Daily Lesson for March 21, 2019

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from John chapter 5 verses 19 through 29:

19 Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father* does, the Son does likewise. 20The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. 21Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomsoever he wishes. 22The Father judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son, 23so that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him. 24Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life.

25 ‘Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; 27and he has given him authority to execute judgement, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Jesus has been given the power of life in and of himself just as God. So where Jesus is there is life — even in the midst of death. 

I am leading a class now on the Seven Last Words of Jesus and last night we focused on Jesus’ words to the penitent man on the cross beside him, “Truly today you will be with me in paradise.”  One of the things I tried to express is the idea that Resurrection can actually be present tense. 

Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus and said to Lazarus’ sister Martha, “Your brother will love again.”  “I know he will live again in the Resurrection on the last day.”  And Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

“I am” — present tense. Resurrection is not only on the last day. It is now. It is wherever Jesus is right now, before the grave and beyond.

Jesus has life in himself. So there is no death. Yes; there is physical death — which is inevitable. But even though we die, we live. We die the first death, but never the second. We die the first physical death, but never the second spiritual death. We suffer not the death of condemnation.

So when Jesus is present there is no fear. For Resurrection is already present. Hope is present. Heaven is present. Even amidst death, there is life; and those believe in the one who is life pass from death to life.

Thanks be to God.