Just before Psalm Sunday, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus was very sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, sent word to Jesus saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But Jesus waited. The time had come for a special sign. Lazarus died and four days later, Jesus called him out of his tomb and returned him to life in this world.
During this miracle, Jesus told Martha, "I'm the resurrection and the life; those that believe in me, though they die shall live, and whoever lives and believes shall never die. Brothers and Sisters, this seventeenth day of Lent speak to our primary belief and focus as followers of Jesus Christ. All of us must ask ourselves this day, "Do we believe in Jesus, and do we believe that through him we have eternal life"? The validation to this question was when God raised Jesus from the dead and when the tomb of death was beaten and turned into a tomb of resurrection. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then our professing the Gospel would be in vain, and our faith would be in vain...
Yesterday in church I spoke of being Temple builders and repairers, and those of us that follow Christ understand that with his resurrection the Temple was truly rebuilt in three days, as Christ promised. Are you aware of somebody that is dead inside and in need of spiritual resurrection? Do you know of marriages that are dead inside and need restored? Are you aware of family relationships that are dead inside? Are you aware of church and friendship relationships that have died? Brothers and Sisters today is the day of the resurrection in reference to these relationships, through Jesus Christ. We have the ability to resurrect relationships that have flat-lined and restore them to a perfect beating rhythm, by giving these relationships the life restoring love that only Jesus Christ of the resurrection can provide.
My prayer for you this day is that you find relationships that have perished, and that through Jesus Christ you perform a Lazarus moment and raise something that was dead and restore it to a full and vibrant life.
Thanks for calling me as your pastor.
Tim
Bible Texts For Today's Message
John 11: 1-54
John 11: 25, 26
1Corinthians 15: 13, 14, 19
Matthew 27: 52, 53
John 12: 18
John 12: 19
John 12: 10, 11
Matthew 12: 30
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