Sleep
John 11:11-13 – This He said, and after
that He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that
I may awaken him out of sleep.” The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he
has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but
they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.
Nearly every
evening you fall asleep. Your body gets the rest and recovery it needs, and you
awake refreshed the next morning, ready to face another day. Every person on
the planet sleeps nearly every day. It is one of the most common experiences of
life. Yet, sleeping is unique.
As we sleep,
our minds are not conscious of the real world around us. We are not in control
of our actions. We are not able to interact with those around us. Yet, this
condition is temporary. We are out of touch with reality for several hours, but
then we reemerge and reconnect with the real world.
Jesus
introduces sleep as a metaphor for the experience of his friend Lazarus who had
died. Jesus said he would “awaken him out of his sleep,” and he did that by
calling his name at his tomb later John 11. Lazarus, who had been dead for four
days, came back to life and walked out of the tomb. Like a sleeper who had been
out of touch with the real world, he woke up and reengaged.