I am the resurrection and the life

Ezekiel 37:12-14, Psalm 129, Romans 8:8-11, John 11:1-45

We celebrate today the fifth Sunday of Lent, the last Sunday before the Holy Week, the most important week in Christendom, the week we celebrate the great mysteries of our faith: the passion, death and resurrection of Christ our savior. A careful look at today´s readings we find words about death, resurrection and the afterlife. The prophet Ezekiel prophesies that God “will open your graves, and bring you up, bring you back” from your graves, back to life. Psalm 129 is the cry of someone in the shadow of death calling and crying out for God´s mercy and redemption. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans signals baptism as a dying and rising: dying to sin, dying with Christ, in order to rise to new life with him. In all, the terminology of death and life characterizes today´s liturgy. But it is climaxed in the gospel reading with the raising of Lazarus from the dead to life by Jesus. Showing that He is indeed, the Resurrection and the Life. Jesus is saying in essence that what we are about to witness in Holy Week, is his supreme act of love, it is his laying down of his life, no one has the power to take life away from him. Rather, he lays it down willingly because he has the power to take it back again. 

A few questions we must consider from the gospel. Why did Jesus delay in coming to Lazarus’ home when he knew that his friend was gravely ill? Jesus certainly loved Lazarus and his two sisters and he often stayed in their home at Bethany. But to the surprise of his friends and disciples, Jesus did not go right away to Bethany when he was called. Jesus explained that Lazarus’ sickness would bring glory to God. The glory which Jesus had in mind, however, was connected with suffering and the cross. He saw the cross as his supreme glory and the way to glory in the kingdom of God. For Jesus there was no other way to glory except through the cross.

Again, what is the significance of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead? It is more than a miraculous event. It is a “sign” of God’s promise to raise up all who have died in Christ to everlasting life. That is why Jesus asked Martha if she believed in the resurrection from the dead. The Christian creed, which is the profession of our faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and in the saving power of God, culminates in the proclamation of the resurrection of the dead on the last day and in life everlasting. This is our faith and our hope.

The name Lazarus means “God is my help”. Jesus’ parable about the poor man Lazarus, who died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom in Luke´s gospel (16:19-31), ends with a warning: “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Through Lazarus’ sickness and subsequent death, God brought glory through his Son the Lord Jesus, who raised his friend from the dead in anticipation of his own death and resurrection. Our participation in the Lord’s Supper in the Eucharist already gives us a foretaste of Jesus’ transfiguration of our bodies.

As we prepare for the Holy Week let´s not forget its true significance as expressed in the words of St. Augustine: “Jesus’ cross is an example of painful toil. His resurrection is the reward of painful toil. In the cross He showed us how we are to bear suffering. In His resurrection He showed us what we are to hope for.”