Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. (John 14:9)

Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-8:18, John 14:15-31, Psalm 119:33-48, Proverbs 15:33

Relate: Live.

Jesus and His entourage were on their way into a small little town when they came across a funeral procession headed the other way. It was a poor widow who had just lost her only son. Most of the town was actually in the procession grieving with her. Jesus stopped the group, looked at this widow and said, “Don’t cry.” Then He went up to the casket, looked in, and said…

Live.

Jesus was in His home town of Capernaum. After healing a paralyzed man whose friends tore through the roof to bring Him to Jesus, calling a tax collector to leave His old life behind,  and healing a woman from a bleeding that had put her life on pause for the past dozen years, Jesus arrived at the house of Pastor Jairus. In the living room there was a large group of noisy “professional” mourners making a big stink that such a young girl had to die. Jesus had them all kicked out. Then He went into the girl’s room, looked down at the body and said…

Live.

For days on end Jesus stayed in Galilee knowing that His friend Lazarus had gone from sick to sicker to dead. That whole time He must have longed to go to Him but He was being obedient to the Father’s commands. Finally, He got His release to go and made haste to Bethany. Almost there, He met Martha who came out to complain and spoke life to her. Getting closer He came upon Mary who just needed a shoulder to cry on and a friend to cry with. Finally He came to the grave site. After raising a stink about the stink the men there agreed to roll away the stone. Jesus looked in and cried out…

Live.

There are only three examples of people Jesus raised from the dead in the gospels. I am guessing that there were others, but I cannot really say that with certainty. That is, of course outside Jesus raising Himself and those who were raised at His crucifixion. Do you know what there are none of in the gospels? Funerals. There not a single recorded incidence of Jesus going to a funeral and it not turning into a celebration. Dead people around Him had this bad habit of coming back to life.

React: So what about us? Are we truly alive? Maybe our heart is beating and breath is filling our lungs but are we truly alive? Is there something in our life, a memory, a fear, a doubt, that has us paralyzed and we need friends to dig through the roof that we might come alive? Do we need to be that friend for another? Are we like Levi, stuck in the wrong place and at the wrong job just going through the motions of life? Jesus has called us to leave that old “life” behind, abandon it, and come alive in the adventure of daring to follow Him. Has our life been put on hold by a physical need or deformity that has us feeling like we are on the outside looking in? Reach out and touch the hem of His garment. Whatever the reason or excuse, God is calling out to us today to…

He had been made a public shame, a disgrace, as He endured the torture and death of the most despised of criminals. He was made into a mockery and a ridicule for everyone who passed by. Finally, He breathed His last and with the cry, “It is finished” He gave up His life. A special exception was given to allow His burial. For a portion of three days He remained in that grave. Finally, on the third day, with all of heaven silent and waiting, the Father looked down and said…

Live.

Now, because He does, we also can.

Respond:

Dear God,
Bring me to life. I don’t just want to have a beating heart and working limbs. I want to have a heart that beats for You. I want to have feet that will follow and hands that will work for You. I don’t just want to go through the motions of life. Let every day be a part of the daring, awesome, uncomfortable adventure of following You. I want to live.
Amen