, Martha, and Lazareth.  Martha sees this guy first then runs to get Mary.  Something is happening.  The mood changes.  You watch them go with this guy called Jesus to walk over to where Lazareth is buried.  You assume Jesus is there to mourn with the rest.  But no, He is there to do the impossible!  This guy, Jesus, told us to remove the stone from the entrance!  Imagine the smell of death after four days!  But that’s not all—this guy told his dead friend to “Come out!” –and Lazareth walk out of that grave!  I was there to unwrap him!

This story from eye-witnesses spread quickly through the countryside.  Crowds of people who heard the stories now want to see the One who raises people from the dead!

“I know that guy…”  Oh, look, here He comes!

John 12, The Message

See How Your King Comes

^12-15 The next day the huge crowd that had arrived for the Feast heard that Jesus was entering Jerusalem. They broke off palm branches and went out to meet him. And they cheered:

Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!

Yes! The King of Israel!

Jesus got a young donkey and rode it, just as the Scripture has it:

No fear, Daughter Zion:
    See how your king comes,
    riding a donkey’s colt.

¹⁶ The disciples didn’t notice the fulfillment of many Scriptures at the time, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that what was written about him matched what was done to him.

^17-19 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, was there giving eyewitness accounts. It was because they had spread the word of this latest God-sign that the crowd swelled to a welcoming parade. The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: “It’s out of control. The world’s in a stampede after him.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The procession between Bethany and Jerusalem was a part of His obedience to the Father’s will. The prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9) prophesied that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem in that manner, and Jesus fulfilled the prophecy.

Jesus was openly announcing to the people that He indeed is the King of Israel the promised Messiah, (as Nathaniel had proclaimed to Jesus, one-on-one, John 1:49). No doubt many of God’s chosen people, the Jews, hoped that now He would defeat the Romans and set the nation of Israel free.  But God had His Plan that was greater still and God’s Plan will be fulfilled in Jesus.

The crowds welcomed Jesus, spread their garments before Him, and waved palm branches as symbols of peace and victory because of what He had done with what they wanted Him to do for them. They quoted from Psalm 118:26, which is a messianic psalm. They proclaimed Him the “King of Israel.” But while they were doing this, Jesus was weeping (See also Luke 19:37–44)! Jesus wasn’t weeping because He was overcome by their adulation; He was weeping because of the unbelief that lay behind the welcome.

Jesus knows the hearts of all men and women.  He knows.  He loved us while we were yet sinners. He loved with the love of God and carried out God’s Plan to save all of us. The crowd’s unbelief would not stop Him from completing the mission to willingly lay down His life for us, taking on all the sins of the world that imprisons and oppresses all of us to redeem us and set us free forever—once and for all.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Jesus came to fulfill the Word of God through His prophets.  As the Pharisees watched the great crowd gather and honor Jesus, they were quite sure that Jesus had won the day. They were anticipating some kind of general revolt during the Passover season. Perhaps Jesus would perform a great miracle and in that way capture the minds and hearts of the restless people. Fear set in for all kinds of reasons. Losing power and position was probably the greatest of all reasons.

How little they really understood the mind and heart of the Master! What they did not realize was that Jesus was forcing their hand so that the Sanhedrin would act during the feast. The Lamb of God had to give His life when the Passover lambs were being slain.  Jesus, the sacrifice for our sins.

I know a guy—His Name is Jesus.  He saved me and set me free from all that had  wrapped me up tightly in sin.  Jesus called me out of that life to living a miraculously, expectant, new life!  I ran out of that grave-life to meet Him!  I no longer have the stench of death but the fragrance of Christ rising from me!

Now I’m different.  Still not perfect but perfectly forgiven.  I’m not who I was.  I’m not completely where God wants me to be, but I’m closer today than yesterday.  Jesus is my Savior; yes, but now He is Lord of all the details of my life. 

Believing in Jesus immediately reconnected (reconciled) me to God who holds me close and won’t let me go as His child.  We have an intimate, love relationship that is forever—all because of this guy I know—and believe!

“How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21, MSG

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2;9-11

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul, setting me free to love like you love, as you change my thinking and transform my behaviors daily.  I’m Yours.  I believe.  And I’m listening expectantly.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen