Setting the Stage...

Checking out the scenes before a stage has always been an interest of mine. My family was involved in an outdoor theatre production of "Laura's Memories" based on the life of the famous children's writer Laura Ingalls Wilder. The director was a personal friend and she was famous for "setting the stage" before each scene in the drama with what she called "pictures." The pictures she painted were with people carefully situated to depict what was really taking place. Since I am a very visual person I found this helpful to better understand and place myself in that time frame for the play. If you do not set the stage, it is kind of like watching a season on Netflix but not starting with the first episode, so you either miss a lot of the meaning, or else are so confused you feel lost!

Many people today will try to prepare their hearts for celebrating the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as they celebrate the holiday traditionally known as Easter or as some call it, "Resurrection Sunday." You see children with palm branches singing "hosanna" and some will try to recreate the scene of the Triumphal Entry, which was before the crucifixion of Christ. Pastors might go so far as to discuss the scenes before the Triumphal Entry, in which Jesus was washing His disciples feet at the last Passover celebration in the upper room, or maybe even the night before Jesus' arrest when he prayed passionately in the garden while his friends could not stay awake. Yet I do not think I have heard many share the side pictures people created to set the scenes leading up to the major parts of the drama of Christ's crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

In John 11, Jesus faced a heart wrenching situation where his dear friend Lazarus was deathly ill. He was notified by Lazarus' sisters Mary and Martha but yet he made the deliberate decision to wait until he died. It was another way that obedience was excruciatingly hard but there was purpose in His hesitation. Not only did Jesus call forth Lazarus from actual death, there was no question due to the prolonged amount of time that it was real. Martha questioned Jesus' wisdom in rolling away the stone from his tomb in v. 39 because there would be a terrible stench of death due to it already being four days. Here is where the scenes are often ignored in light of this huge miracle for this family.

Yes, Jesus brought Lazarus up from the grave, it was indeed setting the stage for how He would soon be conquering death's grip through His own resurrection. Yet, behind the stage other pictures were being formed. The resurrection of Lazarus brought about the plot to kill Jesus.

John 11:45 plainly explained that as a result of this miracle, many Jews were placing their faith in Jesus. Some of them went and alerted the Pharisees and when the chief priests and Council came together a scene was set to plot a murder.

Scene 1: The Making of a Murderer

The response to what God was doing for these people was not reverence, humble adoration, or self-examination. It was a desperate attempt to manipulate and control because they could not see what there was to gain through Christ, they only saw what they might lose. Remember the principle found which reminds us that to gain our lives we have to lose them? These men were not in the mood to hand over any form of control, so they came up with the plan to eliminate Jesus. They were so certain about their plan of action, but so oblivious to the truth. The high priest Caiaphas exclaimed in verses 49-50 "You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people not that the whole nation should perish." Ironic. He was unaware that he was actually bringing a prophesy to their ears about Jesus, we are told this in v. 51. Then v. 53 depicts how from that day on they made plans to put Him to death.

***Where are we in the scene today? Are you so unaware of what you can gain by turning loose of your own plans and allowing God to work? Are you so bent on being the "Lord" of your life that you are missing out on the miracles God can do now in your life and even for eternity?

Scene 2: The Making of Worshippers

I recently heard it said that we should be undone because of what HE has done! In the next scene we see that those who had experienced the grip of death had moved toward the embracing of gratefulness. Martha was seen using her own personality and gifts to worship as she was serving dinner for Jesus. Lazarus was spending the time at the table with Him so could you imagine the conversation? Then entered Mary, so giddy with love for Christ that she gave the best she had in pure nard, an expensive ointment that she used to anoint his feet and bowed in utter humility as she wiped his feet with her hair. The fragrance of worship filled the house! Connect this to 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, which reminds that through us God spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere. "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life."

***Do you smell like Christ? When people look at your life do they see a humble and thankful attitude, or someone quickly forgetting what God has done? Is this seen in how you treat your family or spouse? What kind of picture is your life presenting, a love story of adoration or a sitcom of entitlement?

Scene 3: Theme of the Thief

Judas was also a part of the previous scene and the spotlight focuses on him as his real attitude comes to the center. He tried to cover up his selfish motivation by asking why Mary would spend such an absorbent amount on Jesus when it could be used to help the poor. In John 12:6 the truth comes out "He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the money bag he used to help himself to what was put into it." Surely we would never cover up our real motivations for serving or going to church today? We would never have the attitude that it is our money and not see it as all God's money? Judas has to be one we have trouble identifying with, right? Again the sad thing is that he was missing out on all that God could do in his life and give him because he wanted control and greed consumed him. The beautiful fragrance did not linger under his nose because he turned it up on the Son of God and moved away to seek his own pleasures.

*** Do we miss opportunities to worship, bless others, and find relationship to God because we are so caught up in ourselves? How do we make excuses for sin and cover up wrong motivations even if they look right? Do we ever do something nice for someone else just so we get something out of it?

Scene 4: Going Out with Your Boots On

So as we look at the last picture before the major drama and players unfold where do we find Lazarus? The guy whose death brought about such a series of events? We often forget him in the blur of activity but Jesus was not the only one on the wanted list. John 12:10 explains "So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus." Gal. 2:20 -"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Doesn't that sound like something Lazarus would say? Paul knew the final scene would play out too one day and he is famous for saying this and also that to die is gain and to live is Christ. How do you want the curtain to close on your last scene? Jesus was yet to walk to the ultimate drama and greatest victory, but the stage was set. Lazarus was where many of us find ourselves. It may cost us something to go forward. How we react to what Jesus has done for us matters. It will play out in our marriages, our families, our children's futures. We may have to deal with the reality that we have to die to ourselves, our selfish ambitions, motives and manipulations. We may have to deal with the reality that it is hard being on the spiritual wanted list when we hang out with Jesus and point people to Him. Yet it is worth it to go out with our boots on, to be resurrected spiritually and alive eternally! Look at your life from the balcony today.