"And he that was dead came forth ..." ~ John 11:44a
"And when he [Jesus] thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth." Why doesn't the Lord Jesus still do this? Why is it that our loved ones cannot be brought back from the grave to be with us as Lazarus was again with his sisters, Mary and Martha? Wouldn't it glorify God now as it did then? Wouldn't our non-believing friends be likely to become Christians just as did the friends of the little family at Bethany when the one who had been dead in his grave four days once more sat at the dinner table rejoicing with them all? Why does that chair at our table have to remain empty? Doesn't God love our loved ones as much as Jesus loved Lazarus?
Yes. This has nothing whatever to do with God's love for us or our loved ones, as I [Eugenia Price, the author] see it. God could still bring our loved ones back. His power has not lessened. But He has done something even greater now. "God was in Christ" on the Cross. God was in Christ when He walked out of the open tomb victorious over death so that the words of Jesus to Martha could be forever true for each and every one of us. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, that was only one resurrection. One man. Now, since Jesus Himeself broke out of the grave all have access to eternal life. Physical death is but an incident along the way.
Your loved one and mine have graduated into another field of service. Their questions have become exclamations of joy because they know all of what the Lord is "up to" at last! Life goes on for them. With Him. And it of the utmost urgency that we remember that "His mercy endureth forever."
"... If it were not so, I would have told you .."
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