Title: The Last Miracle/The Last Enemy/Lent Five
Date: 2008-03-09
Reference: John 11:1-11
""Jesus said: “I am the one who raises the dead to life. Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die.” This last week two of my very close friends, members of a church I previously served died. Both of them were only 58 years old. Both died way too soon. Both of them believed in the promise of Jesus. After hearing of their passing, I crossed out both of their address and phone numbers in my address book. In place of their early address I wrote in: “Heaven.” Because of Jesus, heaven is our promise.
Death is not the end but the beginning. There is really nothing to be afraid of. Death is merely a door through which we pass to enter into a deeper more meaningful relationship with God. For people of faith death is a home going. Going home to be with God.
In today’s reading a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived with his sisters in the village of Bethany. They were friends of Jesus. Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, sent a message to Jesus telling him their brother was sick. When Jesus heard about Lazarus he said: “His sickness won’t end in death. It will bring glory to God.” Jesus didn’t wait around for Lazarus to die before returning to Bethany. Jesus returned when God told him to return. Jesus was about 20 miles from where Lazarus was. The messenger from Bethany could have made the trip in one day. Jesus sent him back the next day. He waited two more days before returning himself.
When Jesus arrived he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days.
The Jews believed the soul of the departed hovered around the body for three days hoping somehow to return. But on the fourth day the soul would leave. Lazarus had been in the grave four days. Everyone knew he was dead and his body had begun to decay.
Lazarus died the very day the messenger left to contact Jesus. Many neighbors and friends had gathered to comfort Mary and Martha. Martha said to Jesus: “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.” Everyone in the crowd wondered why Jesus could not have kept this man from dying. Everyone who has ever lost a loved one in any situation has asked the same question, why did God let my loved one get sick and die? Why did God allow this accident to happen? Jesus said: “Your brother will live again.”
In one of the shortest but most meaningful verses in all of Scripture, John 11:35, we read how Jesus Wept. Friends saw in Jesus’ tears an evidence of His love. When they arrived at the tomb, Jesus told them to roll the stone away. Martha said: “By now there will be an awful smell.” After the stone was rolled aside Jesus looked up into heaven and prayed.”Father I thank you for answering my prayers.” Then he cried out to Lazarus and told him to come out. The man who had been dead came out his hands and feet wrapped with strips of burial cloth and a cloth covered his face. Jesus told the people.”Untie him and let him go.”
Many people put their faith in Jesus that day. But the Pharisees.rather than praise God for this great miracle began to plot to kill Jesus. They could not, however, deny this great miracle. Later the Apostle Paul wrote: (I Cor. 15:19) “If Jesus Christ can do nothing about death than whatever else he does amounts to nothing.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all people the most miserable.” (I Cor 15:26) Paul also said: “Death is our last enemy. But Jesus Christ has defeated this horrible enemy totally and permanently.” Two weeks from today we celebrate Easter.
Victory over death is the message of Easter.
This Lenten Season I have been preaching and Jesus how he interacted with all kinds of people. Jesus was equally at home with Nicodemus a proud, wealthy, powerful, educated religions leader and the Samaritan woman at the well.
Jesus also had time for a blind beggar and for two bereaved sisters grieving the loss of their brother. In each case Jesus left the person he interacted with stronger, happier, and healthier. Jesus has time for each one of us as well. He is eager to enjoy our company and to meet our needs this day.
In life we live with a barrier that separates us from God. We are able to see glimpses of God all around us. We read the book of life He has left for us. We sense His presence in our lives. But no matter how close we feel to God at times thee is still a barrier between us. We cannot physically touch God . So long as we live there is something in our way. That physical barrier between us is our body. The Bible calls our body an earthly tent. So long as we are living in the tent we cannot have complete communion with God. When we leave this body God can wrap His arms around us with nothing at all in the way.
Jesus wanted Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and each one of us to know death is only a horizon. And a horizon is nothing but the limit of our sight.
And while death comes equally to us all and makes us all equal when it comes, Jesus is the Lord of Life and Death. It is impossible for death to prevail in the presence of Jesus. The person who knows and loves Jesus will pass through an incident called physical death but will live again because he has put his trust in the one who is life.
Over the years I’ve seen Jesus call so many people out of Spiritual death to new life. I never cease to be amazed at the wonder and exciitment of spiritual resurrection. Knowing and loving Jesus makes all the difference in the world. Without Jesus there is a huge, empty void in our lives. We are never quite satisfied with anything or with any relationship. That inner void is God shaped and can be filled successfully only by God. When we invite Jesus to fill the emptiness in our lives we experience what He calls abundant living
In every changing circumstance of life there is a faithful never changing God in control. Every day begins and ends with His purpose. There isn’t a detail that escapes His eye. There isn’t a trial that doesn’t touch His heart. There is not a single experience beyond His compassion. Every moment we live is in His care.
And we know as good as this life is, there is something more. We know instinctively there is more to life than we experience here in this life. We have faith in Jesus to lead us there. The final miracle of this life is a miracle of Triumphant Crossing. Faith in Christ allows us to cross from life through death to a fuller life in a triumphant way. The ultimate healing is when we will be given a new body, a new place of residence and when we enter a new kingdom.
When Susanna Wesley, the mother of John Wesley, was dying she called her children to her deathbed. She said: “Children, as soon as I am released, sing a Psalm of Praise to God.”
When a person is born he begins to die. Death may come to some after many years of full and happy living. To others death seems to come prematurely. Some find death a blessed relief after months or years of agonizing suffering. Whenever it comes however it is accomplished death is a process of life. It is inevitable, severe, simple, and always a shock to those who survive. Death is an imponderable mystery. The fear of death doesn’t keep us from dying. The fear of death keeps us from living.
We are comforted in that God knows our beginning and our end. God knows because God has neither. God captures our entire life in one glance. God sees our birth and our burial in one frame. When death comes it is right for us to mourn. But we know God is still in control. God has not abandoned us. That keeps us going. As the Bible says: “Whether I live or whether I die I am the Lords.”
As Jesus walked and lived among us he dealt with each need he found in a loving way. He gave sight to the blind. He healed those whose bodies were crippled. He fed the hungry, and healed the sick. Jesus offered forgiveness and friendship to everyone who would accept it. Jesus brought hope for a better, happier, more fulfilling tomorrow. And then Jesus met that last enemy death. Even death was not intimidating to Jesus.
In life, in death, beyond death, Jesus is the Lord. Our lives and our eternal souls are in His hands. Again the Bible promises that nothing in heaven or on earth will ever be able to separate us from the love God has for us.
There are times in life when we feel sorry for ourselves and ask why? Why is the one question God has never answered and never will. Even as Jesus was on the cross and as he asked God why, God never spoke. We would only challenge any answer God gave us, arguing until we received the answer we wanted.
God offers us love. God offers us abundant life now and eternal life later. God offers each of us a relationship with Himself. This lasting relationship is eternal. Every moment of our life is in His care. As we approach that last enemy death He is with us. ""
