Resurrected

I like walking in graveyards. It’s odd, I know, but the only quiet place to walk near the church is the Elmwood cemetery, where over 52,000 people have been laid to rest. It’s a quiet place to think, walk and pray. But graveyards in light of the resurrection have a sense of quiet anticipation about them: they won’t be quiet forever. In John 11, Jesus walks into a graveyard. The Author of life enters the presence of ominous death and states, “Those who believe in me will never die.” Then he asks, “Do you believe this?” What a question and what a place to ask it! 

Moments later, Lazarus walks out of the grave in response to Jesus’ voice, to the shock and joy of everyone around. I suspect the apostle Paul had that story in mind when he said, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection…” (Philippians 3:10a).

Consider what is dead in your own life; what would it be like for the Author of life to walk into those areas? But Martha chided in the story, saying, “Don’t roll the stone covering Lazarus’ tomb, there will be a bad smell.”  Look at those areas of death in your life—isn’t there a bad odor and a reason to leave it alone? Who wants to deal with dead relationships and regrets?

But Jesus is not deterred by rot or decay. He has the power of life, which means that anger can be transformed into forgiveness, that fear can be changed into hope and insecurity molded into confidence. How? Through the power of his resurrection. It means that sins can be cleansed, the lost be found and the dead raised. Not because they found their way or changed their ways…but because Jesus found them, cleansed them and raises those who respond with, “Yes, I believe.” The power of the resurrection makes death a doorway that leads to life; if it can do that, why can’t it transform lifeless areas in your life? To these, we hear again Jesus’ word, “I am the resurrection and the life, those who believe in me will never die but have everlasting life. Do you believe this?” This Easter, may we pray along with Paul, “I want to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection” to be felt, known and experienced in our lives now and forever!