I Am the Resurrection and the Life
(Jn. 11:23~27)

Jesus broke the power of sins and death with resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus was the best miracle in the human history and blessing. Today’s scripture reading tells us about Jesus making the dead Lazarus alive as Jesus becomes the resurrection and the life.

1. Lazarus who became the past
Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, but Jesus left for Bethany 2 days after Lazarus had died. Jesus arrived 4 days later when Lazarus had been dead and became the past. His body was rotten. This scene represents people spiritually have been dead and rotten because of sins. Just like the dead body with rotten smells, the world with spiritually dead people has disgusting odor of sins such as frustration, hatred, rage, and greed. However, Jesus, the master of life, came to us who were dead because of sins,

2. Lazarus in the present
When Jesus got to the tomb of the Lazarus, Jesus found with a stone laid across the entrance. Jesus asked people to move the stone away. At that moment, Martha, the sister of the dead man, said that there must have been a bad odor, for Lazarus had been there four days. However, Jesus asked them to obey with faith. They obeyed what Jesus told them to do and took the stone away. Jesus prayed with giving thanks to God. Then, Jesus asked Lazarus to come out. (Jn. 11:43). To experience the miracle of God, we should take away our disobedience related to doubts, stubbornness, and arrogance. We should give thanks with faith to God who will listen to our prayers. When we proclaim with faith, our depression, wounds, and diseases will disappear and eventually the miracle of God comes to our life.

3. Lazarus who is moving forward into the future
When Jesus asked Lazarus to come out, he came out from the tomb. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. He couldn’t walk well. Jesus told them to take off the grave clothes and let him go. (Jn. 11:44) Even after we believe in Jesus and are saved, the habitual sins wrap our feet and hands. By being filled with the words of God and fullness of the Holy Spirit, we should take off the sins to become a new creature in Jesus for marching bravely for the future. Let us not be chained by the past and look at the new future Jesus gives to us so that we will achieve the holy dream with faith.