Luke 16:19-31The rich man in this well-known story wished that Lazarus could rise from the dead and go to his five brothers to warn them of their impending doom. He believed that some sort of message of repentance from someone (in this case, Lazarus) who has miraculously come back from the dead would persuade his brothers to repent and thus save them from being cast into hell when they died.
19 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'
25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
27 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house,
28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'
29 Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'
30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
31 But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"
As I was thinking about this story, I saw that Jesus has in a sense fulfilled the wish of that rich man for all mankind.
Our Lord not only raised another Lazarus (Mary and Martha’s brother) from the dead, but in a greater resurrection, He Himself is the perfect Man who rose from the dead and who has a message for all mankind. And this message or gospel is able to save mankind from eternal torment in hell, for the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16)
The rich man had five brothers. As we know, five is the number of grace in the Bible and brothers here speak of mankind. It was through grace and for the justification of all mankind that Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead. (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 4:25) And His message to all mankind is about the grace of God, which is the only thing that can bridge the "great gulf" that separates man from God.
The brothers had Moses and the Prophets, but it is implied in the story (verses 29 and 30) that they would not hear them. We know that Moses represents the law. This reaffirms the truth that the law cannot save mankind (Galatians 3:11), only the message of grace from Someone who has been raised from the dead!
The last part of the story says that the brothers will not be "persuaded though one rise from the dead". The sad truth is that not everyone will listen to the gospel of grace. There will be those who will not be persuaded by the message of the risen Christ. Nevertheless, those who receive God’s grace will escape the fires of hell and find themselves not in Abraham's bosom, but in Christ's bosom!
