Holy Week

      The popularity of Jesus was at a high point as he entered Jerusalem on the first Sunday of what we now call “Holy Week.” It is called the Triumphal Entry. John’s Gospel tells us that the reason the crowd was gathered to greet him as he entered Jerusalem was because they had heard that he had raised Lazarus from the dead: The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign (Jn 12:18). The Pharisees commentary on the event was, “look the world has gone after him” Jn 12:19). 

     The raising of Lazarus was the seventh sign in the Gospel of John and was an important indicator of his own impending death and resurrection. Jesus had made an amazing claim in John 11:25-26 before he raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus said:

      I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? 

     He proved the veracity of his claim by raising Lazarus from the dead by means of prayer and his word. In response to Jesus’ prayer and his spoken word the dead man was raised to life. 

     But before he raised him to life he asked an important question that we must all personally answer: “Do you believe this?” The reality of our own resurrection hangs on our answer to this question. The promise Jesus makes is that whoever believes in me, though he die, (and we will all die physically at some point), yet shall he live. This is a reference to our resurrection on the last day and lies in the future. But then he includes a promise that may be realized in our lives today. He says, “everyone who lives and believes in me, (lives in the sense of having received eternal life by faith in Christ who is the resurrection and the life), shall never die (has already found the life and joy in me that will never be taken from them, not even by physical death). 

     Jesus’ claim was further confirmed by his own resurrection from the dead. This is the central truth of the Gospel upon which everything else rests. Not because the resurrection accomplished everything, (his perfect life and death for our sins on the cross was the accomplishment of our redemption), but the resurrection is the confirmation and consequence of his accomplished work. Do you believe this?