Got to Get You In to My Life

Scripture: John 11. 1-4; Hebrews 9.11-14


Lazarus had died four days previous was buried. There was a Jewish belief that when anyone died the soul of the dead person lingered in the vicinity of the body for three days. But by the fourth day the soul had left, which meant that there was no longer any possibility that the soul would reenter the body and a recovery take place. Four days of death meant that Lazarus was really dead and would stay dead. Hope was gone.

In the ancient world, death was the ultimate horror show. Because death was the end of everything. There was not a lot of talk of resurrection or afterlife. Some people thought there was a form of existence after death, like the “shades” in Hades, ghosts who haunt the space between this world and the next. But that was understood to be a dreary and shadowy affair. If you could look at the tombs of ancient pagans you might find expensive materials and elaborate craftsmanship, but the epitaphs on them were full of hopelessness. “There is no more,” might be found on many a grave marker.

Some people still look at death like this. It’s not a coincidence that before All Saints Day we dress up in masks of horror to express that primal fear of the ultimate mystery and the specter that haunts our future. We like to be scared because it connects us with that mystery. Boo! Remember the movie The Sixth Sense? Remember the cute little boy cursed with that special power? His special power was that he could see the death. He couldn’t help but bump into them, everywhere. “I see dead people walking around.” Talk about scary. . .

Lazarus has died. Jesus is told this by messengers from the family. The message is, “Lazarus is dying,” but by the time Jesus gets the message it’s clear Lazarus is already dead. It’s true, Jesus delays coming, for reasons of his own, but he assures his disciples that Lazarus is only sleeping. This confuses the disciples. They’re not familiar with the euphemism. What does Jesus mean? He doesn’t mean that Lazarus isn’t really dead. In fact Jesus comes out and says that – “he’s dead.” – to clear up their confusion. But what Jesus means by “sleep” is that Death for Lazarus and death for anyone who believes in him is not as final as everyone thinks.

“I’m gonna tell you some things only dead men know,” Bob Dylan sings. This might have been the tune Jesus was humming as well.

He has this conversation with Mary. And before we get in to that let’s quickly note that Jesus is not being cavalier about death or insensitive to the suffering of the grieving family. Jesus loved them. (John 11.5) When He saw them weeping he was deeply moved. He cried too. (11.33-35)

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11.32

The people are wondering why this miracle-worker couldn’t have done something. They have a lot questions they want Jesus to answer.

It’s like the two friends who met a coffee shop one day. One was a woman whose life was a mess and she needed guidance and counsel from her friend. Her marriage was on the rocks, she had had an emotional breakdown, her social life was in ruins and yet when she came to ask for his help, she was wearing a sweatshirt which had the slogan on it, “Jesus is the answer.”

Her friend took one look at it and said to her, “I think you should scrap the idea that Jesus is the answer. Because he never said that. He said, ‘I am the way.’ I think that you need to walk with him to find the answer to your problem.”

Jesus doesn’t answer all our questions for us.


Jesus doesn’t answer the question as to why he didn’t prevent Lazarus death or anyone’s death for that matter. His answer is his tears. But as he asks Mary and Martha to believe in Him, he asks us to believe as well. Notice, the women already have a belief in the resurrection (verse 24), but Jesus directs that belief to himself.

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though they die, yet shall they live.” Verse 25

Jesus is telling them that His Life is stronger than death. Death cannot blot out life, not the life Jesus gives. For his followers, death is a kind of sleep from which we shall awaken.

This time of year it’s not surprising to see all the movies about ghosts and ghouls and all the shows about haunted places in Ireland or spooks of Pennsylvania. There is this belief that there are those places, in between places, where ghosts are known to linger. I don’t deny it. The Bible doesn’t really either. The Bible simply says, don’t go there. Don’t consult mediums. Don’t listen to “Ghost Whisperers.” Why?

Because there is a better way to get a peek at the afterlife.

C.S. Lewis uses to talk about “thin places” in the fabric of our world. In these places one might be able to get a glimpse of another world beyond. These thin places where not always where you might expect them to be. They could be found in the most ordinary of places. A little girl might wander into a wardrobe and find herself walking to the snow of Narnia. In fact, Lewis believed that the Kingdom of God was just such a reality that by faith we could see glimpses of. This world we live in is the shadow world, Shadowlands really. The other world, that we think of as the next world or afterlife, is the real one. Right now we are only ghosts of what we will become.


Jesus pointed to this reality many times. “I am the Way,” he said.

As it tells us in Hebrews chapter 9, Jesus, as High Priest, entered into the Holy Temple with is own blood, he made a Way for all of us to enter into the Life of God. That Holy Place was the thin place between his life and God’s life. Notice verse 14 says this happened “through the eternal Spirit.”

Jesus is offering entry into another world and another life. “I am the Door,” he said.

“I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” John 10.9

Remember Christians, New Life! Not improved old life, but new life because we are new creations!

Jesus wants to get his life in us and get us into His life. What does the Lord’s Prayer say?

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
The prayer is, Jesus, may what up there come down here; your life, your eternal life. Eternal life starts now in the presence of Jesus for all who will believe and receive. This is a thin place. This is the Holy Place. We are invited in.