Death Precedes Life
"So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said,“Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days."
John 11:3-6
Author Henry James said, "Life is a predicament that precedes death."
The caterpillar appears to be a full animal. It eats on leaves. It crawls around and tries to avoid being eaten by birds and other predators. From a passing glance, the caterpillar appears complete. From an anthropomorphized view, the caterpillar thinks itself complete. We know that the caterpillar is but a butterfly pupae; an immature form. It is nothing like what it will be. The caterpillar must go through a metamorphosis that resembles death. The outer-layer dies forming a chrysalis that inside the butterfly develops. I am a caterpillar. I am a poor, pale reflection of what the Lord knows and sees but I think I am complete.
I wonder what Jesus's disciples thought when He didn't run to Mary and Martha in Bethany? They knew of His love for the family. They knew the healing that Jesus brings. Why aren't we leaving, they must have thought? Mary and Martha must have wondered, where is Jesus? The sickness progressed. Jesus wasn't there. He got sicker. Jesus wasn't there. And he died. He was wrapped in myrrh and spiced strips of linen. He was placed in a rock tomb. A stone covered the entrance. Mary and Martha mourned the loss of their brother. Jesus eventually arrived. Death had to precede life.
A butterfly cannot form without the death of the outer-layer. Jesus cannot bring
to life what hasn't died. Lazarus had to die before the Lord could speak him to life. Lazarus died "so that the Son of God will receive glory". Without death there is no glory. Without death there is no resurrected life.
To rephrase James, "Death is a predicament that precedes life." We live in a fallen world where sickness comes. Where cancers are diagnosed. Where relationships become injured. Where spouses have affairs. Where finances are a struggle. Where bankruptcies are filed. Jesus isn't done in this life.
Jesus intends for us to live in the power of resurrection today. He is life. He is hope. He is peace. He is safe. Remember for the Christian, death must precede real life. We have the power of the resurrection. Paul tells us in Romans,"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Romans 6:3-4
Author Henry James said, "Life is a predicament that precedes death."
The caterpillar appears to be a full animal. It eats on leaves. It crawls around and tries to avoid being eaten by birds and other predators. From a passing glance, the caterpillar appears complete. From an anthropomorphized view, the caterpillar thinks itself complete. We know that the caterpillar is but a butterfly pupae; an immature form. It is nothing like what it will be. The caterpillar must go through a metamorphosis that resembles death. The outer-layer dies forming a chrysalis that inside the butterfly develops. I am a caterpillar. I am a poor, pale reflection of what the Lord knows and sees but I think I am complete.I wonder what Jesus's disciples thought when He didn't run to Mary and Martha in Bethany? They knew of His love for the family. They knew the healing that Jesus brings. Why aren't we leaving, they must have thought? Mary and Martha must have wondered, where is Jesus? The sickness progressed. Jesus wasn't there. He got sicker. Jesus wasn't there. And he died. He was wrapped in myrrh and spiced strips of linen. He was placed in a rock tomb. A stone covered the entrance. Mary and Martha mourned the loss of their brother. Jesus eventually arrived. Death had to precede life.
A butterfly cannot form without the death of the outer-layer. Jesus cannot bring
to life what hasn't died. Lazarus had to die before the Lord could speak him to life. Lazarus died "so that the Son of God will receive glory". Without death there is no glory. Without death there is no resurrected life.
To rephrase James, "Death is a predicament that precedes life." We live in a fallen world where sickness comes. Where cancers are diagnosed. Where relationships become injured. Where spouses have affairs. Where finances are a struggle. Where bankruptcies are filed. Jesus isn't done in this life.
Jesus intends for us to live in the power of resurrection today. He is life. He is hope. He is peace. He is safe. Remember for the Christian, death must precede real life. We have the power of the resurrection. Paul tells us in Romans,"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Romans 6:3-4
- Where are you experiencing "death" in your life?
- Are you living in the resurrection?
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