“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26a)
Most of us have heard these words of Jesus spoken at Christian funerals. They are meant to provide the mourners with the comforting reminder that their loved one is now enjoying eternal life in heaven. That can be a wonderful help to those who are mourn a loved one. The one they miss so much is in the best place they can be. They are no longer in pain, so, although we are saddened by our loss, we can be happy for them.
The Lord meant them as words of comfort when He uttered them to Martha, the sister of the dead man Lazarus. He wanted to reassure her that Lazarus had inherited eternal life. Yet the Lord went further: He demonstrated the effective power of His word. He performed the great miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. So powerful is God’s word that it has been said that if Jesus had not called Lazarus’s name, everyone in that cemetery would have arisen just as the Word of God resurrected all the dead in the valley of dry bones. Jesus’ miracle of raising one man, Lazarus, was enough to demonstrate His power over death.
Although Lazarus was raised from the dead, he was not immortal; he would die again. We are not told what he said or what he felt. Imagine his consternation and his joy. Imagine the ecstasy of his grieving sisters, one minute weeping tears of sadness, the next weeping tears of joy. That is how we will feel when we ourselves are united with Christ in heaven. No more sorrow or sadness. No more sickness, cancer, pains, or death, no more pandemic diseases. Only joy for all eternity in the company of all the angels and saints before God’s throne.
Therefore, as we contemplate this miracle we can rejoice to know that we need not fear death. Yes it is an enemy, to be fought, as is all sickness. But Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Those who have faith in Him find that death is a doorway into eternal life. We need not be afraid of what is on the other side for, because we are in Christ now, we will always be in Him.That is cause for comfort and joy. Yet it is also cause for sobriety and concern for those who lack faith in Christ. They will suffer eternal death without Him. Therefore, Jesus has called his children to present the gospel of faith in Him to all, so that they too might be delivered from the fear of death before it is too late. Thanks be to God for His wonderful victory in Jesus our Lord and Savior.