John 11 records powerful evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. The chapter reaches its climax in verse 43 when Jesus calls into Lazarus’ tomb with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” Verses 44 and 45 continue: “The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.”
This sign powerfully and convincingly proved Jesus to be the Messiah. The chief priests and Pharisees planned to kill Jesus, but According to John 12:9-11, they also made another plan to kill Lazarus because, “on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.” They planned to destroy all evidence that would prove Jesus is the Messiah. This is the Devil’s pattern: every time an effective way to spread the truth about Jesus is found, he tries to destroy it.
This is seen in the Scriptures and in life, even presently. The options available to spread the gospel today are unmatched by any other time period. In the New Testament the disciples used all kinds of gatherings to spread the gospel (Acts 2; 7; 9:20). Today, people gather in virtual locations: reading emails, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube, an interacting through social media. Many of the messages sent through these mediums are full of filth. It is the responsibility of Christians to shine light on the darkness so that the truth of Jesus is known to all (Ephesians 5:8-17).
The Devil is pleased when Christians ignore these powerful tools. Those Christians who neglect advances in technology and communication to spread the gospel are playing into the Devil’s hand. He enjoys sending darkness into homes, families, and children without any interference from God’s people.
Lazarus lives metaphorically in every place where the truth is spoken. Don’t let the Devil kill Lazarus by sending darkness into the world unopposed: cast it out with the light of God in every place. Make wise use of modern tools and technology to spread the truth of Jesus to every soul. Share an encouraging article or video or create one if none are present. Shine the light, bring glory to God!