Transformation Thrives in Resurrection Community

In today’s text, we see the rippling effect from Jesus' resurrection of Lazarus. Many of the Jews who had come with Mary saw plainly what Jesus did and believed in Him. As we can imagine, word based on irrefutable proof spread rapidly, so much so that a large crowd of Jews came “to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead” (v9) … and “were going away and believing in Jesus” (v11). Here we see an important principle: transformation flourishes in community. Lazarus’ new life impacted the crowd. One person’s transformation by Jesus inspires others, and so does yours! The Bible is full – not with trophies of transformation that few can attain – but with ordinary men and women who exemplify God’s transformative work in their lives as they do life in community with other believers. Today more than ever, we need each other to move forward in our spiritual life – to show up for each other, to reach out, to help one another on this journey of transformation with Jesus. A community that’s conducive for transformation provides a safe space to share stories, embodies grace and truth, and practices acceptance. We form a circle of resurrected people with the same desire to know Jesus more.