This weekend, we are examining Jesus’ statement that he is the “resurrection and the life.” He delivers this statement in the context of the loss of his friend, Lazarus. Jesus reminds those gathered to mourn that he is the answer to the problem of death. Christ himself was not bound by death and his resurrection offers wonderful promises for us as well. Much more than something to talk about at Easter, the concept of resurrection is central to our faith.
This weekend, we are going to look at the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. There are two kinds of rich people: the benevolent rich and the oppressive rich. The rich man in this parable was oppressive and an unrepentant sinner. He did not show mercy to Lazarus, poor man, yet begged for mercy on the other side.
Death has always been our enemy. It rips a child from its’ mother, a friend from a friend and a lover from a lover. It can be expected or unexpected. In this message we will see that Jesus came to set us free from the power of death.