“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die’.” – John 11:25-26
We get confused about the word life. “That’s life” often means “too bad, that’s the way it is.” Or we might say, “What a life,” meaning, “this is wonderful.” We all value life. We hold onto it as long as we can, and we mourn its loss. Sometimes we are under the mistaken idea that life consists of who we are, what we have, what we do, and whom we know. If those are our thoughts, then these words of Jesus make no sense. Earlier in this Gospel he told his disciples, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He was speaking to people who were full of physical life. So obviously he meant something else when he used the word.
Jesus, in claiming to be the source of life, is talking about another kind of life. It is not limited to tangible or physical things, but rather to those defined by the spirit. There is an eternal or spiritual life that we can live while we are continuing to live in this present world. That kind of life comes from a close relationship with the source of life – Jesus. It can be described by its qualities – inner peace, honesty, hope and expectancy, a sense of the constant presence of God, direction and purpose, fulfillment, contentment, joy.
While telling Mary and Martha that their brother would physically rise from the dead, even more important, he was offering spiritual life to them.
Lent is a time for Christians to see how sin has made our earthly life empty and shallow. Holy Week reveals the depth of God’s love as he ransoms us from our lives to give us his life. Easter is our celebration of God’s gift of new life.
This month as we begin our Lenten journey may it lead us through the awe of Holy Week to the shout of Easter “THIS IS LIVING!”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I receive your offer of life. Fill me with your life today. Amen.