I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Notes
Transcript
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON TRAGEDY
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON TRAGEDY
Reminder that Jesus encounters tragedy in the same way we do
Early on, though, we see that he views it differently
He experiences deep emotions, but he also shapes his response with the conviction of God’s ultimate victory
Jesus is notified Lazarus is sick, and waits 2 days.
He arrives 4 days after death (so if he had jumped right to it, presumably, he would have been two days too late)
Jewish belief was a spirit hung around dead body for 3 days, visible onset of deomposition was sign that there was no hope. Jesus waits until there is no hope to intervene
SETTING EXPECTATIONS
SETTING EXPECTATIONS
Jesus meets Martha.
She has faith that he could have stopped Lazarus’ death if he’d been there.
She has strong, but inadequate faith
Jesus assures her that Lazarus will rise
Jewish understandings of eschatalogical resurrection
Jesus: I Am the resurrection and the life
Her reaction to stone rolling shows she parrots good theology, but hasn’t integrated it.
Mary also cries when she encounters
Jesus is moved, indignant
Perhaps angered by lack of faith, or at the pain sin and death cause his friends
Jesus goes to tomb
Raises Lazarus with voice (echos Gen1)
INGEGRATING TRUTH
INGEGRATING TRUTH
Jesus’ words seem like empty pious sayings we say to one another without really meaning.
“he’s in a better place” “God will make a way”
Jesus challneges us to live in the truth of our confession: imagine a world with no death (we can live in that righ tnow)
At centre of this: I am the resurreection and the life
Resurrection shapes our life
We can live cross-shaped life w/o despair if we believe that death isn’t the last word.
Faith in resurrection changes our perspective on suffering
Faith in resurrection shades our experience of grief
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