Final Confrontation (31 page)

Several of the disciples agreed with Peter.

“You don’t understand,” said Jesus pointedly. “Lazarus is dead. I’m glad we were not in Bethany before this so that you may believe what will soon happen there. Come. Let’s go to him.”

The group ambled off, picking up their things and heading northward once more toward Bethany. In the rear of the group, Thomas was speaking to the others. “Ah well. Let’s go with Him that we might also die with Him!”

The house seemed so empty now. Having been filled just a few days earlier with friends and neighbors from Bethany who were comforting Mary and Martha, the mourners had all but left, leaving only two friends. The women had thanked the people, recounting numerous times how Lazarus had struggled for breath until he could no longer take in any more air, and how he died before their friend Jesus could arrive.

“I appreciate their concern for us,” said Martha to Mary, when they were alone in the kitchen… “But I will be glad to have the house back to ourselves.”

Mary nodded in agreement.

“I cannot believe our brother has been dead these four days,” she said. “Just four days ago he was alive. And now…”

She began weeping.

“If only Jesus had come in time,” Martha said, holding her sister close. “Then perhaps our brother would have lived.”

At that moment somebody began pounding on the door. Martha, exhausted as she was, did not want to receive company right now. She opened the door to find the boy she had sent to find Jesus, standing there excitedly.

“He’s coming,” he said, pointing his finger. “Jesus is coming up the road!”

Martha rushed in and grabbed her scarf and ran down to meet Jesus. Mary stayed behind and thanked the boy for his hard work. She invited him in for some of the food left by the mourners. The two remaining guests motioned for him to come and join them.

“Jesus!” she called out when she saw Him in the distance. “My Lord!”

She embraced Jesus, then pulled back from Him.

“Why didn’t You come sooner?” she asked. “My brother might have lived. The boy told me You decided to wait two days—and now he is dead.”

She looked at the men with Him. They somehow felt ashamed—as if it were their fault they had delayed and that this woman had lost her brother. Some of them averted their eyes at her gaze. She looked back into the eyes of Jesus.

“I know God gives You whatever You ask,” she said hopefully.

Jesus smiled at her.

“Your brother will rise again,” said Jesus. “I promise.”

“I know, Lord. He will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

“Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, even if he is dead, shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

She was wiping away her tears now and nodded.

“Yes, Lord. I believe You. I believe You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

She left to tell Mary that Jesus was coming into their house. She hurried into the room, motioning for Mary to come with her into the kitchen. When they were alone, she told Mary, “The Master is calling for you!”

At that, Mary went into the other room, and, apologizing to their guests, hurried out the door. The guests agreed among themselves that she was headed to the grave to weep in private. A few followed her.

Mary found Jesus at the same spot where Martha had indicated. She had a mixed feeling of happiness and disappointment: Happiness because she loved Jesus; disappointment that He had not arrived in time. She fell at His feet and began weeping.

“If You had been here on time my brother would not have died,” she said, crying as she spoke. “Jerusalem is such a short distance away!”

He looked up and saw some of the Jews from the house with her. They were weeping for the loss of Lazarus whom they all loved. A few, who had heard of the raising of the widow’s son at Nain, muttered that He should also have saved Lazarus. Upon seeing all these people crying, Jesus Himself wept.

“Jesus crying?” said Rugio, who stood in front of the tomb of Lazarus. “Finally we are beginning to see some results!”

The angel thanked him and hurried back to continue his assignment with Jesus. Rugio looked at Kara.

“It seems you were right,” Rugio admitted. “Jesus is beginning to break under the strain of losing first John, and now Lazarus.”

Rugio walked over to the tomb and knocked on the large stone which sealed it shut. The tomb was typical of stone sepulchers, although larger. Lazarus had built the tomb for his father who had recently died. As it turned out, he requested burial near his father’s tomb in Hebron. And so the tomb lay empty…until now.

“You still in there Lazarus?” Rugio asked. He then stuck his head through the rock and into the tomb and quickly pulled back out. “Yes, he is still there, albeit changed in form!”

Kara snickered. “When this is all over I suspect Jesus will have changed a bit Himself!”

“Still, I wonder…” Rugio mused.

He called for Nathan, who was standing by. Nathan, one of Rugio’s most loyal warriors, appeared before his commander.

“I want more angels on this tomb,” he ordered. “I’m not sure what Jesus might have in mind. But I don’t want any chance of His trickery. This tomb must remain shut.”

Nathan nodded and vanished.

“Having doubts?” purred Kara. “Not like a warrior.”

“Just careful, Kara,” answered Rugio. “Jesus is quite a different problem to deal with—as you have found out so many times!”

Before Kara could answer, Nathan reappeared with several dozen warriors, who stationed themselves in and around the tomb.

“The tomb is sealed,” Nathan reported. “Nothing will get in there short of the Most High Himself!”

“That’s what concerns me,” said Rugio, as he saw Jesus approaching the tomb.

As Jesus neared the rocky place, Nathan commanded his angels to beware any tricks of the enemy. They were so thick by that time that to Jesus they appeared as a black fog ahead of Him on the path.

“Here they come,” he shouted, noticing an increasing number of holy angels descending upon the area.

Lucifer stood to the side of the tomb, along with Kara, Rugio and Pellecus. They were all interested in how Jesus would handle the situation. Opposite them, on the other side of the tomb, were Crispin, Michael and Gabriel. They, too, had heard what was taking place and came to observe.

“Your test seems to have attracted much attention, my prince,” said Pellecus, noting the great number of angels coming in. “They have all heard about Lazarus.”

“There seems to be a sense of urgency among the Host,” said Kara, looking at Crispin and the other holy angels. “Perhaps even a bit of doubt?”

“Perhaps,” agreed Lucifer. “I told you this should prove a most interesting dilemma for the Messiah. If He unseals the door and enters the tomb, He shall become unclean. We shall see where the loyalties of Jesus lie—with His friend or with His Father!”

“Where did you place him?” Jesus asked, recovering from His distress.

“That one there,” one of the men of Bethany replied, pointing to the large sealing stone which blocked the entrance of the tomb. “We sealed it ourselves.”

Jesus looked at the stone for a moment and then turned to the crowd which had followed Him. He saw the teary eyes of Mary and Martha looking back at Him. Someone in the crowd remarked that Jesus surely loved the man.

“Yes,” agreed another. “But if He truly could heal a blind man why couldn’t He have saved Lazarus?”

One of Crispin’s aides looked at his master. Crispin looked back at him and noticed that there were several angels with the same puzzled expression on their faces

He smiled in anticipation of their question.

“The human poses an interesting question, hmm?” he asked.

The angels nodded. Michael and Gabriel turned to see how their former teacher would handle the question which was on all of their minds:
Why did Jesus not arrive earlier and save Lazarus?

“I have an answer for you,” said Crispin. “But I’m afraid you won’t like it. The answer is—I don’t know.”

The stunned angels looked to him for more.

“It’s true,” he continued. “I could speculate as to why the Most High does what He does. I can only tell you that whatever He does and whenever He does it—He is always right! No matter what the outcome, no matter how He does it; no matter what He does, the Most High is always right. It is foolishness and vanity for the creature to question the Creator.”

Michael gave Gabriel a knowing look.

“You mean to say it was right for Lazarus to die?” asked one of the angels.

Crispin looked at the angel.

“I am saying the Most High’s actions are not to be questioned by His creatures,” Crispin said. “That He allowed Lazarus to die is obvious. It is the result of a fallen world driven by fallen natures. Now, if you are asking me why He permitted this to happen, I’m afraid I am back to ignorance. I can only say, again, that the Most High is always right and that His will shall ultimately prevail.”

“A good question,” interjected Michael, who enjoyed watching Crispin challenged in matters of knowledge. “Perhaps ‘Why?’ is one of the greatest questions in Heaven!”