Greg Chandler
11/23/15
To say the least, Jesus was a constant frustration to the Jewish religious elite. No matter what they did to stop Him, He always had the upper hand. He could escape being thrown from a cliff; He could disappear into a crowd; He could win every public war of words: He could even serve as a “one man cleaning operation” in the temple. Even worse for them, every amazing act performed led the common people to believe in Him, much to the chagrin of those lusting for such attention. One such amazing act was calling a dead man from his tomb; this was a sign that was undeniable for those fully aware of the situation and the religious elite knew it. Nonetheless, something had to be done. Perhaps it was in desperate confusion that “the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well” (John 12:9). What better way to stop belief in Jesus than to remove the “proof” of His power (see 12:11)? (Perhaps they never considered that the man who raised Him once could certainly raise him again!) It seems that their plan never came to fruition, yet its inclusion in the Bible illustrates the desperation man can reach in his desire to deny Jesus. It does not have to be a member of first century religious aristocracy to fall prey to this; it can be anyone who finds excuse to turn Jesus away.
Conscience is a word used rather loosely. This is witnessed when the phrase “let your conscience be your guide” is flippantly used to indicate that whatever one might “feel” is right is, indeed, right. In its truest sense, the term conscience basically refers to the wrangling of the intellect. A situation is presented in which one needs either to take action or refrain from it. At this point, the conscience, representing one’s collective beliefs on the topic, swings into action. Through this wrangling process of thought, the right choice is made or the conscience is overruled. The decision to “obey the gospel” is a decision in which conscience is very much involved.
When the gospel message is heard, a clear picture emerges; this is the choice of eternal life or death. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). For the hearer, a conscientious choice must be made: “Will I seize this power of God for salvation or will I reject it.” At this point, like the religious elite of Jesus’ day, an individual can make the unfortunate decision to “kill Lazarus.” Just as the Jewish elite, futile attempts are made to diminish the power of Jesus Christ in matters of salvation. This is often done by rehearsing all of the feeble excuses to keep one from the saving power of God. Consider some of these “Lazarus killers:”
“I’m just too bad to save.” Though this excuse is perhaps diminishing as people lose their sense of right and wrong in the present age, there are still those who believe that past sins eclipse any future hope of salvation. This argument can be refuted in one word: Paul. This overzealous Christian slayer realized the wrong that he had done, yet came to understand that God can save. He made this known to Timothy when he wrote, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (I Timothy 1:15).
"People will expect too much out of me.” Such a killer seeks to place the expectations of others as the culprit rather than truthfully acknowledging one’s own unwillingness to change. Such thinking must be banished and replaced with not only the desire for salvation, but also for the growth that will follow. The wisdom of the Hebrew writer must be followed: “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (5:14).
“I’m too young to become a Christian.” While there may be validity within this statement, on most occasions this, too, is a Lazarus killer. It is often offered by those who have no qualms taking on other “adult” activities, such as driving a car, spending time at home alone, taking a weekend getaway with friends, or babysitting someone’s small children. To diminish this excuse, one need only examine Joseph, Miriam, Josiah, Timothy and others who are divinely recorded examples of strong faith in youth.
“I just don’t know enough about the Bible.” If this Lazarus killer was true, no human could obey the gospel. The Bible’s divine design is to challenge no matter what one’s chronological age. When one understands that Jesus Christ is the power of the gospel and that He has a plan to save man from sin, the foundation has been laid. When this is followed with the understanding that sin must be renounced and that baptism will wash away sins by the grace of God, it is time. While growth will follow, the plan of salvation is designed so that even the simplest of intellects can understand what is to take place: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved. He who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16)
Numerous other Lazarus killers could be listed, yet this sampling shows how easily one can stymie the conscience and delay what should be joyously done. The danger, of course, is that if the right answer of a good conscience is continually ignored, the conscience will become calloused and the knowledge of one’s need for God so diminished that no hope will remain. Sadly, most of the religious elite who sought to kill Lazarus shared this fate. This, however, does not have to happen: “The Lord is not slow to fulfil His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Peter 3:9). The conscience that is grounded in the truth of God cries out for obedience. It must not be ignored!