Life after Death

In the Apostle John’s testimony/gospel, he adds a crescendo to the story. In Chapter 11-after giving us background about his relationship to the Mary-Martha-Lazarus family of Bethany, John details the account of the death and burial of Lazarus, who was apparently one of Yeshua’s best friends in the Greater Jerusalem area.(in verse 3 of Chapter 11, the sisters send a message to Jesus, saying—”Lord, the one whom you love is ill”…)

A couple of things jumped out at me this morning, as I re-read this account again, gleaning the Word for additional grains of truth.

One key truth grain: Yeshua makes his point with Martha before Lazarus is raised:

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

So then –he fulfills this word, raises Lazarus—who had been literally dead and in the grave for 4 days(11:39). He reminded Martha what he had said—then called Lazarus out of the tomb.

So after this, and after Mary anointed his feet with the costly nard, and wiped his feet with her hair—a sign of her intense belief of his equivalency with the Divine, in 12:9—the account recalls that “great crowds were seeking to see Yeshua, but also they were seeking Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead.”

Lazarus was being sought out by the Pharisees to be eliminated, because “it was on account of him”(Lazarus) that “many of the Jews were deserting and believing in Jesus(Yeshua)”.

Lazarus—the one who had died and been brought back—HAD BECOME A POWERFUL EVANGELIST FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!

So, from this we clearly see—perhaps the principal reason that great crowds were coming to Yeshua, wasn’t about his wonderful wisdom teaching alone, or for turning water into wine…but for the fact that He possessed the very power of God—the power of life over death. 

Later in the flow of the story, Philip and Andrew bring even some interested Greeks to meet Yeshua. There is no account of a dialogue between them, just further teaching from Yeshua about this very subject—

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

“Those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.”

So, there it is—the key and linchpin single unique element regarding the Anointed One, Yeshua. Life after death. Eternal Life. Power of God to overcome the one single uniting fact of this mortal life that has haunted mankind throughout the epochs—everyone dies.

BUT, Yeshua’s promise is that He holds the key to life after death. That is Good News.

That is why we celebrate Easter every year. I am focused this morning—Lord let this fact “soak in” to my very heart and soul.