John 11:17-27 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“I am the Resurrection and the Life”

“I Am the Resurrection and the Life” – Knowing God’s Possibilities John 11: Lazarus For all the drama… He never speaks He’s not the main character The emphasis is on his sisters This story is about facing death and loss

Into the Word The scripture gives us hope. It calls us to believe and trust in the possibilities that Jesus gives us because of the power of God in the resurrection.

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Believe” is used 3 times Greek: “pisteuo” Barbara Brown Taylor makes a distinction “belief” and “trust” Visiting a dentist “We truly believe in someone when we are able to fully trust in that person”. (Barbara Brown Taylor)

Application It is the same thing with faith. Jesus is really calling us beyond simple belief, to truly trusting him. Can we believe all the right things about God but find it hard to trust? To believe is one thing… Trust takes faith to another level!

My mom’s illness and death. My faith was no longer hypothetical. I had to make a decision to trust in the God that I had learned about, that I believed in for a long time. My trust grew during the journey with my mom, and without her. It allowed me to make some important life decisions.

Through the challenges of life, especially losing someone dear, we are invited to trust Jesus – For comfort and to discover a new joy for living. When we trust Jesus, we can let go of the old and move to something new. A seed has to die to grow a new plant.

Distinction between resuscitation and resurrection Clearly a story of resuscitation because Lazarus would die again. When we lose someone, we may just want resuscitation This is also a story of resurrection – Trusting God to do more than we think is possible!

Loss is difficult Death, loss of spouse, job, schooling, a dream, a move, illness, physical limitations We focus on what we don’t have Instead we can rejoice in new opportunities and possibilities Expect God to do something new Baptism – a symbol of dying to self to let God do something new

The God We Can Know Think of the words “I am” God is no has-been! Likewise, God doesn’t say “I will be” We don’t have to get our lives together for God to be with us God says, “I am” God is present now!

At this moment in our lives we can open ourselves to the full presence of Christ. We can trust him and invite him into our lives.

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

May we be like Martha who said, “Yes, Lord, I believe.” Because of the risen Lord, we can trust God for possibilities we never even imagined – Both in this life and the next.

Litany When we find ourselves wondering why loss has come, we can remember Jesus’ words as he faced death: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

When we are tempted to give in to the lie that life will never change for us, Jesus says, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” When life’s disappointments cause us to stumble, Jesus reminds us, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

When we ask God to give us back something we’ve lost, Jesus reminds us to look forward, saying, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” God works on both sides of the grave, giving us life now and life yet to come, through Christ who said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” Amen.