The Miracle of Salvation (Part One)

Do miracles still happen today?

By the thousands! Every time a person starts to believe in Christ, it is a real miracle of God’s grace. Let us take a closer look at three parts of our salvation: the new birth, conversion and justification; starting with the miracle of the new birth. To help us understand, Jesus illustrates some essential aspects of being born again in the raising of Lazarus (John 11:1ff).

Mary, Martha and Lazarus were very close friends of Jesus.

One day Lazarus became seriously ill. Jesus was informed immediately, but only two days later did He set off. Lazarus was already dead by then. When Jesus arrived, He met Martha and Mary close to where they lived. Mary was heartbroken: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus reacted like never before. He was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. He was angry and very saddened. Jesus was so indignant that one could see it externally. He was trembling or shaking.

What was He so indignant about?

Here stands Jesus, the Bridegroom, and these three friends are part of His Bride. And how is His Bride? One part is crying and the other is dead! His dear Bride, captive in death, this terrible consequence of the Fall. This made Jesus so angry that HE could not hold it back. “Where have you laid him?” They take Him to the tomb where love and compassion for his Bride bring tears to His eyes. “Take away the stone,” Jesus commanded. Martha was horrified: “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

Her words illustrate very well the hopeless situation of natural man who is spiritually dead.

Could Lazarus have made himself alive? Absolutely not! He stank already! Nobody could change his state anymore! Can a spiritually dead person save himself? Of course not. He is in the same position as Lazarus. Yet Jesus insisted with regard to his friend Lazarus, “Take away the stone!” Jesus lifted up his eyes to the Father and spoke to Him. Then He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus commanded a dead person to come to Him!

As Jesus spoke, His word created new life in Lazarus.

And the new life enabled Lazarus to respond. Now Lazarus could turn away from death. He had the will to do so and enjoyed doing nothing more than that! He did not even take the time to throw off the strips of cloth with which he was wrapped. He jumped out of the grave straight into the arms of Jesus!

Do we see how a new birth comes about namely through the living word of God that creates new life in a spiritually dead sinner and enables him to respond to the call, to repent and believe?

Do we understand that the cause of the new birth is not the good in us, but the deep love of Jesus for His Bride, the Church? Then we have already understood major aspects of a new birth.