Fifth Sunday in LENT

Suggested Readings:

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Psalm 130

Romans 8:6-11

John 11:1-45

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To put it simply, it is the Spirit of God that gives life. Just as God breathed life into the first created being, so God breathes life into dry, dead bones. There appears to be no hope in the valley of dry bones. The prophet is challenged to preach to the dry bones. There is a process as the bones first come together and are covered with flesh, but no life is in them. It is possible to move through life appearing to be alive, but without the spirit of life. The prophet is then told to prophecy to the breath. The breath is very breath of God which gives life and hope to the disheartened and discouraged people of God. When the people cry out “our hope is lost” God responds, “I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live.”

Paul reinforces this sense of hope when he assures the Romans that  “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.” (8:11) The Spirit of God is the spirit of life and hope.

The story of the resurrection of Lazarus is a visual demonstration of the spirit of God working in the most discouraging of circumstances. When Jesus learns of the illness of Lazarus, he waits two days before going to Bethany. When he announces that he will go to Judea, his disciples discourage him because his life has been threatened. Jesus uses the opportunity to remind them that he is the light of the world and has only a limited amount of time to show God’s light through his earthly ministry. When they do not understand Jesus informs them that Lazarus is dead.

When Jesus arrives at Bethany he is met by a very distraught Martha, the sister of the dead man, who declares, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” (11:21-22) There is pain, frustration, yet a glimpse of hope in her words.

Jesus responds to her with words of assurance. “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die” (11:25-26). This is the hope of all life and death. Death does not have the final word. Now and in the future the great I AM is the Lord of life.

That is not the end of the quotation. Jesus looks Martha directly in the eye and asks, “Do you believe this?” There it is. To believe in Jesus is to believe in life. To believe in Jesus is to have hope regardless of external circumstances. The Spirit of God is the spirit of life.

Jesus then calls Lazarus from the tomb. Irrefutable proof that Jesus is the light and life promised in the opening words of the Gospel.

Churches and individuals often feel hopeless and bereft of a future. Despondency and depression come easily. The Spirit of God breathes life into the most disappointing of saturations. Choose life.