Martha said, ‘I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.’ He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Sir, come and see.’ And Jesus wept.
Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, ‘Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.’ And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, ‘Untie him and let him go’” (John 11:17, 21-27, 33b-35, 39-44).
When Lazarus first fell ill, Mary and Martha probably became pretty worried. Then again, they were good friends of Jesus of Nazareth, the one sent by God, who had cured so many people. They believed that all they had to do was let Jesus know and he would come heal their brother. Imagine their disappointment, their feelings of betrayal, when Jesus did not come soon enough, and Lazarus died.
When Jesus finally arrived, Martha and Mary each greeted him with the same accusation, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Jesus accompanied both sisters in their own experience of grief, confirming the faith that Martha spoke aloud and joining in Mary’s tears. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus encounters people in dark moments and invites them into a new fullness of life through physical and spiritual healing. His journey through death to resurrection offers us hope in new life no matter what darkness may come. “I am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus said.
“Lazarus, come out! … Untie him and let him go.” These words carry meaning for us, too. We may be living in the dark, dank, dreary tombs of our bad habits and wrong choices, bound by prejudices, desires, attachments, and addictions. Even when we become dead to the fullness of life or to the needs and feelings of others, Jesus can resurrect us. The witness of history is that he has resurrected millions from sin, from inertia, from insensitivity, from selfishness, and his touch has not lost its ancient power.
- When have you experienced resurrection, or new life, coming from an experience of death or darkness?
Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International.