John 11:7-27, 38-53 – In the
Gospel lesson Christ raises Lazarus from death – Physical death. Christ raises
Lazarus from the dead. In this
passage, illness and death are considered means by which God is glorified. When
we are ill, God’s healing reveals His glory. When we are dead, God’s raising
us, like Lazarus is for the glory of God. In the Resurrection, the glory of
God’s power is manifest. This offers hope to the afflicted, for they are
assured of God’s help.
Eternal life is a present possession. It is not life after death, not
life after life, but life during life. Jesus emphasized the present life – “I
am the resurrection and the life.” The
quality of life begins at the moment of faith in Christ. It is not a natural
endowment but a gift to those in Christ.
We do not
wait until death to go to heaven for life. We are given eternal life before
death. If we do not have it before death, we will not have it after death.
“How
ironic!” we often say in response to an unexpected turn of events to a
statement unwittingly uttered that has a deeper meaning. The Gospel for this
coming Sunday is full of such irony and comes from a book that is full of such
irony. The form fits the message because, after all, the Gospel itself is quite
“ironic.”
The most
startling irony comes with Caiaphas’ unintentional prophecy in Verses 49-50. He
begins by saying, “You don’t know nothing,”
The double negative is appropriate. Look who’s talking. Caiaphas is the one who
knows nothing. “It is to your advantage
that one man die in the place of the people and that the whole nation should
not perish.” V.50 how right he is. Caiaphas of course, thought that killing
this popular troublemaker would eliminate the Roman threat. But John indicates
that the high priest Caiaphas unwittingly prophesied about the true High
Priest, the One who offered the perfect sacrifice – Himself in the place of and
for not only Israel but the entire world. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who lays
down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
[1]
The Crucifixion, Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these
copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use
[2]
Collect for Thursday of the week of Lent 4, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book
For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau,
Delhi, NY
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