Kingdom Incarnate Part 9
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Incarnate,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
We continue in our series ‘Kingdom Incarnate,’ which endeavors to teach us to ‘see’ and ‘know’ Jesus in the gospels. Last week, we looked at a man born blind. This week, we will look at a man named Lazarus.
John 11:39-44 (NIV)
39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
In John 11:39-44, we see the incredible moment when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. It’s a powerful demonstration of Christ’s authority over death, but it also holds a deeper truth: the resurrection is not just about eternity—it’s about transformation now.
When Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, He didn’t just restore his old life; He brought him into a new reality. The same voice that spoke to Lazarus speaks to us today. Jesus didn’t save us just so we could stumble through life, barely making it, waiting for heaven. He came so we could experience the fullness of life now. His resurrection secures our eternity, but it also invites us into victory today.
Too often, believers live as if they are still bound in grave clothes, like Lazarus before Jesus commanded, “Unbind him, and let him go” (John 11:44). The resurrection power of Jesus is not just about escaping death—it’s about walking in newness of life. We are not meant to live defeated, entangled in fear, shame, or the weight of our past. When Christ calls us out of the grave, He calls us into a life of purpose, freedom, and transformation.
The resurrection of Lazarus foreshadowed the greater resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus walked out of His own tomb, He secured for us not only life after death but life abundant here and now. The same power that raised Him from the dead dwells in us (Romans 8:11), empowering us to live boldly, to love radically, and to walk in the freedom of God’s grace.
This changes everything. No longer are we bound by sin or fear. No longer do we have to live in defeat, merely surviving until heaven. Jesus is alive, and because He lives, we can walk in victory today. He calls us to step into the fullness of His promises—not just someday, but now.
Are we still wrapped in the grave clothes of doubt, addiction, or hopelessness? Or are we walking in the freedom Christ secured for us? The resurrection is more than a historical event; it is an invitation to live fully alive, right now, for His glory and His purpose.
Just as Jesus stood before the tomb of Lazarus and called him into new life, He stands before us today, calling us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Will we answer? Will we step forward and walk in the power of the resurrection? Because Jesus lives, we can truly live—not just in eternity, but today.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.
