The promise

How do we make sense of the bible stories of death and resurrection, that life does not end with our physical death? How are we to understand this great mystery? The story of Jesus raising Lazarus is a striking example, as is Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead on the first Easter Sunday.

There are many ways over the course of our life that we experience the “little deaths” of sickness, loss, weakness, failure, the breakup or distancing of relationships, the loss of friends and loved ones–times that can have us asking the same questions that Martha and Mary might have asked Jesus about the death of their brother Lazarus: “How will I carry on?” “Will things get better?” and “What does the future hold?”

The message of Jesus applies to these situations in our life as well. By virtue of our baptism the promises of Jesus for new life are already active in our life. So our new life doesn’t begin when we have breathed our last. It begins at our baptism and gives us the hope and the promise of renewal at every stage of our life, so that, whenever we experience a diminishment of any kind, the possibility of renewal and rebirth is there for us in the spirit of Jesus.

In their bleakest moment Martha and Mary turned to Jesus in faith, and he did not disappoint them. Neither will he disappoint us. As the prophet Ezechiel says, ” I will open your graves and give you new life. I will put my spirit in you that you may live. I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord.” And that is very good news indeed!

“Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)