The Hope of a New Life

Today we confront the reality of death with all our senses. We hear a certain man, Lazarus, is ill. We see that he has died. We weep with his siblings as they mourn their loss. We touch the body as we place it in the tomb.

We endure the stench that rises from the body that has been dead for four days.

Death is real and inevitable. Death is final. Or so we have been led to expect.

Only this time something different happens.

This time, when Jesus is told that Lazarus is ill, we hear Jesus say – “This illness does not lead to death; rather, it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” We wonder what Jesus means.

Jesus lingers where he is for two more days, before he travels to Bethany, where Lazarus lives with his sisters, a village near Jerusalem, the city where people wanted to stone Jesus.

Jesus is met by Martha; we see the anguish of Martha’s grief as she greets him with accusatory words – “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Having Jesus around you changes everything.

Jesus responds calmly, with words that perhaps Martha did not expect to hear – “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

I am the resurrection and the life. These words echo the divine name “I am” spoken to Moses at the burning bush, as God prepared to send Moses out to deliver the Hebrew people from the bondage of Egypt and lead them into freedom in the promised land.

I am the resurrection and the life. With these words, Jesus reveals his true identity to Martha – and to us. We hear Martha’s faith-filled response – “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

I am the resurrection and the life. With these words, we hear the promise of eternal life in Christ made real to us and revealed to us right in front of us, now, in this moment.

The story continues.

We see Mary meet Jesus and greet him with the same words as her sister – “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Being in the presence of Jesus changes everything.

Jesus is anguished; disturbed in his soul. Jesus weeps. He is, after all, fully human, and the friend that he loves has died.

Then Jesus speaks at the tomb – “Take away the stone.” The stench of dead flesh is of no concern to him. The stone is removed.

Jesus speaks again – crying out with a loud voice – calling the dead man by name – “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man comes out.

Death is real and inevitable. Yet death is not final.

Jesus’ Word – spoken in love and compassion – and with the authority given to Jesus by God through the power of the Holy Spirit – calls out new life where there has been death.

In this moment, the glory of God is revealed and the Son of God is glorified.

In this moment, the words of John 1:14 have been fulfilled: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In this hopeless situation, the Word of God and the Spirit of God have given life to the dry bones.

Now there is hope of new life.

And Lazarus responds with faith. He recognizes that voice calling out to him. He has listened to that voice many times over the past 3 years; in conversation and teaching and praying; building a deep relationship with the man to whom the voice belongs; learning to trust the man and the promise of his words that new life is possible now, in this moment. Even while living under the harsh and deadly rule of the Roman Empire, there is hope of new life.

So, Lazarus comes out of the tomb, still bound with the burial cloths wrapped around him. He is alive though not yet free. Jesus tells those gathered around him “Unbind him, and let him go.”

There is work for the community to do. They must unwrap Lazarus, their sibling and their friend, and set him free from the restrictions that bind him and restore him as a member of the community. They will need to change their expectations and learn to see Lazarus in a new way – as a changed person – someone who was dead, now made alive again through the power of Jesus’ Word.

Lazarus must also see himself in a new way; as someone who was dead and now is alive. He has been given a “second chance” at life and we might wonder how he will respond and live differently, now that he has been given the hope of new life.

That’s the thing about following Jesus. Through the Word of God, which is Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of God, which dwells in us, Jesus calls us by name and calls us into new life from death.

Our dry bones are given life. Now we have the hope of new life. And that changes everything for us.

With the hope of new life, we live as people who love God and love their neighbors.

With the hope of new life, we live with compassion and mercy for all who suffer in this life – people who are poor or oppressed or marginalized – regardless of race, religion, creed, skin color, ability, gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, immigration status, economic standing, or any other criteria that the world has devised to divide and separate people from each other.

With the hope of new life, we renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God; we renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God; and we renounce the ways of sin that draw us away from God (from ELW Holy Baptism).

With the hope of new life, we commit to “follow the example of Jesus, acting boldly to build community with diverse people and to nurture creation” (Holy Trinity’s purpose statement).

The good news for today is that though death is real and inevitable, death is not final.

The good news for today is that our dry bones – our mortal lives – are given life and life abundant (John 10:10), through the Spirit of the one who calls us out of death into new life in Christ.

The good news for today is that through the Word of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the hope of new life.

And that changes everything.