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John 11: 1-44 Jesus makes a very strong statement about death. He made it when speaking of his friend and follower Lazarus. In verse 25 He said: “I am the resurrection and the life”. It is during times of great loss and sadness that this statement holds meaning. Though the sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus about their brother's sickness, Jesus did what no-one expected. He stopped and waited where he was for two days. (v6) Why did He do this? Jesus was waiting for death to come. He intended to glorify God His father, and He wanted his disciples to grow in their faith. "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe" (v14) When He arrived, Martha told Him "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died" (v21). Jesus responded by saying "Your brother will rise again." He also told her "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die" (v25) How does Jesus deal with death? "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, 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." (v34-44) Jesus wants us to see, through His actions, that we all can have eternal life, through Him. |