Death and Life

When you hear the word death, what words come to mind? I think of words like separation or pain. I think of finality. I think about the unknown. In John 11, Jesus got up close and personal with the pain, the separation, the grief that accompanies death. His dearly loved friend, Lazarus, fell ill and died, leaving behind two sisters whom Jesus also loved. This death brought Jesus to tears. However, 19x in the Gospel of John we read that Jesus gives life! Real life, abundant life, meaningful life, eternal life…just as He would to Lazarus outside his tomb. In a world that is filled with death, that’s what Jesus came to do. So how shall we put it tonight? Which seven words shall we choose? How about this? “God gives real life in Christ alone.” He gives it freely and fully. Abundantly and eternally. He gives it to us, and he gives it through us.