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It’s the gift-giving time of the year, and the perennial question always arises: “What do you give to someone who has everything?”, or, simply doesn’t NEED anything? But of our 3 texts today: Revelation 3:14-4:11 and Daniel 9-11, it is John 12:1-11 that spins that question in a whole new way. How do you threaten someone who’s already lost everything? Better yet, who’s already died?

I’m Reid Ferguson and this is Through the Word in 2020.

I’ll have to admit I find the idea that the Chief Priests made plans to put Lazarus to death after Jesus raised him from the dead – hilarious. Not because Lazarus couldn’t die again – he could and eventually did. But because he had been there, and knew first hand the power over death his Savior truly wielded.

And so we have this imagined conversation in poem form.

Enjoy.

Laz’rus! Have you heard the news?

The word’s all over town

The Priests, the Scribes and Pharisees

all want to bring you down

They’re plotting when and planning where

its best to take you out

Their minds are set, their hearts are hard

They’ll move without a doubt

The more I squawked and stammered on

the more his face would shine

And leaning back in perfect peace

He said “son, pay no mind”

“They’re scheming what? Now think with me

To kill me? That’s the plan?

Now hear me son, I’ve walked that path,

and walked it back again

“They really think that’s going to throw

a panic into me?

I’ve stared at death from inside out

and that’s some sight to see!

“Now I’m supposed to shake and quake

at threats from mortal men,

And hold my tongue from telling all

Christ raised me up again?

“You’ve got…, you’ve got…”, he started out

in trying to explain

“You’ve got to just be be kidding me!”

Then, like bursting from some pain –

He let a howl from deep inside

escape with such a roar

I’m sure they heard him miles away

Or three or maybe four

The loudest, deepest, grandest laugh

that ever man has heard

erupted till the rafters shook.

A laugh the whole world heard.

As tears were streaming down his cheeks

he heaved and gasped for air

Then thinking he had stopped himself

broke out again and blared

“They’re going to try and kill me!

The man who Jesus raised!

Like death could ever scare me now –

Christ’s precious name be praised!”

And then he laughed, and laughed some more

Till all of us laughed too

in joy too deep for human words

Though shared by all too few

The promise of eternal life

Came crashing in on all

That Jesus truly conquered death

And triumphed o’er the Fall

No fear of death bound Lazarus

No threat could make him doubt

He’d known the power of Christ our Lord

Though buried – he came out

At just a word from Jesus’ lips

the power of death was gone

and life returned to lifeless flesh

The Kingdom Light had dawned

The day will come when we’ll laugh too

The trump of Christ will sound

And all the dead in Christ the Lord

will rise up from the ground

And meeting Jesus in the air,

with all who still remain

With Lazarus and all the rest

We’ll laugh at death and pain

In raptured sobs of joy and glee

We’ll reign with Him on high

And never feel the whispered lisp

Of pain or grieving’s sigh

We’ll shake our head like Lazarus did

at the foolishness of fear

To think – we’re loved by Christ the King

No joy, can be so dear

No doubt when Lazarus heard the news

that men sought his dispatch

He just lit up and shook his head –

Don’t doubt it, Laz’rus laughed

One day, all the dead in Christ will laugh like this too.

God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.