The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. – John 12:9-11
I grew up with a very mischievous older brother. He was into everything and I was often right by his side. You might call it “guilt by association,” because I personally never did anything wrong! Well, almost never.
Imagine that you are Lazarus, dead, minding your own business, when you hear the voice of the Master calling you back to this life. Imagine what the days would have been like following your miraculous resurrection: the touching, the talk, the unceasing stares, the death threats. What? Death threats? You’ve been resurrected just to be killed? That’s right, your identification with Christ has made you a target of His enemies.
If you choose to walk with Jesus, you too will be an enemy to His enemies. Identification with Jesus Christ will make us targets if the change in us is as evident as it was in Lazarus. Having passed from death into life, you will also experience “guilt by association,” but then again, isn’t that the point?
The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation. – Corrie Ten Boom
