Making the Dead Alive
March 22, 2026. John 11:1-44. Erin Lussier
What does it mean to love?
We often think of love as all-consuming, overwhelming, and greater than any other emotion or virtue. If someone you deeply loved was very sick and on the verge of death, it would probably be a no-brainer for you to strive to be by their side, to spend time with them, and to support them and love them with all you’ve got. Jesus was in this situation with Lazarus, whom he loved. Lazarus was very sick, and when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, because of his great love, he dropped everything and ran to be with Lazarus, then healed him from his disease!
Wait—that’s not quite right, is it? No…when Jesus heard that Lazarus was very sick, he stayed where he was for two more days, and Lazarus ended up dying. And in fact, by the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been dead four days. Did Jesus even love him? And when Jesus broke down in tears (as recorded in the shortest verse of the Bible, John 11:35, “Jesus wept”), people had two opposing reactions. The first was: “Jesus is weeping! He really loved Lazarus!” The other was along the lines of this: “Seriously? This is the guy who healed the blind man, and he couldn’t even come and save his friend, whom he supposedly loves?”
Jesus’ love must’ve looked so strange to them. Rather than rushing to save his friend or be with him in his last moments, Jesus stayed right where He was. Jesus’ love is a love that does not simply heal the sick or the blind. There is something even greater brewing here.
In Ezekiel, God tells the prophet to speak to the dry bones. These are bones of people who have been dead for so long that they are on the brink of crumbling into dust. “From dust you came, to dust you shall return.” (Gen 3:19) The haunting reminder of this Lenten season, made true for the bones of the sinful Israel, who had committed all kinds of sins against God, including idolatry, adultery, taking bribes and murdering, ignoring ritual purity laws, and more. The list is not exactly PG13. Go ahead and read Ezekiel if you’re interested.
These people are dead dead. Devoid of life. Hopeless. Just like Lazarus, who has been in the grave four days. Dead dead. So dead, that when Jesus went to open the tomb, Martha tried to stop him, saying as the KJV so beautifully translates: “He stinketh!”
This is the heaviness of the law. Each one of us, like Lazarus and the whole house of Israel, have broken God’s law in more ways than we could count. If God kept a record of sins, who could stand? (Ps 130:3) Each one of us would be so guilty, and our punishment would be deserving: death. We would be as dead as Lazarus, as dead as dry bones, decaying, withering away.
God’s Word is so powerful, and it does stuff! In Creation, God said “Let there be light”, and it was so (Gen 1:3). Christ declared, “LAZARUS, COME OUT!” And by His Word, Lazarus was made alive. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, and the bones began to be covered with sinews, then flesh, then skin, and last of all, filled with the breath of life. Very bones, resurrected! Given life!
God’s Word has the power to make the dead alive. You and I are dead in our sin in our very nature, and in our thoughts, words and deeds. Not just a bit dead, or not 100% alive. We are as dead as Lazarus, stinking in the grave. God’s Word doesn’t make the good better or the decent perfect.
God’s Word makes the dead alive.
We have been raised from the dead. In Baptism, we have been drowned, died with Christ, but we have also been raised, made alive! Though we await the day when our earthly bodies are raised from the grave, we rejoice with Martha in Jesus’ heavenly Words of promise to her: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (Jn 11:25) Our resurrection from the grave of sin, death, and devil has already been won for us in Christ Jesus.
How incredible are the Words of our Lord, which take those who, to us, are beyond saving, and make them alive in Him. Thanks be to God that this is the hope and the promise for you and I, today, right now. Today is our Resurrection Day in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
Praise be to God! Amen.
Copyright © 2026 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops
Visit my Blog: https://standrewslutheran.ca/blogs?blogcategory=Erin+Lussier
Lent
February 18, 2026. Mathew 6:1-21. Richard Senum
Lent is a time for Christians to spiritually and physically recognize the depth of love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When we see him on that cross we are reminded of our own mortality as a consequence of our sinfulness. In the eyes of God - sinfulness is lawlessness against his perfect – life sustaining commands – laws and precepts. And yet - we continually violate one or more of His laws each day of our lives -- even though we try not to.
This dilemma was recognized by Paul in Romans 7:15; “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” On this side of Paradise – we are spiritually and physically incapable of living up to God standards. Or – again Paul says in Romans 3: 23: “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
So during Lent we are called to repentance – prayer – fasting or abstinence and charitable giving of our time and talents. Charitable giving because of God’s gracious gifts of life – love - grace and mercy in our lives - we are charged to share those divine gifts with those around us.
But I sometime wonder – am I doing enough and am I giving enough – not just in church but in my life outside of church. In a way my Lenten response has less to do with doing and giving than the attitude of a humble – contrite and repentant heart. Remember Cain and Abel. In Genesis 4: 3-5 we read; “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.” Abel showed reverence to God by providing the best of the firstborn from his flock where as Cain just gave some of his produce. Was it the best from his first harvest? Probably not. Y’ see God knows our heart and knows our attitude towards him. Abel was reverent – Cain was casual.
It wasn’t the offerings to God from Cain and Abel that was the issue but the attitude of their heart. Abel had the right heart attitude toward God – and sadly like so many in this world he paid with his life for it.
Similarly with Jacob and Esau – it’s the heart that revels our attitude toward God. Esau was only interested in his hunger to fill his stomach. But Jacob recognized the importance of a blessing from his father was like a blessing from God.
Jesus says in Mark 7: 20-23; that it is what comes out of our heart that defiles us. We read; “He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
So how much do our hearts value a right relationship with God our Father? How important is God to us? Do we view God with a reverent attitude or a casual attitude. In this post-modern world, we are probably a little of both.
So we are called to repentance – prayer – fasting or abstinence and charitable giving.
Our heart attitude toward God is related to how we repent of our sinful life.
The simple meaning of repentance is - to turn from a sinful life and turn to God. Simple enough – right. But real repentance suggests something far more dramatic than simply turning from sin and turning to God. It would mean a fundamental spiritual regret and remorse that we have deeply offended God our Father and grieved his Holy Spirit. It is more than simply being apologetic for something we said or did. It the thing that makes us sob and cry from the depth of our heart when we know we have deeply offended and grieved the heart of God.
And I’ll bet that everyone of us has had those moments of deep regret knowing we have offended God. Sadly it’s part of our life – and it’s a life long struggle between our sinful nature and our need to be right with God.
Hear again is some of what I read in Joel;
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
Rend is a perfect word to describe how we separate ourselves from a sinful life. Rend means to violently tear away with great emotional pain and anguish. I think of Lot’s wife. She could not rend herself from the life she must have enjoyed in Sodom. So – in this post-modern world – how do we – or can we - rend our heart and life from a sinful world.
In Psalm 51 - King David’s laments that he offended God. You can feel his sense of remorse as you read the words. He violated two of God’s ten commandments – adultery and murder. But – sometime I wonder – would he have been so remorseful if the prophet Nathan had not confronted him with his crimes. And don’t we try and hide those things and hope we are not found out. – What can we hide from God.
Fasting and Abstinence
Over the years I’ve heard some Christians say that during lent - they are going to give up chocolate or meat or wine or watching TV or whatever. There is no meaningful personal sacrifice – no heart felt submission to God. Heart attitude. Lots of people live with out those things all their lives – it is not a real repentant sacrificial fast.
As I go through the Scriptures there are several examples of fasting.
In the book of Ezra. Before he and some Jews returned to Jerusalem - he proclaimed a fast – with prayer. Asking God for a safe journey. We read in Ezra 8:21; “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.”
And Isaiah refers to fasting and we read in 58: 3a;
“Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
Clearly fasting and prayer go together. Luke tells us in Acts that Paul and others are praying and fasting. During their prayer time the Holy Spirit speaks to them. In Acts 13: 2 – 3 we read; “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
Our reading in the gospel of Matthew is part of Jesus’s – Sermon on the Mount. In it he speaks about giving to the needy – prayer and fasting. But he says we must be careful; “…not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” But to be charitable – to pray and to fast in private. It is something we do for and with God not for the world or worldly. We are not to seek brownie points or accolades from the world - like showing people how good we are. But how do we define ‘good’?
When we do these things in private, we must be doing them with a humble and contrite heart. These things are private because it is a private conversation or action between each or us individually and our Father in heaven. And in doing so we are to be storing up treasures in heaven.
So during our time in lent – it is a time to focus our heart on our heavenly Father. To build on our relationship and our faith in God and the blood of Jesus.
So how do we rend our sinfulness for our worldly life and turn to God. Well – whether you fast or give to the needy – we must always pray. And pray as if our life depended on it – because – truly - it surely does.
AMEN
Copyright © 2026 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops
View ths sermon presented live here: https://youtu.be/NzpNTNGIvTw
Sermon Blog: https://standrewslutheran.ca/blogs?blogcategory=Lent+%26+Easter
Visit my Blog: https://standrewslutheran.ca/blogs?blogcategory=Richard+Senum
