Thirty-two days ago, on Ash Wednesday we started our Lenten journey. Today on the 5th Sunday of Lent, we are invited to reflect on the journey we have made so far. Each Sunday readings unveil for us fresh dimension to discover and to reflect on. We can see the progression in themes from the thirst for living water on the Third Sunday of Lent, to the desire to be healed of our spiritual blindness on Fourth Sunday, to our ultimate desire to share in eternal life with the risen Lord on the Fifth Sunday. On the First Sunday we were invited to let the Spirit take us to the wilderness to prepare us for the journey to renew our relationship with Jesus. On the Second Sunday we came to witness the transfiguration of Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father and the earnest invitation to listen to him.
We come to today’s Gospel where Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother will rise.” Martha professed her faith in the resurrection at the last day, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” But Jesus wants to take her to a new understanding of resurrection, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus declares that he is life and that whoever believes in him, even if he died in this world, would live forever. Jesus the Good Shepherd said “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly”.
Jesus offers eternal life which begins with Faith now and lasts forever in its fullness. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. He is the God who will put His spirit in us that we may live. Our Lenten celebration must serve to remind us that the Paschal Mystery represents a victory over death. According to John, the raising of Lazarus is the sixth of seven signs and it is the climactic culmination of Jesus’ public ministry. It is also Jesus’ last public appearance before His Passion and death. In addition, it is the last and greatest of the miracles worked by our Lord to demonstrate that He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God, and that through Faith in Jesus believers will receive eternal life. Jesus wanted to make this miracle, the last recorded, a convincing demonstration that he is what he claims to be -- the Messiah, sent by God to give new life, eternal life to mankind.
The resurrection is not just something in the future, Jesus offers life now. The new life in the resurrection is for now. Describing this great miracle, the Church assures us that we, too, will be raised into eternal life after our battle with sin and death in this world. Thus, resurrection hope is the central theme of the Scripture readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. The readings assure us that our faith in Jesus, who is “the Resurrection and the Life,” promises our participation in resurrection and new life.
By Deacon Mar Tano