I am the resurrection and the life

July 3 Scripture: John 11:17-27

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

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

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Journaling Prompts

1. Many (if not all!) of us have suffered loss and grief. Put yourself in Martha’s shoes and imagine what she’s going through as she interfaces with Jesus, following the death of her brother Lazarus: that mix of what one commentator calls “repressed reproach and persistent faith” that many of us have felt in more difficult times of life. How does Martha’s mix of grief and faith resonate with you? How, in the midst of Martha’s disorienting darnkess, does the light of Christ’s resurrection hope shine through for you?

2. Have a look at Henry Ossawa Tanner’s The Resurrection of Lazarus (1896, Musee d’Orsay––Paris), which you may have seen at the Denver Art Museum’s recent “From Whistler to Cassatt” exhibit. Look at the various different reactions to this scene. Who stands out to you the most? How does this painting capture our varied responses to Jesus’s claim that he is "the resurrection and the life," demonstrated by his raising of Lazarus?