4/17/10- Jesus Raises Us Up

John 5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

John 5:25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

John 5:28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
John 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."
44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

John 11:23-25 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. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die;

John 14:19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

(Giotto Bondone 1266-1337)

It is clear John remembers Jesus teaching that He will raise us up at the last day, and that our own resurrection is tied to his resurrection (because I live you will live also).  In the resurrection of Lazarus recorded in John 11, Lazarus's sister, Martha, knew Jesus teaching about the resurrection at the end of history (see Daniel 12- or yesterday's blog).  Lazarus's resurrection was a living testimony that Jesus has the power to raise others from the dead.  The Pharisees tried to kill Lazarus because he was a living, walking testimony to the power of Jesus (John 12:9,10).  Jesus is the resurrection and the life, believing in him gets us over the hump of the grave into life eternal. 

In our day there is a marked increase in suffering.  The number of hungry in the world have spiked with rising gas prices, and the jobless rate still hovers at unacceptable rates (over 10% in S.C.).  But the statistics only draw our attention to human pain.  There will always be human pain on this side of heaven.  This points to our need for hope- hope in our own resurrection through the powre of Christ.

(Lazrus's tomb in Bethany- a holy site even in John 12).

P.S.- I once had a puppy that I thought was dead, but when I came
back the next morning it was very much alive.  I named him Lazarus.