There is a play...
Illustration
Object:
There is a play called Lazarus Laughed. He was laughing when he saw other Christians going to their death for their faith. He laughed because he had been there -- he had died -- and he knew what a wonderful reward awaited them.
A man died about six years after his wife and went to meet her in heaven. She showed him around and the beauty was taking his breath away, but then the man's wife looked at him and he was scowling. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. He answered her, "If you hadn't given me all those vitamins and health food and made me stop smoking, I would have been up here long ago!"
Why do we hang onto life as long as we can if heaven is such a fantastic place?
We know what it is like for people to die. We see it every day in the paper and we have all buried dear friends and family, but Jesus says that if we believe in him we will never die. He must mean that our spirits will immediately be transferred to their home in heaven. It is hard to imagine, but all we have to do is believe. Don't you wish we could come back and reassure our family that we are well and happy? But our Lord tells us just to believe in him.
Notice that Jesus waits a couple days to make sure Lazarus is really dead. He often tells others that their loved ones are only sleeping, even though they know they are dead. Jesus really loves that whole family. Why is he waiting? Why does he let them suffer? It seems like Martha is the only one who believes that Jesus can still do something for Lazarus.
When we hear Jesus promise that we shall rise again, we too are thinking of an earthly solution. We do not know what it is, but all we can do is trust in the Lord. It is easier for us to believe in a healing. Most Israelites had seen Jesus heal people. Even today I have seen healings but to raise someone from the dead brings it to another level.
The resurrection is not some future event, Jesus is saying. He tells Martha that he is the resurrection. He is our resurrection now also.
Even though Jesus was going to raise Lazarus shortly, he is still moved deeply as in mourning. He asks to see the tomb. When he asks them to role away the stone, they worried that it would stink. Some non-believers will say that because it didn't stink, that Lazarus was not really dead, but was only sleeping as Jesus said. It is so hard even for solid Christians to believe in miracles, especially those about raising the dead.
God is always testing our faith to see if it is in him or in science and tradition.
A man died about six years after his wife and went to meet her in heaven. She showed him around and the beauty was taking his breath away, but then the man's wife looked at him and he was scowling. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. He answered her, "If you hadn't given me all those vitamins and health food and made me stop smoking, I would have been up here long ago!"
Why do we hang onto life as long as we can if heaven is such a fantastic place?
We know what it is like for people to die. We see it every day in the paper and we have all buried dear friends and family, but Jesus says that if we believe in him we will never die. He must mean that our spirits will immediately be transferred to their home in heaven. It is hard to imagine, but all we have to do is believe. Don't you wish we could come back and reassure our family that we are well and happy? But our Lord tells us just to believe in him.
Notice that Jesus waits a couple days to make sure Lazarus is really dead. He often tells others that their loved ones are only sleeping, even though they know they are dead. Jesus really loves that whole family. Why is he waiting? Why does he let them suffer? It seems like Martha is the only one who believes that Jesus can still do something for Lazarus.
When we hear Jesus promise that we shall rise again, we too are thinking of an earthly solution. We do not know what it is, but all we can do is trust in the Lord. It is easier for us to believe in a healing. Most Israelites had seen Jesus heal people. Even today I have seen healings but to raise someone from the dead brings it to another level.
The resurrection is not some future event, Jesus is saying. He tells Martha that he is the resurrection. He is our resurrection now also.
Even though Jesus was going to raise Lazarus shortly, he is still moved deeply as in mourning. He asks to see the tomb. When he asks them to role away the stone, they worried that it would stink. Some non-believers will say that because it didn't stink, that Lazarus was not really dead, but was only sleeping as Jesus said. It is so hard even for solid Christians to believe in miracles, especially those about raising the dead.
God is always testing our faith to see if it is in him or in science and tradition.
