Hello friends,
This is Mark Ludman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks.
Thank you for joining me as we begin another week in our Lenten journey,
And another week of reflecting on the I Am statements in John's Gospel,
And this week our focus will be on Jesus' words,
I Am the Resurrection and the Life.
So as always,
As we start,
Let's take a moment just to relax ourselves,
Let your mind grow still.
Take a deep breath in,
And out.
And,
Let yourself settle into this moment,
Let your heart become open to the presence of God,
And the words that we're reflecting on in the next few days occur during an encounter in a town called Bethany.
Jesus arrives in Bethany.
He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days.
Martha,
The sister of Lazarus,
Is grieving her brother's death.
She runs to meet Jesus.
She believed in the Resurrection,
One that would come at the end of time,
But Jesus says something to her that she did not expect at all,
And I'm sure that those who were around her didn't expect him to say either.
He says,
I am the Resurrection and the Life.
Not I will be,
Not someday,
But I am,
Now.
Martha was certain that God's promise would come true at some point in the distant future.
But what Jesus was revealing to her was something that was much deeper,
Something deep,
A resurrection that's not just a future hope.
This resurrection that Jesus brings is a present reality.
Jesus was inviting Martha,
And in fact invites us to experience new life,
Not only at some point in the future,
But now,
In this moment,
In this life,
Right here.
Now as you let this truth settle and sit with you,
The question that you probably need to bring up is,
What parts of you feel lost,
Or lifeless,
Or buried,
Or dare I say,
Dead?
Where in your life right now do you need resurrection?
What came to your heart?
Maybe it was a dream that you let go of a long time ago,
Perhaps a hope that now feels way beyond reach,
Maybe a part of your heart has grown cold,
Has closed itself off from others,
From love.
Perhaps what came for you was like a place in your soul that feels like a tomb,
That was silent and dark and heavy.
And yet here,
In the midst of all of this,
Jesus speaks,
I am.
I am the resurrection and the life.
Even when everything seems still and unmoving.
Even when it feels like nothing can change.
Even when grief weighs heavy on our hearts.
Even then,
Resurrection is already at work in your life.
Take a deep breath in,
And let this truth rest deep with you.
Jesus does not simply offer resurrection.
Jesus is resurrection.
He says,
I am the resurrection and the life.
When we turn to Jesus,
We are turning towards life itself.
Life that renews.
Life that restores.
Life that transforms.
And this is not just a promise for some time down the line.
This is a promise for today.
Are there burdens in your life that feel impossible to lift?
Are there wounds that feel too deep to heal?
Are there places in your life where you have stopped believing that new life could ever be possible again?
With your eyes closed,
Imagine standing with Martha outside the tomb.
You hear Jesus' words,
I am the resurrection and the life.
His presence is steady,
Sure,
Filled with love.
He looks at you with eyes of love and with deep understanding.
He knows your grief,
Your struggles,
Your fears.
He doesn't turn away.
Jesus stays with you and weeps with you.
And in that moment,
Sharing tears,
He calls you to life.
He calls you to new life.
Now look deep.
Where do you sense Jesus' invitation?
What does Jesus speak to your heart right now?
Resurrection does not always look like what we expect.
Sometimes it is quiet.
It's a slow awakening.
Sometimes it's simply the courage to hope again.
And sometimes it's a moment of surrender,
Trusting that even in the unknown,
Life is unfolding in ways that we cannot see.
My friend,
Resurrection is not just an event.
It is a way of being.
It is the presence of Christ in our daily lives,
Bringing life to what feels broken,
Hope to what seems lost and light to the places of darkness.
Will you pray with me?
Jesus,
You are the resurrection and the life.
Awaken what is dormant within us.
Breathe life into the places that feel empty.
Fill us with your presence now and always.
Amen.
As we come to the end of our time together today,
Breathe in and out.
And as you go,
Let the truth of Jesus' words settle deep within you.
I am the resurrection and the life.
And let those words bring comfort.
Let them bring renewal and let them bring hope.
And may grace,
Peace and love go with you every step of the way.
Until tomorrow,
Friends,
Peace be with you.
