17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two milesoff, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” John 11:17-27
Christ Is Risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia! Believe it or not, the season of Easter is not over yet! The season of Easter is 50 days long, and it began on Easter Sunday. It will officially end on Pentecost, which we celebrate on May 28. Since the season is still going on, I wanted to reignite some Easter joy.
One of my theology professors at Seminary used to say that “Theology is in the verbs.” He has a great point. There is a big difference between “I went to the store,” “I am going to the store,” and “I will be going to the store.” Conversely, there is a huge difference between “I forgave you,” “I am forgiving you,” and “I will forgive you.” In both examples, one of those things happened, one is in the process of happening, and another is yet to be. While the differences might be minor, the tense is significant.
We see that often in the Bible. When you do your daily devotions, or when you listen to the readings in the Divine Service, pay attention to the verb tenses (past, present, future, etc.). It will make all the difference. We see this especially in John 11, a text used during Lent.
Notice what Jesus tells Martha. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Did you catch the tense of the verb? It is significant. It is important. It is life changing. Jesus says, “I am….” That is present. It is now. Jesus is the resurrection and the life now. He doesn’t point to the past and say, “I was….” He doesn’t point the future and say, “I will be….” This is a present thing! He is that life and resurrection now, for her. He is this before raising Lazarus. He is this before His resurrection on Easter morning. He is this before the final resurrection when all things will be made new and well.
So, the good Lutheran question: what does this mean? As Martha stands there in sorrow, sadness, and suffering, Jesus is the resurrection and life for her. The resurrection is a hand that can be touched, a voice that can be heard, a tear that is shed, and a conversation that happens with Jesus. The resurrection and life is a person!
And what does that mean for you? It means that we don’t have to wait until the body comes out of the tomb to participate in the resurrection. Jesus is the resurrection and the life for you, right now. A life that is complete, full, and secure in Him, grounded in His death and resurrection. A life that is eternal and unending in Him, now. A life out of sin’s clutches and in His mighty, powerful, and loving hand.
As a result, we don’t need to silence the suffering, to mask our mourning, or shove away the pain; we can bring it all to Him. Jesus is the resurrection and the life even now, in the midst of suffering, sorrow, and stress.
As we finish this Easter season, I encourage you to listen closely to what is said, and how the tense can make all the difference. Christ IS risen! He IS risen indeed, alleluia!
Pastor Kooi
(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints, Vol. XXIV, Number 10, May 2023.)