The last notable thing that we did before returning home from our sabbatical was to visit the Church of St Lazarus in Larnaka, Cyprus. It is a church erected in honour of Lazarus of Bethany who was raised from the dead by Jesus. (This event is recorded in John 11). This church is only significant because when they were preparing to build it in the 9th century they discovered a tomb with the inscription, “Lazarus, four days dead, friend of Christ”… Wait. What!?

The church tradition is that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead he lived for another 30 years. His life was threatened, because of what his resurrection meant concerning Jesus, so he left Bethany and fled to Cyprus. There he shared his story and preached the gospel. When Barnabas and Paul arrived in Cyprus (see Acts 13) they met Lazarus and appointed him bishop of the church in what is now Larnaca.

As I sat there in the basement of this church, in front of that tomb, I reflected on these series of events. It began to dawn on me that even the most astounding of miracles, like a resurrection, is still only temporal, isn’t it?

Everyone who was ever raised from the dead in the Scriptures eventually died again … the young girl raised by Jesus, Dorcas raised by Peter, Eutychus who fell asleep and off the window sill as Paul preached. They all eventually died again. The blind who had their eyes opened, the deaf who could hear again, the lame who were able to walk. They were all eventually blind, deaf and lame again – in death.

The greatest, and only eternal miracle, is when people open their hearts to welcome Jesus into their lives and to put their trust in him. The miracle of salvation is the only one that will live on in eternity! Here is how Jesus put it when he responded to his friend, Martha, the sister of Lazarus: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 NIV) 

Lazarus might be literally dead physically, again, but he is alive forevermore, because he believes in Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, please do not shy away from telling your family, friends, neighbours and coworkers, in bold humility and led by the Spirit, about the good news of Jesus! They need an encounter with the living Christ in order that they too might obtain the eternal miracle of salvation.

I want to add that I don’t minimize healing, miracles, signs and wonders. I love those and want to see more!  But that’s what they are, SIGNS, that point to a greater reality. Every supernatural healing points to a Healer who wants to not only heal our bodies but save our lives for eternity!