Today’s reading (John 11:1-6, 30-37) speaks of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and Sally Welch urges us to look at two paintings which focus on this scene: Rembrandt’s ‘The Raising Of Lazarus’ and Van Gogh’s ‘The Raising Of Lazarus (After Rembrandt)’. Art can give us a different perspective on what we read, and both these paintings, although very different in style, remind us that Jesus fully lived among us, sharing our grief and sorrows as He shared our joy and celebration. This incident reminds us of the love Jesus had for people, of His humanity (He wept at the graveside, even though He knew the end of the story before anyone else!) and of His deity, for His power is manifested here in ways that must have astonished those present.
As we ponder this amazing event, we are invited to ‘step out of the darkness and half-life of the tomb, to strip off the grave clothes of worldly preoccupations which entangle us and step gladly into the Son-lit world which is ours should we choose to accept it.’ (‘Sharing The Easter Story’, P 184) Once more, Scripture is not just there to give us a historical story; it invites us into the story to live it in the present day.