Gò0dNews for Teens
Come Out of The Grave
S
by Caleb Prytherch
orrow and sadness are emotions that all of us face or
So, Jesus calls Lazarus to come out of the grave and
have faced in our lives. We go through hard times, we
Lazarus comes out alive and well! Jesus had just performed
lose people we love, and many other circumstances
another great miracle. In the later part of Verse 44, Jesus
that can cause us to feel sad. I do not necessarily believe
says to them to “Take off the grave clothes, and let him go.”
that any person likes to feel sad; however, I have found that
I believe that this passage is so important for us to take
many times people allow their sadness to overtake their joy
ahold of. No matter what you have gone through, you are
in their lives. I want to remind you that if you are dealing
not meant to stay in that place of sorrow for the rest of your
with a difficult circumstance, it is okay to feel sad. However,
life. You are not called to be bound by the “grave clothes”
you must not allow the sadness to stay in your life forever.
forever, because God is greater than the most difficult
In John 11, we read that Jesus’ close friend Lazarus was
circumstances of your life.
sick and then died. When Jesus arrived at Judea, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Jesus talked to Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary, and He was greatly moved. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept” (John 11:33-35). While there is a lot that we could learn about in this story, there are a couple of things that I want to specifically focus on. First of all, in this passage we read that Jesus was greatly moved by the death of his dear friend and in Verse 35, it says that “Jesus wept.” What this tells me is that Jesus felt the pain, sorrow, and sadness that Mary and Martha felt. This also
Satan wants you to be bound by sorrow, but eventually,
reminds me that Jesus feels the pain, sorrow, and sadness that
you have got to take the grave clothes off. The enemy wants
all of us feel. He knows where you are, what you are going
to keep reminding you and making you feel like you cannot
through, and He is right there with you through it all. He is
continue on with life, but God came so that you could
not some kind of robot or inanimate object—He is real, He
experience new hope, new joy, and new peace. Often times
feels, and He always knows what is happening.
we cling to our grave clothes because they seem in a weird
Secondly, if you continue to read on in this story, Jesus
way “comfortable,” but God has called for us to take them
ordered that the stone be moved from the tomb where
off! Jesus walked out of the grave, He called Lazarus out of
Lazarus was buried. Once the stone was moved, Jesus
the grave, so why do we think that we must stay in it?
prayed to the Father, and then he called forth for Lazarus to
“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a
come out of the grave. “When he had said this, Jesus called
lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes
in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came
in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go’” (John 11:43-44).
24 // August 2021
About The Author
out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a Caleb Prytherch is the student pastor at Heritage Fellowship Church of God in McDonald, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Lee University, holding a Bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry and a Master’s degree in practical theological studies. He is married to his beautiful wife, Bekah, and together they have a passion to see peoples lives be changed and transformed through the power of Jesus Christ.
