Glory
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday: 2 Kings 4:18-37
Tuesday: Luke 7:11-17
Wednesday: 1 Kings 17-17-24
Thursday: Acts 20:7-12
Friday: Matthew 28:1-20
Saturday: 1 Timothy 6:11-12
Opening Prayer
Loving God,
Through your Son Jesus Christ, you have felt the pain of grief and loss. Remind us of your hope – hope in the resurrection – that the pain we may feel might be transformed into the glory of God.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading
Remember the words we heard together on Sunday. John 11:43-44
“Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.”
Scholars describe the raising of Lazarus as the seventh and final “sign” or miracle in the book of John, and—as we can see—Jesus has saved the best for last.
Even though Lazarus has been dead for several days, Jesus pulls him back from death’s grasp and restores him to life. All it takes is Jesus’ command. The voice that spoke creation into existence now calls him out of the darkness of death and into the light of life again.
In our skeptical, postmodern age, this may seem like a story that’s been embellished by John to help “sell” people on the idea of following Jesus. But this miraculous story is real. Like the other signs in the book of John, it is meant to point to a deeper truth about Jesus and his ministry.
Lazarus’ resurrection points us to the hope of resurrection and new life that we have in Christ. What Jesus did for Lazarus is also a promise for all who believe: in Jesus there is no enemy of God—not even death itself—that can defeat us. If we are in Christ, we will have eternal life and victory over death, no matter what we face today.
When we have times in which we are struggling, anxious, or afraid, we can look to Jesus and remember his promises of life forever with him. Nothing is too big, and no problem is too difficult for Jesus to overcome. Not even death itself.
A.J. Gretz