DEAD MAN WALKING!

By: Bodé Adeboyejo

Jesus in His days performed many notable miracles, most of which left His audience awed.  One of such notable miracles was the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11).  Like the people in Jesus’ days, we are equally awed by some of these miracles when we read about them in the Bible.  I mean, raising a man who has been dead for four days (after decomposition has begun) should awe anyone.  “Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, ‘Lord by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” John 11:39. 

Yet, while we may be awed by Lazarus’ story, we overlook a more important miracle.  That is, our own personal miracle of being raised from the dead spiritually!  “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,” Ephesians 2:1.  We, who once were dead in trespasses and sins, were raised from spiritual death unto life, when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.   

Yes, raising Lazarus from the dead was a notable miracle. But a much more notable miracle happened to us when we gave our lives to Jesus Christ. After all, Lazarus was dead for only four days.  However, we on the other hand, were dead for several years; some 10, some 20, some 30, some 40, some 50, some maybe even 80 years before we were raised from the dead! 

So, rather than be awed that Jesus raised a man who had been dead for ‘only’ four days, we should be awed and glad that He raised those of us who had been dead (spiritually) for years. Really, if a dead body stinks in four days, how much more does a body which has been dead for several years?  Wow!  Now, if that’s not a miracle, I wonder what is!  

Rather than sit in amazement at the Lazarus’ miracle or even our own miracle, we should be like the lame man at the Bethesda Pool (John 5), or the man who was born blind (John 9).  We should be going about jubilant, telling everybody we meet about Him who raised us up from the dead spiritually.  We should let them know that the One who raised the physical and the spiritual body is still in the business of raising the physical, but more so the spiritual body. 

If you noticed, Jesus’ resurrection miracles were progressional.  First, He raised Lazarus physically from the dead.  Then He raised Himself up physically and spiritually from the dead; to raise us -- the living, from spiritual death.  So as to prove to us that He makes dead bones (both physical and spiritual) come alive. 

Until we met Jesus Christ, we all were once dead men (women) walking! 

If you are yet to meet Jesus Christ, i.e., come to a saving knowledge of Him, you are simply a dead man (woman) walking.  And if you are dead in your trespasses, but wondering how you can be raised from the dead, remember that Jesus, the One who raises both the physical and the spiritual body, is still in the resurrection business!   In fact, He is the Resurrection and the Life! (John 11:25) 

Call on Him today; and He will raise you up from spiritual death!