Blessings to you all. There’s a festive mood in the air as we approach the Independence Day celebration this week. There is much that should concern us about the state of our nation, but we have much to celebrate. There’s a reason people want to come here. with all of our challenges, we remain a beacon of hope and freedom. We should remember that the reasons this is true are grounded in our Christian heritage.

But there is only one source for true freedom. That freedom is available to all, wherever in the world they may live. It is the freedom that comes through the family of God. It has been purchased for us by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has power over life and death.

This week, we’ll be in John, Chapter 11. Of the three accounts of Jesus raising the dead given to us by the gospel writers, this is probably the best known. It’s the most spectacular, and the only one where we have the name of the one who was raised. His name is Lazarus.

Throughout his account, John has been showing us who Jesus is by highlighting illustrative miracles and the teaching that follows each of them. This is not the first resurrection that Jesus performed, but it is the only one that John records,. By waiting until Lazarus had been dead four days, Jesus removed any alternative explanation for his revivification. Only the power of God can do this!

i will focus on Jesus’ conversation with Martha, Lazarus’ sister, when He arrives at Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters lived. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) This is the central question of our faith. If we do not believe this, we do not believe Him and we are cut off from the source of life.

Even after seeing what Jesus did, many did not believe, and actually plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. They would eventually succeed with Jesus, but it didn’t work out quite the way they planned. That is why we are here today, still asking the question, “Do you believe this?” Many will not. I pray that you are not one of them.

Believe me when I say I want to see you in church tomorrow.

Love y’all!

Larry