Doorways

Good Wednesday to you,

In celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord, two questions are answered for us: Is there life after death? Is Jesus who He claims to be? The answer to both questions is: Yes! When Jesus goes back to Bethany in response to the word He received that Lazarus was sick, He goes knowing Lazarus was already dead, and in the tomb four days. Martha’s faith in Jesus is not shaken, even though Jesus did not meet her expectation to come and heal her brother. When Jesus states that her brother will rise again, she leans on her theology of the last day resurrection, but Jesus has other ideas and states to her, "I Am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die."

As I have said more than once, death is a doorway, not a destination. Furthermore, I believe death, the last legitimate mystery for us all, is only problematic for those of us who are left behind. As Dallas Willard once said, "I think that when I die, it might be some time until I know it."

We live in the "already, but not yet." Jesus has already conquered the grave, but we still live in a broken world that sometimes fills us with sadness, fear, and doubt. Passages of Scripture, like John 11:1-27 strengthen our faith as we "lean into" Jesus. To "live and believe in Jesus" challenges us to trust and let the Holy Spirit transform our character and spirit to more resemble Jesus, living according to biblical precepts with lots and lots of grace. We will continue explore all this next week looking at John 11:25-44. We will also be celebrating the Lord's Supper next Sunday!

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the retirement party this past Saturday. We were overwhelmed, humbled, and grateful for the many blessings. Friends traveled great distances to be here. Our son flew in from South Korea, and our daughter and her husband flew in from Seattle. The day was filled with laughter and a few tears as we watched the film Jane Mitchell artfully put together. The mayor's proclamation was amazing, and the retirement gift of a European river cruise, plus airfare, was over the top. We cannot say thank you enough. Though we still have a few Sundays with you, the days will be filled with bittersweet emotions. Please know that we love you all and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Graham these many years.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Pastor David

If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!