Dead reckoning

It is often said isn’t it that one of the last great taboos in our society, one of the things people don’t like to talk about it death. And if truth be told all of us I suppose at one time or another don’t like to face up to the fact, and it is a fact, that one day we will die. We’re so wary of the “D” word that we have a multitude of expressions we use instead of saying someone died

“Passed on” is quite genteel. And of course if you wish to be literary there is always a bit of Shakespeare “Shuffled off this mortal coil”. But there are things like “Popped his clogs” “Pushing up the daisies” “Snuffed it”. All phrases that we all use from time to time rather than saying someone has died.

Strangely enough, in John 11, Jesus also uses a euphemism for death at one point. In John 11:11 Jesus says to the disciples:

"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep," he said. "But I am going to Bethany to wake him up."

Though the disciples think that Jesus means Lazarus is ill. I suppose we’d say in some kind of coma, for they say to Jesus:

¹² His disciples replied, "Lord, if he's sleeping, he will get better."

But

¹³ Jesus had been speaking about the death of Lazarus. But his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead”.

There is so much to say about this passage of scripture, but I want to focus on a few verses. The conversation between Jesus and Martha. Verses 21 – 27:

For these verses set out the Christian theology, the Christian belief about death and resurrection.

So let’s unpack these verses for a moment:

²¹ "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "I wish you had been here! Then my brother would not have died.²² But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask for."

²³ Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Jesus’ reply to Martha “Your brother will rise again” gives no hint about what is about to happen. It is open ended. And as such it can be taken as a general affirmation of the resurrection of the dead at some time in the future. And Martha seems to accept this for she says:

"I know he will rise again. This will happen when people are raised from the dead on the last day."

Amongst some Jews, those who followed the Pharisees, there was a general belief in the resurrection of the dead. A belief that could be traced back to Daniel 12:2

² "Huge numbers of people who lie dead in their graves will wake up. Some will rise up to life that will never end. Others will rise up to shame that will never end.

Though Jews who followed the Sadducees did not have this belief.

But clearly for Martha this was part of her belief. That one day Lazarus would rise from the dead. And by the time John was writing his Gospel, this was also Christian belief.

However, what Jesus says adds another dimension to what Martha believed and what the Pharisees believed. Jesus was not just talking about resurrection he was talking about life as well:

²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Given 2,000 years of Christian teaching it is perhaps hard for us to accept how radical this statement was. Although there was a belief in resurrection as I’ve said, the Jewish teachings didn’t seem to explain any further what this might mean. But what Jesus now says to Martha brings a whole new dimension:

I am the resurrection and I am the life

Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. Meaning the effect of believing in Jesus has on the believers’ death;

²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die Meaning the effect of believing has on the believers’ life.

For Jesus to be the resurrection means that physical death has no power over believers. Their future is determined by their faith in Jesus not by their death .

For Jesus to be the life means that the believer’s present is also determined by Jesus’ power for life, which is experienced as his gift of eternal life.

That’s some big stuff to comprehend. Let me say it again:

For Jesus to be the resurrection means that physical death has no power over believers. Their future is determined by their faith in Jesus not by their death.

For Jesus to be the life means that the believer’s present is also determined by Jesus’ power for life, which is experienced as his gift of eternal life.

It’s the classic case of Christians living in the here and now but also looking forward to a time to come.

And therefore as believers we should not be fearful of death. For if we believe we will live even if we die.

But you know that. Preachers have been saying something similar from this pulpit for the past 50 years. Preachers have been saying this for hundreds of years. This is good news. It’s more than that it is great news! And yet this fear of death remains.

You will have seen in the Adver or on the TV news the pictures taken outside the night club in Old Town from which Sian O’Callaghan was taken. And the hundreds of bunches of flowers laid in her memory. You may have seen the hundreds of Chinese lanterns set off in her memory on the Polo Ground. These are really touching gestures of sympathy and support for Sian’s family by the people of Swindon.

But I wonder whether they are saying something else? I wonder whether these are symptomatic of a world that is afraid of death? A world that has not heard Jesus’ words to Martha and to us:

"I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die.

Of course it’s not just to do with Sian. We now see it all the time. The “shrines” that get set up at the side of the road where someone has been killed. I know of at least four around Swindon. The graves that now seem to have candles and toys and windmills as well as flowers left on them.

You may think I am being heartless. That’s not my intention. And I accept that for those close to someone they want to place flowers at the scene of a fatal accident as part of their grieving. I don’t think it is something I’d do, but I can sort of understand why that may be helpful. But now it seems to me so many people in our society have to do this as well. Why? Why?

On the one hand perhaps because they have not heard what Jesus tells us

"I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die. John 11:25 - 26

But also perhaps because even if they have heard those words – and if anyone has ever attended a Christian funeral they will have heard those words – even if they have heard those words, the stumbling block is one word. Believe. Believe.

Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die.

Belief is their big challenge. It is too much to believe that their loved one has eternal life through belief in Jesus. And so they try to hold on to their loved ones through these shrines.

Please don’t get me wrong. I think it is very considerate that people wish to pay their respects. But I do feel the “Diana effect” says a lot more about people trying to cope with their feelings about death than anything else.

Of course death is a big challenge for all of us. And even if we believe w still grieve for a loved one. Just as Martha did. Even though she believed in Jesus and believed in resurrection of the dead, she still grieved for her brother. But belief in Jesus and his promise can help us cope with death I feel than if we have no belief.

I was talking to someone last week who is a member of another church. I’ll call her Sally. And Sally was sharing some conversations she had had with friends and work colleagues who are not believers but are clearly searching. Sally said how one conversation had been prompted by a death of a work colleague. Other colleagues were very upset and couldn’t come to terms with someone (of a similar age) dying and they’d all asked Sally how she coped. And she said that it was down to her belief in Jesus.

But Sally then said to me something I think very true. “I believe in Jesus and I believe in eternal life just has he has promised. And that makes all the difference in this life. And do you know what David? If when I die it has been for nothing, there is nothing more, it will have made a difference in this life.”

I thought that was incredibly honest and incredibly true. For none of us KNOW if there is life after death. We hope it and believe it.

Life is a lot like living in a maze. We continue to take wrong turns which lead nowhere and often retrace our steps until we can find our way. It can be very frustrating. Sometimes we never do find our way out. Those are the times we are stuck and feel like a prisoner with no escape.

Jesus wants to help set us free. I believe that no matter how difficult the maze you live in may seem, there is always a way out. Not even death can stand in the way of your life’s journey.

²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25 - 26