I am the resurrection and the life

Death is the one thing that none of us can escape. However rich or important we are, we know that our life will come to an end some day. But today’s readings remind us that God has power over life and death. The First Reading comes from a time when the people of Israel were conquered and living in exile. The prophet Ezekiel promises the people that God will bring them back to their own land and raise them up from death. God has not forgotten his people.

The Gospel shows us Jesus’ love for his friends. He sighs when he sees the grief of Martha and Mary, and he weeps at the sight of the tomb where the dead Lazarus is buried. Because Jesus was truly human, he experienced friendship, loss and grief, just as we do. Because he was the Son of God, he had the power to raise Lazarus from the dead. Martha and Mary had faith in his power to save their brother.

As we look forward to the great feast of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter, today’s Gospel reminds us that there is a power stronger than death; the love of God. After raising Lazarus, Jesus said, ‘Unbind him – let him go free.’ By his death and resurrection, Jesus has set each one of us free from the bonds of death.