Do You Believe, Do You Truly Believe?

For those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are four readings of Scripture prior to the Message. The Scripture for this day were Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11 and John 11:1-45

An elderly man who lived alone in Idaho.....wanted to till his sizable potato garden, ....but it was backbreaking work, .....and his son, .....who used to help him, .....was recently sent to jail.

The old man mentioned this ....in a letter he sent to his son,.....He wrote:... "I'm not sure exactly what to do...... I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot.......It looks like I won't be able to plant that garden this year after all."

A few days later, he received a short note from his son, "Dad, For heaven's sake, don't dig up that garden .....that's where We buried the loot ....from the heist!"

At 4 a.m. the next morning, a crew of police officers, arrived to find the stolen property.

After digging for hours, .....they gave up .....apologized to the old man .... and left.

A few days later the elderly gentleman received another letter from his son..... "Dear Dad, under these circumstances, that's the best I can do, .... You should be able to plant your potatoes now." (Pause)

Sometimes we are like the stubborn earth.... A stubbornness that stands in the way of experiencing a fully transformed life .....in Christ Jesus.

Instead of trusting God .... Instead of taking his commandments and promises to heart ... we let this flesh take control of our life. We let the flesh harden our hearts.

We do not allow the garden of our soul ...to be tilled.

We remain a potential garden... a potential garden in need of being tilled ..... Tilled by the one who is..... the Way, the Truth, and the Life... by Jesus

And Beloved ... a potential un-tilled garden ......will become hardened .....over time.

And today's Gospel lesson speaks to this...

Martha apparently bolder than Mary, ....goes out to meet Jesus, .... perhaps to have a private conversation.

Immediately She affirms her faith by saying ...... Jesus if you had been there, ......my brother would have been saved.

Jesus said to her, Martha your brother will rise again.

She responded.... I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.

Then Jesus shared these infamous words, BIBLE "I am the Resurrection and the life, Those who believes in Me, even though they die, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die." END (vs.25-26).

Jesus proclaims I am the Resurrection and the life.

What did he mean when he said these words?

Are they the same thing or are they different?

When Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life," ..He was clearly claiming ... that He was the source of both.

He is the Resurrection ..... which means that those who believe in him .....will live .....even if they die.

This is the final resurrection the one that Martha spoke about.

Jesus was also making a statement concerning His nature. His divine nature.

He does more than give life; .....Jesus is life, and therefore death has no ultimate power ..... over Him.

And Jesus confers this spiritual life on those who believe in Him, .....so that they too .....will share in His triumph ......over death (1 John 5:11-12).

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life

He offers life to everyone who believes in him.... And they will never die. For all eternity ... They will Never die.

Beloved... There is no resurrection ......apart from Christ, .....and there is no eternal life .....apart from Christ.

For He is both... He is the Resurrection and the Life.

And After Jesus makes this statement ... he asks Martha this simple question, "Do you believe this?"

And her response was that of well tilled soul, BIBLE "Lord I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." END

And within a mere number of verses, Jesus commanded those present at the Tomb of Lazarus To: ......."take away the stone".

And with a loud voice he proclaimed those infamous words..... "Lazarus come out!"

This event .....is truly....a forerunner of the last day, .....when the dead shall hear the voice of Jesus .....and all will rise.

Some theologians believe that if Jesus did not specify the name of Lazarus ..... that all the tombs would have been emptied.

Jesus is the Word ... the Word made flesh....The Word spoken of in the Scriptures.

The Word... that brought creation into being, and he is the same Word that heals the sick and raises the dead.

He speaks these words outside the tomb and Lazarus who had begun to decay from 4 days in the tomb ....comes forth. (Pause)