Advent 2021 • Week One • Day Two

Tuesday, November 30th, 2021

Verse of the Day ~ John 11:25

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” ~John 11:25

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Wow! Hearing those words ignited a flame in my soul, I hope it did yours as well. The story of Lazarus is one that I have heard on several occasions and each one varied in the lessons learned. I love that about the stories in the Bible, the many life applications they can teach us. The story of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life after being dead and buried for four days is an incredible story of life, death and resurrection. Death is something we all must face at some point in our lives. The death of a friend, coworker, relative, parent, child or spouse to only name a few. Not only will we experience the death of others but the reality of our own impending death. As a believer in Jesus Christ, death is nothing to fear, it is the end of one journey, the earthly existence and the beginning of our life eternal, life everlasting.

“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” ~ C.S.Lewis

The greatest fear for many of us is death. Death brings to the surface a enormous amount of emotions that many of us just are not prepared to deal with. How does one rationally come to terms with the uncharted depths of death. Losing someone whether unexpectedly or an anticipated one, is never easy. Often those left behind are grief stricken; having many questions with few if any answers. In our verse for today, Jesus tells us; no in fact, He assures us that He is the RESURRECTION and the LIFE! Mary and Martha had suffered a great loss when their brother died from a severe illness. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been dead four days. Martha was upset, burdened with grief and said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21). In the following verse, Martha believed that Jesus could resurrect her brother, she is quoted saying, “God will give you whatever you ask.” (John 11:22).

Martha had properly acknowledged the relationship of Jesus, with His Father, but failed to understand that Jesus himself is the resurrection and the life. The intricacies of the relationship of God and of Jesus is perfectly transparent and beautifully expressed in one of my favorite passages John 1:1-4. The power of life and death are in Jesus.

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
— John 1:1-4 —

We DO NOT need to fear death, DEATH has been defeated by Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:54, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

Resurrection is both a present and a future event. The current reality is those who believe in Jesus will ultimately never die, never die a spiritual death. There will be temporary physical death, our bodies will die and wither but our soul, our spirit will continue on its journey until Jesus’ return and His resurrection of all believers. On that day we shall say, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:55

Indeed, friends there is HOPE, hope for today and for the future. Death is defeated in Jesus as He transitions us from temporal life to life eternal. We live the lives of the resurrected.

🔺🔻 CHALLENGE 🔻🔺

• What does it mean to live like the resurrected?

We are to live the life that Jesus would want us to live, as believers in Christ we have thrown aside the old and put on a new, a great Bible verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Each day is a new opportunity to live for Jesus and share His message. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is out of reach, seize the day…today!

• What implications does this mindset have on our relationships, jobs, finances, service, evangelism and pastimes?

Life and how we pursue it, sets the stage for our mindset. “Walk, the walk and Talk, the talk.” A question we need to ask ourselves is, “Does my actions speak the same language I’m vocabulary is speaking?” Similar to, WWJD [What Would Jesus Do]. Our God is a God of HOPE, Grace, Peace and Forgiveness. We are imperfect beings, we have sinful inclinations AND we are children of God. Do not let FEAR keep you from running towards God for redemption and forgiveness. Pride and arrogance and FEAR tell us to run away and hide from God, Adam & Eve story ring any bells(?). Do not FEAR disciple either, God disciplines the ones He loves. Hebrews 12:5-6 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Hebrews%2012:5-6&version=NIV

🛑 🤔 Today, pick one of these areas and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to engage in it as one for whom life is eternal. ✅

Prayer ~

Jesus, Lord and Savior, thank you for another day to praise you for defeating death. We know you are the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. Continue to watch over your world and your people, as we look forward in HOPE for the day when there will be no more death, no more sorrow and no more grief. Guide us to live a life pleasing to you, help us to live out your resurrection. May we be a sweet incense of life to a dying world so they too may have life eternal with you. ~ Amen.

➡️ • ➡️ • ➡️ • FOR FURTHER STUDY

Psalm 139:13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Psalm%20139:13&version=NIV

Luke 7:12-16 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%207:12-16&version=NIV

Luke 8:41-56 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%208:41-56&version=NIV

John 11:39-45 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%2011:39-45&version=NIV

Acts 3:15 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Acts%203:15&version=NIV

Romans 8:18-25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans%208:18-25&version=NIV

Ephesians 2:6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Ephesians%202:6&version=NIV

Colossians 3:1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Colossians%203:1&version=NIV

1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Thessalonians%204:13-16&version=NIV

Revelation 1:18 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Revelation%201:18&version=NIV

🔶 Something Extra — C. S. Lewis 🔶

~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

https://www.biblegateway.com/