A, Lent 5 - John 11:17-27 "Resurrection Standing"

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 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. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:17-27)

Just two weeks prior to Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, it is fitting to look at what resurrection is and what it does. The texts for today, the fifth Sunday in Lent, give us opportunity to examine resurrection; which is, the act of being raised to life.

We use the word resurrection for many things in this earthly life. Such as parents resurrecting things after their little children have been at them, especially things like books or toys that get broken through harsh treatment. Or one only has to imagine what would need resurrecting if a two year old is let free with an ink marker or lipstick when no one’s around.

But then we might speak of resurrection when restoring something. One might resurrect trees, plants, crops, or even homes after a wild storm. Perhaps resurrection might happen when one takes the time to repair or revive an old motor, a piece of machinery or furniture. Perhaps it’s a business after bankruptcy or a political career that receives resurrection. Whatever it might be receiving resurrection, the fact is — it is brought back to life and has been caused to stand as it once stood.

Notice with everything one might resurrect, it needs someone or something else to cause the resurrection; to make it stand, or go, or work again. And when things are brought back to life these objects stand or exist to do what the one resurrecting wants them to do. But if the object resurrected doesn’t do what it’s meant it usually ends up on the scrap heap, or back on the workbench because its resurrection was not complete the first time. Perhaps the thing is still in the process of resurrection.

Even actively living things like plants, crops, or trees when resurrected, do what they were originally intended to do. So too, do living organisms like businesses or political careers! Although they are living, they re-stand where they once stood, caused to do so by an exterior influence.

So resurrection is to re-erect, or caused to re-stand once again. And it’s no difference when we focus on the resurrection of Jesus, and all who ever since have placed there faith in Jesus Christ, and live their lives as his resurrected ones. Jesus’ death and resurrection is all about God’s plan to have us resurrected to re-stand and remain standing in peace with him.

The texts before us today all speak about living lives as the resurrected children of God. And being resurrected as his children we live in the hope that we too will receive the eternal resurrection into his heavenly glory at our death.

In Psalm 130 the psalmist says, “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” What is being said here is that sin must be punished with death before God. Sin knocks us down so we cannot stand. So there’s a yearning for resurrection here, and the next line of the Psalm tells us where the resurrection or the ability and strength to stand comes from, “but with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.” It comes from the Lord through forgiveness.

Therefore, we live every day, resurrected by the power of God the Holy Spirit, who has come to us through water and the Word. In baptism we are daily reconnected with Christ who gives this forgiveness won at the cross. In our sin we are the dry bones in the desolate valley, and now the Word made flesh gives us flesh and life by the Spirit. We’re resurrected and caused to stand by Christ, and now we’re called to remain standing with the aid of a crutch, namely, faith in Christ and the cross. When we throw this crutch away thinking we can stand by ourselves, we become guilty of insurrection, which is a sinister selfish uprising. And when we do we’re worth about as much as the dry bones in Ezekiel chapter thirty-seven.

In fact, it was humanity’s insurrection in the first place that brought the need for our resurrection. In Romans eight Paul talks about our insurrection, our seeking to stand by ourselves, as being hostile towards God. But he goes on to address our need of resurrection and continued restoration by the Holy Spirit who also raised our Saviour, Jesus Christ, from death.

…if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:10-11)

Further to this we are like Lazarus. Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters; he loves you too. But we like Lazarus are dead in ourselves. There is nothing we can do to resurrect ourselves day after day in our lives leading to death. In fact, our deathliness is such that our bodies have the same ability to save themselves as did Lazarus’ four day old blue and bloated body. Therefore, it’s to God’s glory that each day our lives are resurrected from the death our sinfulness deserves.

Having been raised in baptism, and having had the bandages of death removed daily so we can stand re-erected before God, God now calls us to live as children of the resurrection. He calls us to turn from all insurrection of crediting ourselves through our own merits.

Jesus now calls us to live and believe he is the sole agent of resurrection, since he tells us in his word ‘I am the resurrection and the life’. Our believing, our faith, our trust, is none other than standing and remaining in what the Holy Spirit placed us in and placed in us; that is, Jesus’ death and resurrection standing up outstretched in us, displaying all the forgiveness of the Father.

You will stand because Jesus is able to make you stand. In fact you are standing, and have stood, only because Christ is standing resurrected in you.

So stand firm, you are in the process of being resurrected. Therefore, be resolute in your resurrection, confess and flee your insurrection, and consider Jesus Christ who is faithfully ever-present saying, “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 3:20-22) Amen.