Unwrapped (Part II)

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Shedding layers is a delicate process.
And exposing what is new often takes time.

New life did not emerge until the strips of linen were unwrapped and fell to the ground.

Will shedding layers be difficult?
Will it be uncomfortable?
Yes—change usually is.

What will it look like?
How will things change?

We won’t know until we decide to loosen our grip on the strips of linen that keep us bound.

Strips of linen left behind

“Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’” (John 11:43)

There are several essential movements that take place before Lazarus is fully free—before the linens fall away.

First, there is love.

Jesus loved Lazarus. And love does not desire us bound, hidden, or lifeless. Love longs for freedom. Love wants us unburdened by the weight we were never meant to carry.

Next, Jesus calls Lazarus out.

Jesus does not enter the tomb. Instead, He invites Lazarus to respond. To listen. To take a step toward life.

We are always given this same freedom—the freedom to choose.

We can remain hidden, wrapped in layers of hurt, unforgiveness, betrayal, fear, sin, or grief. Or we can begin the slow, holy work of being unwrapped.

It requires only a willing heart—and the courage to take one step out of the tomb.

Lastly, community matters.

Lazarus does not remove the grave clothes alone. Others come alongside him. They help loosen what he cannot reach himself. They see what he may not yet recognize.

Sometimes we need companions who remind us we are not meant to live bound.
Who help us name the layers.
Who stay close while the unwrapping happens.

Removing unwanted layers requires vulnerability—the word we often resist most. To be exposed and fragile can feel paralyzing. But growth requires risk. Healing requires openness.

Move forward anyway.

Jesus is standing just outside the tomb.

A love so great.
A willing yes to the invitation.
A few faithful companions.

And little by little, the strips of linen loosen…
fall away…
and life begins to move freely again.