death to show Life...Lazarus

i came to the conclusion along time ago that reading the Bible is not as straight forward as the "classic easy Sunday School answers" would have us believe.

for instance. take the story of Lazarus. Jesus has two very good friends named Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus is very sick... so sick that he may die at any point.

they send word to Jesus, "Jesus please come and help us! Save our brother... if anyone can do it, you can!!"

instead of going to help the sisters Jesus stays about 2 miles away for a couple more days... in those days, their brother dies and they have a funeral for the guy. in fact when Jesus does actually show up he has been dead and rotting for 4 days!

but the explanation that Jesus gives is that He wants to let everybody know that He is the resurrection and the Life. Jesus is saying that by letting Lazarus die, he can make a point about who He is. He is a really big deal! He is Life... (strange, Jesus lets someone die to show the He is Life)

anyways Jesus shows up to the house and sees how sad everyone is, and He is deeply troubled and He busts out and starts weeping.

after He is done crying he goes to the Grave Yard and has some guys open up the grave (which is like a Cave with a stone door). Jesus prays to His heavenly Father and then yells at the dead Lazarus.

"LAZARUS!! GET OUT OF THERE...COME HERE!!!"

to everyone' shock and amazement the brother Lazarus emerges from the Tomb/cave in his mummy out fit.

Jesus has shown that He has power over death. He is truely the Life.