AUDIO MEDITATION:

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Raising of Lazarus, 1632, etching with burin. Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jack F. Feddersen, 1991.025.044.

FULL TEXT:

As we draw closer to our celebration of Easter, the tensions in the Gospel that lead to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion begin to escalate. His raising of Lazarus was the last straw that led religious leaders to put in motion a plan to kill him. Still, Jesus remains in control.

In this image from the master artist, Rembrandt, Jesus is the largest and most powerful figure, appearing almost like a puppet master drawing Lazarus up from his grave. Everyone else around him responds to the shocking way he acts in this scene. Assorted weapons hang on the wall above his head, symbolizing the danger that looms. None of this deters or distracts Jesus, however. When he heard Lazarus was sick, he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but it is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Why do we experience suffering? We don’t know, but our hope is that it draws forth a greater good. How might we put more of our trust in the Lord today, who shows his dominion even over death?