Stay close to Christ, who is the Life

Sermon for Midweek of Trinity 16

1 Kings 17:17-24  +  1 Corinthians 15:21-28  +  John 11:19-45

Our theme this week, established, as always, by Sunday’s Gospel, is Jesus’ power over death and the certainty of our resurrection through Him at the Last Day. In the first lesson this evening, you heard one of the two Old Testament accounts of a resurrection miracle. Between Sunday School and Sunday’s Gospel and the third lesson you heard this evening, you’ve now heard all three Gospel accounts of Jesus raising people from the dead: the young man of Nain, the daughter of Jairus (which both took place in northern Israel, relatively far away from Jerusalem, the center of Jewish society), and then the third, the raising of Lazarus, which took place just outside of Jerusalem, where all the “important people” among the Jews either witnessed it or heard about it from eyewitnesses. There could be no denying it: Jesus had the power to give life to the dead.

We can all relate to the sadness that Mary and Martha felt at the death of their brother Lazarus. We can probably even relate to their disappointment in Jesus for allowing it to happen, for taking His time in getting there so that He arrived “too late.” It’s natural for our flesh to blame God for letting all kinds of bad things happen, to think that my loved ones and I should be the great exceptions to the rule of history, that, if God really cared about us, He would keep death away from us until we reach a ripe old age. But then we remind our flesh, as we did on Sunday morning, that death isn’t God’s fault. It’s the devil’s fault, and it’s ours. Death was given the power to reign over all those born of Adam, because all those born of Adam are sinful and unclean by nature, by birth. All those who are connected to Adam die. Knowing that doesn’t make it less sad or less tragic. But it does help us to face death with understanding, and that’s important if we’re going to understand God’s solution to our death problem.

His solution is Jesus. But what does that mean? As Mary and Martha learned, Jesus didn’t come the first time to wipe out death forever. God still allowed people like Lazarus to die. And only three times did He step in to reverse death. And those reversals were only temporary. He restored three mortals to their mortal lives for a while longer. And then they died, like everyone else. Nothing had changed.

But! When Jesus Himself rose from the dead, that was when everything began to change. That’s when His words, “I am the resurrection and the life” truly took on their intended meaning. Christ was the firstfruits, the first body harvested from the earth that would never die again. But also the proof that the rest of the harvest is coming, and the reason for its coming. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. All who are connected to Adam, which is all of us who are born from him, die. But all who are connected to Christ, which is all of us who were born again of water and the Spirit, will be made alive again. And not just temporarily. Not just for a little while. But never to die again. Each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

Yes, all who are in their graves will be raised when Christ comes. But not all will be raised to what the Bible refers to as “life.” Those who were not Christ’s when they died will be raised to eternal death. As it says in Daniel chapter 12, Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.

So the doctrine of the resurrection highlights for us again the importance of making sure you’re right with God now, so that, when you die, you belong to Christ, and belonging to Christ, you will rise to everlasting life.

The same goes for those around you. It’s a sad, sad thing to hear people who call themselves Christians speaking and acting as if everyone who dies will be given eternal life. Or as if everyone who called themselves Christians will rise to eternal life. How many of those same people are living in sin? How many of those same people refuse to go to church regularly to hear the Word of God and to receive His Sacraments? How many of those same people live in impenitence and willful rebellion against God’s commandments, and yet expect that God must still give them eternal life! Those who “are Christ’s,” those who “belong to Christ” will rise to life at His coming. And you are Christ’s if you are baptized in His name and continue to live in the new life God gave you in your Baptism, in daily contrition and repentance, in a living faith in Him who is the resurrection and the life.

Rejoice in Christ and take comfort in the life He promises! And stay close to Christ, that you may receive the life He promises. We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Amen.