A sermon given during the 10:30am Choral Eucharist, by The Rt Rev’d Chris McLeod, on the 26th March 2023.

Sermon – Lent 5 – St Peter’s Cathedral

Jesus said to Martha, “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?” (John 11: 25 – 26)

The statement of Jesus above is somewhat confusing given that he proclaims that we will die but not die in the same sentence. However, in John’s Gospel life is more than just living and death is more than dying. Let me unpack these a little more.

Life.

There are some key words in John’s Gospel that are replete with meaning. For example, life. Life for the Jesus in John is more than being born, living, going to work, and paying taxes. This word in John is often joined by the word eternal. Eternal for John doesn’t mean a life that simply goes on forever, but it means this life can be filled with the eternal. A quality of life that is filled with the fullness and abundance of God.

“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.” (E B Browning)

So often we make the mistake in thinking that eternal life means going to heaven after we die. Eternal life, however, means this heaven can be experienced here and now on earth and yet, at the same time, stretches forward to being with God after we die. Life in all its fullness – eternal life (John 10: 10).

Death.

Very few of us like speaking about death. It is so close to us, especially for those who have lost loved ones. It seems so final; so absolute. There is a real sense of being cut off from the ones we love. But this is not the message of Jesus in John, and the other Gospels for that matter. Perhaps this is why have tended to concentrate on salvation as where we go after we die, rather than a liberation and freedom on this side of heaven. Death has a hold on us by fear. Let’s be honest the church in the past, and, even now in certain quarters, has used the fear of death as a means of manipulation. 

However, death is just moment of transition. Death does not hold dominion over us (Romans 6: 9; 1 Corinthians 15: 20 – 22; and see the poem by Dylan Thomas, ‘Death has no more dominion’). This is demonstrated in the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus was truly dead but Jesus brings him back to life. Death had no dominion over him. Death did not rule him. Death is not the final statement. In the raising of Lazarus Jesus demonstrates that he is the resurrection and the life.

I am the resurrection and the life.

Jesus makes a bold proclamation in John. Jesus makes the bold statement that he is the resurrection and the life. Jesus fully embodies both these things. Through believing in him, we receive these things. It is not about believing in information about Jesus, or about saying the creed every day or believing in certain propositions contained in the Christian faith, as helpful as they may be. What I call interesting information about the Christian faith. Here we are talking about faith as trust; believing in Jesus; trusting in Jesus that he embodies the fullness of life now and after death. Jesus as all in all! (Ephesians 4: 4 – 6).

For me this is what gives the Christian faith its kick, and it is the only reason I turn up in this thing we call the Christian life. Because Jesus is everything and embodies everything. In him I find the fullness of life and will find the fullness of life after death. It is a life that is dominated by the life and teaching of Jesus. The only thing that makes complete sense. It is a life to live by, and hopefully when death comes, a life that was well lived. But what about you? Have you found this too? Sometimes … maybe … never … I want to …

Jesus said to Martha, “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?” (John 11: 25 – 26)

Blessings

+Chris