Christ our Example in Power and Deed

A: Lazarus

B: Preacher

B: Because so many people long to speak with someone from the dead, spiritualists continue to intrigue us with their seances. I have arranged for someone to visit us from the dead – but not by séance. This is a hypothetical situation. We just heard the story of Lazarus, so not let us meet Lazarus. Good morning Lazarus.

A: Good morning. I am not so certain I am glad to be here. Did you know that you are the third pastor this week that has bothered me?

B: (Apologetically) I beg your forgiveness. I didn’t realize that I was bothering you. Were you doing something important?

A: Well I guess so! We were all preparing for the annual celebration known as the “Festival of Bethany.”

B: Oh so you observe celebrations in the land of the living. I guess I never thought about what you all do once you leave us. Could you tell us a little about the Festival of Bethany?

A: Hey ma’am, the land of the living is a happy place. We don’t just sit around and twiddle our thumbs.

We get into the spirit of the occasion, and believe me there are plenty of occasions! Take the Festival of Bethany, for example. So much happened at Bethany that a bunch of us got together to petition Peter (you know who he is don’t you?) to see if we could officially celebrate Bethany.

B: I would think you would have a Festival of Jerusalem as opposed to Bethany.

A: Oh we do have a Festival of Jerusalem, and of Bethlehem and Plymouth Rock and The Bay of Fundy, and Johannesburg, and (gets interrupted)

B: Oh good grief! You probably don’t have enough days to observe all of your celebrations.

It sounds to me like all you do is play.

A: As I said: “the land of the living is a happy place we don’t just…”

A & B “… sit around and twiddle our thumbs”

B: OK. Now tell me about Bethany

A: For one thing, Bethany was where the parade began when Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It was there that Simon the Leper gave a feast for Jesus and it was where Jesus’ feet were anointed. It’s close to the Garden of Gethsemane. And, most importantly, Bethany was my hometown.

B: That’s right. You, Mary, and Martha lives there and Jesus used to stay there on occasions.

A: Don’t forget – it was the sight of the most amazing miracle which Jesus ever performed – bringing me back to life after I had been buried for four days.

B: Now you’re getting to the topic of my special interest. I wonder if you could tell me a few things. When people- modern day people that is – die and then come back to life again, many of them say that they saw a bright light and felt a tremendous peace. Did you see a bright light when you died?

A: Nope. I’ve been asked that question again and again. I didn’t see a thing. I was sick one moment and then – nothing! That is, until I had to struggle with those stupid grave clothes.

B: Interesting. Now explain about the grave clothes.

A: Well the first thing you did to a dead person was to wrap him up like a mummy. My head, my arms, my legs, my feet … they were all wrapped up with tight linen cloths. Jesus had some sense of humour, expecting me to “arise and come forth” when I couldn’t even walk. I had to hop up the steps, and that wasn’t easy because I could hardly move my legs.

B: That explains why Jesus commanded them to “unbind you.”

A: You should have herd the screams when I finally got out of the tomb. I couldn’t see anything, but men and women were screaming – like they had seen a ghost.

B: Can you imagine the trauma of your sisters? You were buried for four days; they held your funeral; they were in mourning; and then pow! You’re alive!

A: When I finally understood what had happened, I also was in a state of shock. Mary and Martha made a big show of their affection, but they also were emotional. You’d think I was a hero – all I did was die. Jesus was the hero; he performed the miracle! So our Festival of Bethany is really in honour of Jesus and all that he did when he was in Bethany.

B: Just as you give honour to Jesus for the miracle. Jesus gave honour to God. He made certain that the crowd heard his prayer to God. Jesus wanted so much to have the people believe that he came from God, that his power came from God.

A: I’ll tell you this: my sisters and I believed that he came from God, especially after he brought me back to life. I mean. We believed that he was the Messiah before that happened, but that miracle helped us to believe in the resurrection. Nobody was really sure about the hereafter.

B: According to the gospel account, many other people believed in Jesus because of what he had done. But apparently there were some who must have thought it to be a trick, for they were running to the authorities to tell them about the miracle.

A: Those were bad times. The high priest prophesied that one man must die for the good of all, so from that day onward, they planned on how they could kill Jesus. Jesus had to go into hiding with his disciples.

B: If only the religious leaders could have believed Jesus came from God – just imagine how different history would have been! If only they hadn’t seen his power as a threat. The most wonderful things of all was that Jesus never used his power in a selfish way, or in a way that would hurt anyone.

A: True, but when men are selfish and hunger after power for themselves, they see all other power as a threat. Even the good deeds of Jesus could not persuade the otherwise. I hoped that after a while things would kind of die down so that Jesus could come out into the open again.

B: How long did Jesus stay undercover?

A: Actually it was only a few months. The Passover festival was at hand, and Jesus was determined to come to Jerusalem with all the other pilgrims. Naturally he stayed at my home since Bethany is only two miles from Jerusalem, about a half-hour walk, all downhill.

B: At least he was safe at your house.

A: Not really. When the townsfolk found out that Jesus and his twelve disciples were staying at my house, the word quickly spread, not just in Bethany, but all the way to Jerusalem.

B: I remember reading about that dinner at your house. Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume. Judas felt that she could have washed his feet with water – like everyone else. He would have sold the perfume and used the money.

A: Ah yes, Mary had a flamboyant side to her. Besides, nothing was too good for the man who brought me back to life. But the real reason she loved him so much was that he treated her like a disciple, just like the men. Mary became a different woman after Jesus came into her life. For that matter, all of us became different because Jesus came into to our lives.

B: Lazarus, that is still happening two thousand years later. Jesus continues to change the lives of people who come to him. The effect of his power transverses time and oceans.

But I’m curious. How did the rumour get all the way to Jerusalem that Jesus was back in Bethany?

A: You know how it is with rumours. Who knows how they get started? All I know is that people came to Bethany in droves! They had two reasons for coming: they wanted to see Jesus, of course: and they wanted to see the man who had been raised from the dead. I felt like someone on exhibit!

B: I guess you were a celebrity, at that.

A: Yeah, but there wasn’t much endearing about the experience. Not only were the authorities our to destroy Jesus, they put out an all-points bulletin on my head as well. “Waned! Dead!” – not alive!

B: Apparently you were both a threat to their political power over the people. They recognized that Jesus had power, and now that you came back from the grave, they probably were afraid that you had similar power.

A: That’s what I find it so remarkable about the whole situation. Sure, Jesus had power. But he always used his power for good: to heal the sick, feed the hungry, forgive sins. Why would anyone be threatened by that power?

B: Only evil needs to fear the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus conquered sin, and he conquered death, the consequence of sin. Those religious leaders were selfish and did not want to lose hold of the power they held over the people. If they truly had loved God, they would have loved the people and would have wanted what was best for them.

A: What hurts most is to realize that all those people who went with us into Jerusalem the day Jesus made his triumphant entry into the city suddenly cringed under the power of the authorities. When the chips were down, they disappeared into the stones of the city.

B: It must be that hey had not experienced for themselves the forgiving power of Jesus.

A: You are right. All those followers of Jesus dwindled down to a small minority of persons – and these were people who had their lives changed as a result of his power in them.

B: Lazarus, when you return to Mary and Martha, tell them that the power of Jesus Christ is still at work in the world today. It works in the lives of those people who turn to him for forgiveness and pledge their lives to him. The Calvary experience did not end the power of our Lord, it enhanced it. But then, you know that.

A: Pastor, thank you for this opportunity to talk. But my beeper is ringing again, and I have a feeling that another church and its pastor wants an interview. Whew! Lent is a busy season for me. So long. Shalom. Peace!

B: Peace to you my friend. We’ll meet again through the power of our Lord.

Let us pray: Lord, visit us again with your power. We want the assurance that we will live with you in the resurrection. We want the assurance that in our lives here on earth, we may live with you in purity of heart. As a result of your power living in us, help us to be powerful influences in this world of sin so that others may come to know your love and forgiveness. Amen

The story of Lazarus is a reminder of how amazingly Jesus gives a new orientation

Lazarus had been dead and he was called back to life by Jesus

Although Jesus had not yet been raised from death when this story happened, he shows that he is indeed the resurrection and the life

Jesus has power over death

Because Jesus has power over death, he invites us to live our lives fully

There are ways that we can allow ourselves to be dead in our living

We can be dead to hope

We can be dead to our independence if we allow ourselves to be controlled by a substance or a prejudice

The way to be truly alive is to know the life giver

In order to live the life we have in Jesus, we need to spend time with Jesus to know what it is that we have been given

Just as Jesus commanded that Lazarus be given new clothes to replace the graveclothes

So Jesus clothes us in new life, in new hope and a new way of looking at the world

Let the words of Psalm 130 be our prayer

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
⁶ my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.

Invitation to the Offering

Jesus reminds us that a seed surrenders its life to the ground in order to bear much fruit. What we surrender to God in our offering will also bear much fruit in the world, for the sake of Christ, our Lord. As springtime begins, sow the seeds of God’s love as you offer your gifts to God.

Prayer of Dedication

God of growth and new life, with our gifts we offer you our thanks and praise for the promise of spring and the promise of resurrection in Christ Jesus. Bless our gifts and through them, accomplish more than we can ask or imagine, as they bear fruit in the world you love, through Christ, our Lord.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Steadfast God,

in the midst of unending change and challenge,

we give you thanks for your presence to sustain us.

While we find it hard to understand why things happen,

we are grateful that you are with us.

You understand our fears; you support and guide us;

and you give us courage to face the unknown.

We give thanks that you intend goodness for us;

that your gift of faith is a solid rock which supports us;

and that prayer gives us the hope you keep working in ways seen and unseen

for goodness to prevail.

Loving God,

in this time of uncertainty when there is much to be anxious about,

we pray for the world you love.

Send your healing Spirit to guide countries and communities

as they respond to COVID-19.

Bless the work of medical researchers and frontline health care workers

in these stressful times.

Bless the plans to offer vaccine to all who want it

and give us patience and common sense as we wait our turns for vaccination.

Send your healing Spirit to bring peace with justice to the troubled places,

(Here you can name any places currently in the news…)

Bring care and comfort to those who have been hurt in conflict,

wisdom to those who offer leadership in their communities,

and courage to those who advocate for the most vulnerable.

Send your healing Spirit to mend relationships

between religious groups and cultural groups

who find themselves in tension or turmoil.

We pray for mutual respect to grow

between peoples who look at each other with suspicion

and among people who have experienced painful histories with each other.

Open our hearts and minds

to those whose situations and concerns we don’t understand

and bring your gift of reconciliation to us all.

Send your healing Spirit to people we know and the earth you love.

We remember before you friends in grief…

(Hold a brief pause)

relationships marked by tension…

(Hold a brief pause)

those facing difficulty at work or finding work…

(Hold a brief pause)

disagreements in our church or community…

(Hold a brief pause)

concerns about the environment we depend on…

(Hold a brief pause)

We pray for the continuing ministry of the church

in our neighbourhoods and around the world.

As we prepare to celebrate Easter and Christ’s resurrection,

help us plan safely and creatively.

Send your healing Spirit to raise our hearts and our hopes

with the promise of new life in Christ.

Restore to us the joy of your salvation and sustain in us all a willing spirit.

We pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying:

The Lord’s Prayer