Recess, Resurrection, Redemption

Remember the sense of joy you felt as a child in school when it was finally time for recess? Or in college when you completed the final exam of the semester?  Five o’clock on Friday afternoon? Stop and think about that feeling for a second…Ah, freedom.

As an elementary educator, I get to witness that kind of exuberance on a regular basis.  When the doors leading to the playground burst open, bright smiles overtake small faces and excitement permeates the air. Don’t get me wrong, the kids love their school and their teachers, but there is just something about being ‘set free’–released from a place of restriction and confinement, to one of liberty.

It’s springtime, and I think most of us, no matter our ages, are feeling just a little restless…

Last week, we joyfully celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, the event that is the very essence of our Christian faith. When Jesus rose from the dead, it changed everything. Our Savior was crucified, died, and was buried. But the grave could not hold him. His resurrection meant the possibility of eternal life for us all.

Jesus was not the first person mentioned in scripture to be raised from death. In the Old Testament we read several examples of people who were resurrected. In the New Testament there was a widow’s son (Luke 7:13-15), Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:54), and Jesus’ beloved friend Lazarus.

Lazarus had been dead for four whole days by the time Jesus arrived on the scene. But Jesus had a plan. He went to Lazarus’ tomb, ordered the stone to be rolled away, and called out to him, “Lazarus, come out!”

Then, the Bible says, the dead man came out, still wrapped in his grave clothes. Can you even begin to imagine what it must have been like to be there?

Jesus then spoke a simple sentence: “Unwrap him and let him go!”

Different versions of the Bible use different words to describe Jesus’ command:

Free him.

Unbind him.

Unwrap him.

Loose him.

And... Let. Him. Go!

Do you sometimes feel that you are being held in the darkness of a tomb, bound by a force that is taking away your very life?

What is holding you back–binding you, wrapping you up in a way that has rendered you helpless?  What confinement do you need to be released from: Anger? Fear? Sickness? Loneliness? Jealousy? Anxiety? An unforgiving heart?

Lazarus was dead. Dead. So how was he brought back to life? Jesus spoke. We may not physically have Jesus verbalizing life over us, but we do, like Lazarus did, have His presence and His WORD. We were given a life-changing book bursting with promises that assure us of His love, power, and protection: Freedom, sunshine, fresh air, and recess! (Well, not exactly–but you get the idea…)

Allow God to free you from those things that restrict you, so that you can leave the dark tomb behind, and experience authentic life. Listen to His voice when He commands that you be unbound. Embrace His presence and absorb His word. Because that word is perfect truth, and truth is the only thing that has the power to set us free. (John 8:32)

--Kelly Wilson Mize