A Belief Stronger Than Death
Imagine: Your brother has been dead for four days. The grief is so overwhelming that every part of you feels numb. Your tears have run dry, but the pain is far from gone.
Then, Jesus—your friend, the one thought to be the prophesied Messiah, the Savior of the world, the one who’s been doing astonishing miracles—shows up. Only … He wasn’t there to stop your brother from dying in the first place.
But then He does something that’s completely unexpected: He tells your dead-for-four-days brother to come out of his grave … and your brother listens. Lazarus walks out—alive.
Jesus knew that the raising of Lazarus was merely a foretaste of what was still to come. He’d eventually conquer death—for good. In the end, the grave would not have the final say. Those who believe in Him will never truly die, but go from this broken world to something much better.
That’s why the same words Jesus spoke to Lazarus’ sister, Martha, just before Lazarus’ miraculous moment are the same words Jesus would speak to you…
“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26 NLT
Martha probably had a billion questions and possibly just as many doubts. But she had been with Jesus, she had seen His power, and she couldn’t deny His love. And that’s why Martha responded with:
“‘Yes, Lord,’ … ‘I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.’”
John 11:27 NLT
Though our earthly bodies will die, God has more in store than we can dare to fathom.
Do you believe this?
Let us echo Martha’s heart—to believe that the Lord is exactly who He says He is. Let’s trust God with more than what our eyes can see. Let’s have the faith to follow Him to the end.
Truth Changes Everything
Think about the best news you've ever received in your life. Maybe it was a doctor walking into a waiting room and saying, "The surgery went perfectly." Maybe it was a phone call that said, "You got the job." Maybe it was two lines on a pregnancy test you'd been praying for.
Good news changes everything.
But none of those moments, as incredible as they are, even come close to the truth delivered on the first Easter morning:
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
Jesus had been crucified publicly, brutally, and officially. He was wrapped, sealed in a tomb. There was no question. Jesus was dead. It was true.
But when His followers Mary and Mary Magdalene arrived to grieve? The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel met them with the most stunning announcement in human history.
But the angel doesn’t just tell the women the truth. He invites them to look for themselves. To step inside. To experience the...