Read John 11:37-44.
Facing death, it is comforting that Jesus cares, but our greatest consolation is that Jesus conquered! He turned every funeral into a celebration—as He does here.
There was an authoritative cry of command. It has been well said that if Jesus had not called Lazarus personally, every dead person in the graveyard would have risen! Some day, maybe soon, that resurrection voice will speak again.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess.4:13-18).
Those words do comfort us. We know that in Christ, our loved ones gone before us will be waiting for our arrival. Happy reunion day! We will be fully delivered from suffering, sorrow, and sin! This is the powerful liberty we find in the resurrection. Can you imagine the joyful embrace between the sisters and their brother when Lazarus arose? This is what we are so eager for!
When our other grandchildren are opening Christmas presents this year, we will miss our little Mya’s squeals of delight. But we will hear her laughter again, when we see her in heaven! My father used to sing much about heaven, but then disease took his music as dementia took his mind. His voice was silenced when death came. Now, he sings with the saints in glory and I’ll join him in the song of Moses and the Lamb someday. “When this poor, lisping stammering tongue, lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save.” (William Cowper)
Do you have that hope of heaven, firmly fixed in your faith in Christ?
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