The Resurrection and the Life
Beloved People of God,
These are the final days of our Lenten journey. We’ve spent these weeks marveling at Jesus’ signs. He turned water to wine. What a wonder! He miraculous restored a man’s legs lame for 38 years! What awesome power! He took a handful of fish and flatbread and fed 5000! Only God has done anything like this before (Exodus 16). Jesus made mud and anointed the sightless eyes of a man born blind who came back from the waters of Siloam seeing! The man exclaimed with amazement, “Never since the world began has… anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind” (John 9.32). He was saying of his healing, “Only God could do this!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, riding on the foal of a donkey, everyone in the crowded capital—jam packed with pilgrims from across the world—was talking about Jesus’ seventh sign. Everybody knew Lazarus was dead. Dead for days. Before their eyes he was wrapped and anointed and grieved into the tomb. Then Jesus proclaimed for all to hear, “I AM the Resurrection and Life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (11.25-26). Still people didn’t understand. How could they!? They asked one another, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” (11.37). Then Jesus turned to the tomb, commanded the stone rolled away and “cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” and from the darkness of the cave, Lazarus stepped out, alive! Only God could do this!
Friend, John displays for us the truth of Jesus who is the Word of God! There is no question in his mind these signs prove the divinity of Christ; and the resurrection of Lazarus is just a foretaste of what’s to come (John 20). Following Jesus to the Table where He washes our feet, pause to marvel. Only God would do this. Follow Him as He stands judged by the people made in His image and endures mockery at the hands of the soldiers and wonder. Only God would do this. Follow Him to the cross where He dies our death; where He puts death to death. Only God could do this.
For Christ the King,
Brett