A God Who Invites Participation

John 11:43–44

“Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’”

Tonight, I’m tired.

Not metaphor tired. Not hashtag tired.

The kind of tired that makes you wish you could disappear under your duvet for a year and reappear resurrected and caffeinated.

Writing a full theological thesis, while working full-time as a hairstylist in a high-pressure salon, has brought me to the edge of my strength. I’m discovering that my need for Jesus is not just spiritual, it’s existential.

And yet, in my exhaustion, God shows up, like He always does, through His Word.

The Moment: Lazarus Comes Forth

Jesus stands before a tomb. He cries out (Greek: kraugazō – to shout aloud with urgency), “Lazarus, come forth!”

And a man, long dead, walks out.

Breath returns. Life returns. Identity returns.

But… he’s still bound.

His face is wrapped (Greek: soudarion – a sweat cloth or burial napkin, hiding the face).

His hands and feet are restricted (Greek: keiriais – tightly wrapped linen strips, like a cocoon).

He’s alive… but he’s not free.

Then Jesus turns—not to angels, not to the wind—but to the people nearby and says:

“Loose him, and let him go.”

(From Greek luo – to unbind, release, destroy the cords that restrict.)

The Question: Why Ask Others?

Why does Jesus, who just reversed death itself, now delegate the unwrapping?

Because there is a part only God can do, and a part we are invited to do.

Jesus alone can resurrect.

But He calls us to participate in restoration.

There’s something profoundly theological about this moment. It teaches us:

We are called into the work of unbinding those whom Christ has raised. Salvation may be instantaneous, but healing and integration are communal. Resurrection is a divine miracle. But sanctification is a shared journey.

Word Study Reflection:

“Loose him” (luo) implies not just physical unwrapping, but also the undoing of constraints, restrictions, and systems that bind.

“Let him go” (aphiēmi) implies sending forth, liberating, and releasing someone into new territory.

Jesus is saying: “He’s Mine now. Help him become who I say he is.”

The Realisation: I Was a Zombie Too

Without Jesus, we’re all Lazarus pre-call: walking corpses in stylish graveclothes.

Even after salvation, some of us still walk with our faces covered in shame, our hands tied by fear, and our feet shackled by old belief systems.

Jesus doesn’t leave us there. But He also doesn’t do it alone.

He tells us to show up. Us to remove the wrappings. Us to welcome the new ones home.

And I? I have graveclothes too.

Perfectionism that masquerades as diligence. Emotional fatigue that tries to pass for spiritual depth. Old survival patterns that speak louder than God’s truth some days.

But Jesus is still calling: “Come forth.”

And He’s still asking others: “Loose him. Let him go.”

The Invitation: Participate in Resurrection

Even the salvation prayer has to be prayed. We must respond.

Even Lazarus had to walk.

Even grace requires surrender.

And even miracles require messengers.

It stuns me that God wants my help.

The God who created stars doesn’t need me, but He invites me.

He trusts us to be His hands in the unbinding.

He asks us to become co-restorers with Him.

“Isn’t it wonderful that the Almighty Living God invites us, dust, to be part of His Grand Narrative of new creationism?”

I know I don’t deserve it.

How could I?

Even Isaiah says my best is like filthy rags before His holiness.

And yet, He still looks at me. He doesn’t flinch.

He draws lines in the sand for me, not to condemn, but to protect.

He welcomes me with grave-stained hands.

He lifts my face.

He unbinds my shame.

He says, “Come forth.”

The Final Word:

This is the Jesus I follow:

Not just the One who raises the dead,

But the One who calls me to unbind them.

To walk beside them.

To help them remember who they are.

And in doing so…

He’s still unbinding me too.

Practical Application

Take Off the Graveclothes, Yours and Theirs

Jesus could have spoken one more word and unwrapped Lazarus Himself. But He didn’t. He looked to the onlookers, those trembling with wonder, and said, “Loose him, and let him go.” You may be exhausted, overwhelmed, or unsure of your own freedom journey, but this moment invites you into co-labouring with Christ.

Here’s how:

Identify Your Own Graveclothes: What are you still bound by? Fear of man, shame, performance, secret sin, self-loathing? Name them in prayer and allow trusted community to help you “loose” what still clings.

Be Present for Others’ Resurrection Moments: Watch for those around you coming out of tombs. They’ll still be wrapped in something. Ask the Holy Spirit how you can gently, faithfully, help remove the layers: maybe through prayer, encouragement, truth spoken in love, or walking with them long after the miracle moment has passed.

Say Yes to Your Role: Don’t wait to be perfect to participate. Jesus didn’t ask the spotless to unbind Lazarus. He asked the available. You are invited to take part in His resurrection project, every day, every conversation, every act of compassion.

Prayer

“Lord, Make Me a Gravecloth-Remover”

Jesus,

Thank You for calling me out of my own tomb. Thank You that You alone command life to return, and You alone awaken the dead places within me.

I confess that sometimes, even when I’ve stepped into new life, I still walk bound—by shame, exhaustion, fear, or false identities. Lord, speak again: Loose him. Let her go. Remove what I can’t remove on my own.

But don’t stop there.

Give me eyes to see others stumbling out of graves. Give me love enough to step near. Give me hands willing to touch what still stinks of death. And give me the humility to know it is You, always You, who brings the dead to life, yet You, astonishingly, ask me to participate.

I say yes. Even tired. Even trembling. Even still unbinding myself.

Use me.

For Your glory.

In Your Holy and Gloriously Beautiful Name Lord Jesus,

Amen.