Bible Discussion Thread

In St. John 11, what did it mean when Jesus say loose him and let him go.

Ted, you have read the account of Lazarus in John 11. After Lazarus died, it was the custom to entomb the body, just as Jesus was after He was crucified. A tomb was a cave-like structure, whether natural or hewn into the side of a hill, so after burying the dead, a large stone was rolled at the opening to prevent people & animals from entering. The dead body was wrapped in grave clothes, which was an elaborate binding from head to foot, maybe to preserve something of the body form during the decaying process. Lazarus was in the tomb for four days already so decay had already begun. But when Jesus came to the opened tomb, he called for dead Lazarus to rise from the dead. So here we have a dead man just come to life, probably having difficulty breathing & with blinking eyes, so (in answer to your question), Jesus ordered that he be released from those binding grave clothes so he could get up & come to him & his family. And Lazarus was alive for the rest of his appointed days, though the Jewish leaders later on wanted to kill him & Jesus because of this miraculous act by Jesus. So Lazarus had to face the prospect of death again, which he finally did at old age. A man acquainted with dead, in very truth!