‘I AM THE RESURRECTION’

(St John 11: 25)


SUNNY THOMAS

Two graves mark the twilight and end of the Passion Week. The first causes the second, the first points to the second, and the first signifies the second, as though divinely scripted.

A distance of three miles separates the two graves; maybe a span of two weeks separates the burial at the two graves. Monuments of the first grave stands at Bethany on the outskirts of Jerusalem while the second, in the Holy City itself.

One cannot understand the meaning of the Passion Week without understanding the life-giving and the shortest sermon of Jesus at Bethany: ‘I am the Resurrection and the life’.

At Bethany well over two thousand years, Lazarus rose from death to life; in Jerusalem, Jesus rose from death to Eternal Life, because of which Lazarus too would rise to Eternal Life. Not just Lazarus, but all who have trusted Christ.

To recount the story in a quick flashback: Lazarus who was gravely ill died, and arrived Jesus three days late. His sisters, Martha and Mary, complained that their brother would not have died had Jesus arrived on time.

That sets the stage for Jesus’ sermon on Resurrection: ‘I am the Resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies’ – St John 11: 25.


‘‘I tell you the truth, the time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself ’’ – St John 5: 25 & 26. ‘‘Do not be amazed at this, for the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out’’ – St John 5:28). Words that no man ever spoke, words that need the experience of faith to believe.

Compare the testimonies of Patriarch Abraham and St Thomas with St John’s:

‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at, and our hands have touched, this we proclaim .., writes St John in his epistle, on the person called Eternal Life, who is the Son of God. St Thomas on touching the nail prints of his crucified Lord marvels, ‘My Lord and My God!’ Abraham raised the knife in his hand to strike his son, trusting God who can bring his son Isaac back to life.

In other words, faith is trusting God in life and death. Committing to His care everything that happens, to you and to others. And accepting His Lordship over everything visible and invisible.

The theme of the Passion Week is, look beyond the grave. Set your goals for eternity, for the Kingdom life.

And here comes the King riding on a donkey, and the crowds that walked before him spread their garments on the road and cut branches of trees and spread before him as they would welcome their King. Those behind him shouted:

‘Hosanna to the Son of David,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!’

The Palm Sunday signifies his Kingdom to come:

‘Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence’ (Rev 20: 11). Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’’ (Rev 21: 1-4)

Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Redeemer who has come to redeem the world from death, sorrow and pain that sin brought into the world.

On Thursday night in the Upper Room, he unfolded the mystery of the New Life to come when he told his disciples:

‘‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God’’ (St Luke 22: 15).
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying:
‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying:
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (St Luke 22: 19 & 20).

This is the great mystery of your becoming part of Him who is Resurrection. This is the great mystery of your sharing the very life of God, which is eternal. This is the great mystery of the branches abiding in the vine and growing.

The next day on the cross, he reveals the seven-fold love radiating from his heart in each of his seven utterances:

His first utterance, ‘‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’’ (St Luke 23: 34) reflects his forgiving love.


His second utterance, ‘‘Today you will be with me in Paradise’’ (St Luke 23: 43) reflects his redeeming love.


His third utterance, ‘‘Woman, behold thy son, .. Behold your mother’’ (St John 19: 26 & 27) reflects his filial love.

His fourth utterance, ‘‘My God, my God why has thou forsaken me?’’ (St Mark 15: 34) reflects his sacrificial love, for he was the sacrificial lamb who took away the sin of the world.


His fifth utterance, ‘‘I thirst,’’ (St John 19: 28) reflects his soul-seeking love for which he laboured and was thirsty.


His sixth utterance, ‘‘It is finished,’’ (St John 19: 30) reflects his agape love that God alone is capable of by completing his Father’s plan of salvation.


His seventh utterance, ‘‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,’’ (St Luke 23: 46) reflects the eternal love that goes beyond the grave.


If ever a mortal voice needs to be recorded on that day, it was the Roman centurion’s: ‘‘Truly, truly, he was the Son of God.’’ ( St Mark 15: 39).

On Saturday, he visited the departed ones and preached the gospel of forgiveness and God’s love.

On Sunday, The Galilean women and the disciples found his tomb empty. The angel declared that he rose from the dead. Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and all the disciples, and over five hundred people all at once, and finally Saul-turned-Paul witnessed the Desire of Ages.

The story of humanity will never be the same because of His Resurrection.