The One Who Gives Life
The One Who Gives Life
The crowd in Jerusalem had heard something astounding.
A man—Lazarus—had died. He had been buried for four days. But then Jesus came, stood at the tomb, and said, “Lazarus, come out.”
And he did.
That’s why people were pouring into the streets on Palm Sunday. Not because of tradition. Not because of hype. But because Jesus had done something only God could do: He gave life to the dead.
This Was No Ordinary Miracle
John 11:19 tells us that many Jews had gathered to mourn Lazarus. His death was public. His burial was certain. His body had begun to decay.
And yet, in the presence of the crowd, Jesus spoke—and death obeyed.
John 11:45 says, “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.”
The raising of Lazarus was not simply a display of power—it was a preview of Christ’s mission: to conquer death by dying Himself and to bring life to the spiritually dead.
The Problem Isn't Just That We're Broken—It's That We're Dead
Ephesians 2:1–2 says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.”
That’s the biblical diagnosis. We’re not merely weak, lost, or confused—we are spiritually dead. Unable to respond to God. Unwilling to seek Him.
This is why the doctrine of regeneration is vital. Salvation doesn’t begin with our decision. It begins with God's initiative—bringing dead hearts to life.
Just as Lazarus didn’t walk out of the tomb by his own power, no one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44).
Christ Gives New Life—Not Just a Better Version of the Old One
Jesus did not come to make good people better. He came to make dead people alive.
Ephesians 2:4–5 says, “But God, being rich in mercy… even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”
This is the heart of the gospel: that God, in His sovereign mercy, raises sinners from death to life—not because of anything in us, but because of His grace.
This new life isn’t about self-improvement. It’s about transformation. It’s about being born again—not by the will of man, but by the Spirit of God (John 1:13).
Christ Died to Give Life to Sinners
In Romans 6:23, Paul says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We were under wrath, enemies of God, children of disobedience (Eph. 2:3). But Christ bore our sin, took our punishment, and satisfied divine justice so that we could be reconciled to God.
Through His death, we receive life.
This is the beauty of substitutionary atonement—Jesus, the sinless One, gave His life for sinners so that we might be raised with Him.
Believe and Live
In Acts 16:31, a Philippian jailer was told how to be saved. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
This is not a vague belief in a historical figure, but a saving trust in the risen Christ as Lord and Savior. It is repentance from sin and faith in the gospel.
Jesus came to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). If you are in Christ, it is because He called you—just as He called Lazarus—out of death and into life.
A New Life Now, and Forever
Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)
This new life is both present and eternal. It begins with regeneration, continues in sanctification, and is secured in glorification.
The same power that raised Lazarus—and later raised Christ Himself—is at work in all who belong to Him.
The Gospel Must Be Proclaimed
Why did the crowds come? Because they heard what Jesus had done.
We're told in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
The responsibility to proclaim that word belongs to every believer. God has chosen to use the means of preaching and witness to call His elect to Himself.
If you have received life in Christ, your role is not passive. You are sent—wherever you are—to speak of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light.
Conclusion: Come and Believe
Lazarus came out of the tomb because Jesus called him by name. And every Christian can say the same.
He gave us life when we were dead. He gave us faith when we were blind. He gave us Himself when we had nothing to offer.
Come to Him—not as a spectator, not out of curiosity, but in repentance and faith. He is the Giver of life.