“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 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.’”
When we think about the story of Lazarus, we usually focus on the miracle of the resurrection itself. It is the moment Jesus shouts into the darkness of the tomb, and life returns to a body that had been dead for four days. It is incredible. But have you ever paused to think about what Lazarus looked like the moment he shuffled out of that cave?
He was alive, yes. His heart was beating. Air was filling his lungs. But he wasn’t free.
Jewish burial customs at the time meant that Lazarus was wrapped tightly in strips of linen. His arms were bound to his body. His feet were tied. His face was covered. He was essentially a walking mummy. He had new life, but he was still dressed for death. That is why Jesus had to give a second command to the people standing nearby. He said, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go".
I believe this is a perfect picture of where many of us find ourselves in our spiritual journey.
We have accepted Jesus. We have been given new life. We come to church, we sing the songs, and we truly believe. But underneath our Sunday best, we are still walking around wrapped in old grave clothes. We are bound by secret sins, deep regrets, or shame that we just cannot seem to shake. We are alive, but we are restricted. We cannot move freely because we are holding onto things that belong in the grave.
The author Mark Batterson calls this "secret sin". He points out that nothing isolates us quite like a secret. We think that if we hide our struggles, we are safe. We think that if no one knows about that habit, or that thought, or that past mistake, then it doesn't have power over us. But the opposite is true. Secrets are like those linen strips. They bind us. They keep us from running the race God has set before us.
Batterson reminds us of a quote by Saint Irenaeus: "The glory of God is a person fully alive". You cannot be fully alive if you are partially bound.
So, how do we get free? We have to do the thing that feels most frightening. We have to let someone unwrap us.
This means confession. It means finding a safe friend, a mentor, or a pastor; someone who can act as a "Nathan" in your life and be honest about what you are carrying. It means bringing those dark things into the light. The enemy wants you to believe that if people knew the real you, they would reject you. But the truth is, vulnerability often leads to the deepest kind of connection and healing.
We need to stop hiding behind a facade. We need to realise that God does not heal what we do not confess.
Today, I want to encourage you to take a step toward freedom. Don't settle for just being alive while still wearing the clothes of death. Find someone you trust. Speak the truth. Let God and His community unwrap you. Step out of the grave clothes and into the glorious freedom of being fully alive.
Prayer of the Day:
Lord, thank You for giving me new life. I confess that sometimes I still carry the heavy weight of secrets and shame. I do not want to walk around bound by my past or my hidden struggles. Give me the courage to be honest. Help me to find a safe person to speak with, so that I can be unwrapped and set free. I want to be fully alive for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.