And new life is a miracle isn't it? As spring approaches we see, hear and feel promises of new life in the buds and flowers, the bird song and the warmer breezes - well, on some days anyway! And we have recently shared in a wonderful example of new life here in our church family at All Saints - shared in the joy, with Drew and Melanie, of the new life of their baby daughter Elaine. New human life - the little miracles that leave me awestruck and gives me a glimpse of 'otherness'.
These examples of new life we recognise and look forward to, of God at work in creation.
But the new life of today's Gospel reading from John is a miracle way beyond our experience. Even with the advent of medical breakthroughs where people can, in medical terms, be brought back from the dead, the raising of Lazarus and all that was to follow, is always going to be far beyond our understanding. Part of the mystery of God.
Yet this account is on one level a very human story; Jesus' affection for Lazarus, Mary and Martha, and their affection for him, is clearly spoken of and is something that we can well identify with.
Don't we too contact our friends when a loved one is ill or dying and don't they come to be with us in our times of need? And Jesus wept, wept sharing the grief of Mary and Martha at the death of His friend - all very human emotions.
But running alongside, and interwoven throughout is the divine. There is a strong current that we are being channelled along towards the climax - the awakening of Lazarus from the dead and the awakening of those present, their awakening to faith in Jesus, faith that He is not only the Son of God who has powers to heal. No, He is much more, He is' the resurrection and the life'.
The writer of John's gospel shares with us, the reader, details that give us understanding of Jesus' motives before He explains them to the disciples and Mary and Martha.
We are given extra information that explains the misunderstandings that arise, misunderstandings that arise because those involved can only deal in human terms using human understanding. Misunderstandings such as the accounts of Martha and Mary's rebuking of Jesus for not coming sooner and thus saving their brother, misunderstandings that arose because they and the disciples could not understand that Jesus' actions could not be measured by human criteria.
They did not understand until later that Jesus would show His love for the family at the right time. Yes, it was out of love that Jesus did not go to Bethany for two days even though Mary and Martha needed Him.
All that Jesus does and says in the passage eventually leads them towards faith, faith that He, Jesus, is the resurrection and the life. Faith which is acknowledged when He calls Lazarus and Lazarus comes out of the tomb - to a new life.
This miracle in John's Gospel, the final account of Jesus' ministry is the greatest of His miracles - the gift of life that had, and has, everlasting consequences.
Consequences that we read of in the verses following today's lesson when news of this miracle of new life was taken to the Pharisees and chief priests who, feeling threatened by the power of this man Jesus, plan His death. Death that leads to Jesus' glorification.
Four weeks ago, at the start of Lent, I asked the question
'As we journey with Jesus over coming days can each one of us stop with Him a while on the road to consider the very personal question of Christ dying for me - what does it mean for me?'
Today, is the start of Passiontide - the time that marks the point at which Jesus stopped doing - the teaching, the healing, His working of signs; the time when He became the person to whom thing were done - the start of His suffering.
As we enter into the final two weeks of this Lenten journey I raise another question - can we, like Lazarus be called, be called to a new life in the name of Christ.
Like Lazarus we are loved by Jesus and our friends and families. Just as Lazarus was wept for by Jesus, so Jesus weeps for us. As Jesus called to Lazarus 'Lazarus come out', He calls us also. Calls us by name, calls us out of ourselves, out of our darknesses and weaknesses to resurrection - to new life. Lazarus responded positively, after only 3 words - 'Lazarus come out', he came out. Do we wish for resurrection - for new life, a new way with Christ? If we heard Jesus call us by name, would we, could we, respond as Lazarus did, after only 3 words? We do not know if Lazarus wished for resurrection but he responded to Jesus' call.
Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, in her book 'A wing and a prayer' has some suggestions, useful thoughts to carry with us during coming days.
She suggests that we should live in the here and now looking to the future. Not forgetting what has gone before but honouring the good aspects and grieving over the sad and the bad events but living in hope of the new life that God offers.
We have to be open to what God is doing and calling us to do, calling as Jesus did Lazarus, and as Jesus did for Lazarus, call for the unbinding of the bands and bonds that tie us and bind us to where we are.
And in the words of the well known hymn - 'do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name; you are mine.'
Amen.
Sermon by: Christine Barclay