This Week's Scriptures

March 26, 2023
Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45

Lazarus has been dead in the tomb for four days representing the darkness. The voice of Jesus calls Lazarus and each one of us back to life no matter where we are or where we have been in our lives.

By his resurrection, Jesus has fulfilled Ezekiel’s promise; he has opened the graves that we may rise — ”I will put my spirit in you that you may live.”

Martha and Mary, good friends of Jesus, called upon him for help when their brother, Lazarus, became seriously ill. Lazarus died, and the sisters were distraught. Jesus finally arrived after Lazarus had been entombed for four days. Martha came to meet Jesus and firmly responded, “Yes I have come to believe that you are the Christ.” When Mary came to meet Jesus, she spoke from her painful, grieving heart, knelt at Jesus’ feet, and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus responded with emotion and “Jesus wept.” Most everyone, at some point, has experienced grief caused by the death of a dear friend or a loved one, and we have wept and have asked the same question — “Lord if you had been here” — as the two female disciples. Martha and Mary found comfort in Jesus’ promise. Like them, we trust in Jesus, and we know that he overcame death. “I am the one who raises the dead to life.”

In his sorrow, Jesus said, “Take away the stone,” and again he said, “unbind him and let him go free.” During this Lent, we can allow the stone that keeps us in the dark tomb to be moved by visualizing Jesus rolling that stone away and hearing Jesus’ voice: “unbind him let him go free.” Unbind her and let her go free! Jesus is calling us to be free from what binds us so that we can experience freedom and be in complete union with him. “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”