The Giver of Life

In yesterday’s sermon on John 10, we saw that Jesus has the authority to be our shepherd, because he has the authority to lay down his life for the flock and to take it up again. Next Sunday we’ll be looking at John 11, where Jesus demonstrates that he has the authority to give life.

The account of the raising of Lazarus is an important one to me personally. Jesus is demonstrating that the claims he makes are true in the most dramatic fashion. The promise that we have been given of eternal life is amply demonstrated in his actions here. I often read this passage by a graveside, and it gives me comfort that for the follower of Jesus death never has the last word.

The past few years have been marked by death and talk of death it seems. Both within our congregation, and our families, and in the world as a whole, the idea of death seems to be so prevalent. I hope we can take comfort in Jesus’ words to Martha, “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,” (John 11:25-26, NIV). Simply put, this is the hope that marks us as Christians.

My hope is that you are continuing to do well, and my hope is that soon things will be closer to the way we are used to things being.

God bless, Brian

Scriptures for this week:

John 11:1-43—Read this story slowly and try to imagine what it would have been like to be present for this event. What details do you notice when you read this way?

1 Samuel 2:1-11—Passages like this teach that God is the only giver of life. How would people have understood Jesus’ claim to give life?

Acts 17:22-34—What did Jesus’ resurrection demonstrate?

2 Corinthians 4—How would you summarize what Paul is saying about the Christian life in this chapter?