The Weekly Word Lent Series - A Devotion for Holy Week and Easter
This is the last of our special weekly Lenten devotions. Thank you for joining us over the past six weeks as we explored who God is and how and where He is present in our daily lives.
The Scripture for today is from John 11:25-26.
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
If you have children or grandchildren, you know that children can ask some challenging questions about death, heaven and the afterlife. Maybe you’ve been on the receiving end of some of these questions: “Where do we go when we die? Will be live in our bodies in heaven? What will heaven look like? Do pets and other animals go to heaven, too?
We don’t always have answers to the questions children ask us. In fact, sometimes we adults have similar questions of our own. We wonder about death; perhaps we even fear it. We wonder what heaven will look like and feel like. Maybe we’ve even wrestled with doubts or questioned whether heaven truly exists.
In these simple but profound verses, Jesus answers our questions once and for all with a definitive declaration. “I am the source of life both now and after death,” He says. In Him and through Him we live. We believe in Jesus and are rewarded with life here on Earth and in eternal life.
If Jesus’ statement sounds too simple and His answer too easy, it’s because it is that simple. Our defeat of death comes solely through Him. God does not require that we perform heroic acts or fulfill a long list of requirements in order to gain entrance into heaven. We don’t need to present a list of the good deeds at heaven’s gate.
The truth is, Jesus asks only one thing of us: that we believe in Him. Everything else – our actions, our service, our love for others – flows out of belief in Jesus’ love for us.
Today, as we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice and celebrate His resurrection on Easter, let us take a moment to consider Jesus’ question: Do you believe this? Do you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life? Let us answer with conviction: I believe!
Jesus, sometimes I am like the man who came to You and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” My faith is far from perfect. Sometimes I wonder if I truly have any faith at all. But You can heal this paradox in me. You can strengthen my faith and my trust. After all, my faith in You comes from You. Amen.