Lenten Reader | Day 29

March 27th, 2023

The Life

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “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. Do you believe this?”

John 11:17-26

Jesus waited four days so everyone would know, without a doubt, that Lazarus was dead. He gave people time to travel from Jerusalem to visit Martha and Mary. I imagine that they would testify that he was definitely dead. No one could question that fact. Lazarus was dead.

Before Christ, I was dead. Dead in my sin. Physically alive, but dead. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” There was nothing I could do to bring myself from death to life. It had to be Jesus. The world is full of ways to improve ourselves. The best skincare routine, exercise plan, meal plan, and ways to reduce stress. These are not bad things, but they are not life. Good habits are not eternal. They don’t change us from death to life. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He brings us from death to life. Martha wanted Jesus to heal Lazarus, but Jesus was there for more than that. He came to conquer death, for Lazarus, and for every person, everywhere through the end of time.

He goes on to say that “anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” But he doesn’t stop there. He also says, “everyone who lives in me will never ever die.” We don’t have to wait until our physical bodies die to have eternal life. If we are in Christ, we are living that eternal life now, here on earth. We have abundant, full life. What does that mean? I think it means that even when our bad habits outweigh the good ones, even when we fail, we still have a full life. Even when things are bad on the outside, we have life because Jesus conquered death. It doesn’t make the bad stuff go away, but know that if you live in Christ, you will never die.

Dawn Wood