Do You Believe This?

Ezekiel 37:1-14: It has a dream vibe for me.  The hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel and brought him to the valley of the dry bones. Under direction from the Lord, Ezekiel causes the bones to reassemble and gain flesh and sinew and skin. Finally the prophet breathes life into them and they live. It is the house of Israel he is told and the people who lost hope will live, will inherit the land and know the Lord.

Hearing this passage as a follower of Christ, the foreshadowing of the Resurrection and Christ’s kingdom come to earth is plain. 

An even plainer foreshadowing of the Resurrection is the raising of Lazarus. John 11:1-45 Jesus deliberately waits before returning to Bethany where he has been called because of the grave illness of his dear friend. He waits until Lazarus is dead before going.

It just about kills him to see his friends in such grief. He is rebuked by both Mary and Martha for his delay. Even bystanders remark “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

In this story, for me, Jesus’ purpose becomes stunningly clear. Yes, he heals people, teaches people, corrects wrong ideas and priorities. He feeds the hungry, blesses children, acknowledges the outcast and on and on. But none of these are his purpose. These are happenings along the way.

His love for humankind overflows into great acts of generosity and kindness. His love finds a voice in parables and in the beatitudes. But Jesus came to earth to redeem humankind, to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham, to restore us to grace, to conquer sin and death.

By raising Lazarus in this heart wrenching way, he focused his followers on death and resurrection. The raising of Lazarus provides the structure, the support, the stage setting, so to speak, for the Resurrection of our Lord. One empty tomb. Then another empty tomb.

Martha says that she knows her brother will rise on the last day with everyone, but Jesus stops her. No, he will rise today. Jesus says “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?” he asks her.

“Do you believe this?” he asks each of us. It's a hard thing to believe.

Everything Jesus has done points to this one thing: life. Jesus, “without whom not one thing came into being” is here on earth to restore his creation to life. He does this by dying a hideous death on a cross and then rising on the third day.

This is a physical action in the physical world. Just as raising Lazarus was a physical action in the physical world. Jesus wanted his followers to see Lazarus come back to life so they would have a frame of reference for his own resurrection. There would be no doubt for them. There should be no doubt for us. The Son of God did not incarnate to tell stories or to make blind folks see or to make lame people walk.

He came to save us. Our Savior.

I know there are people who don’t believe in the physical resurrection of Christ. I know there are Christians who avoid that particular issue. I understand that a “spiritual resurrection” through building of the church and gathering faithful followers is a “thing”.  And I’m not drawing a line in the sand or throwing down a marker or whatever people do when they want to start a fight.

If Jesus died and rose from the grave, if he redeemed all mankind, as I believe he did, then it matters hardly at all how many people actually believe it. Redemption happened without our consent, without our support, without our faith. We benefit from it, but our testimony is not required. Jesus died for believer and unbeliever alike. He died for people who never heard of him and who will never hear of him. He died for people who actively work against his kingdom.

God works in each of us whether we are aware of it or not. When, however, we are open to belief, to faith, to the miracle of our creation and redemption, we enjoy a different experience of life. The kingdom is real and we are in it. Eternal life is true and we are living it.

Believing or not, we are redeemed. Following Christ or not, the kingdom has come. The wedding garments are hanging on hooks in the hallway. It’s our privilege to put one on or just wait outside. The grace - and it is amazing - of belief blesses. It opens. It comforts. It waits. Do you believe this?