The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Ezekiel 37:1-3

Devotion:

Read John 11:1-45.  

I’m writing these words while on a short road trip with my husband (I’m in the passenger’s seat by the way) and noticing all the helpful signs along the way. From exit signs, to directional signs, to mile markers, signs help us find our way along the journey. We know we’ve arrived in a new state not by the landscape, but by the sign. Signs tell us where we are in life. In the gospel of John, he records seven miracles, which he refers to as signs. 

What is a sign? Well, a sign points to something outside of itself. The sign is not the thing it declares, but indicates that the reality is present, or “at hand.” Outside of Crossings Community Church there is a big sign declaring the church’s presence. The sign is not the church—and actually, the building is not the church either, but that’s for another devotional, on another day. But to the seeker looking for this particular church, the sign declares, “You’re here!” Miracles serve this purpose in the gospel of John. They are signs that point to the King, Jesus himself, and declare that he is here, among us. 

In John 11, we are told that Jesus, when he heard that his good friend Lazarus was very sick, because of his love for him and his sisters, Martha and Mary, stayed where he was for a couple more days before he came. This strange detail sets us up for a sign, like soft music playing under a movie scene where something significant is about to happen. Martha runs to meet Jesus on the road and speaks through her tears, “If only you had been here, Lazarus would not have died!” After a brief conversation about life and death, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” 

Soon after that conversation, when Lazarus walked, living, breathing, out of the tomb where his body had been decomposing for four days, Jesus posted a sign. “Your sovereign is present. I see your grief and feel your sorrow.” Jesus demonstrated his authority over the cause of all of the sadness and distress that permeated their gathering, the power of death itself. 

We don’t have to look far to see the paschal mystery in this shining episode in the life of Jesus. Not only did Jesus raise a dead man to life again, but he did it on his way to Jerusalem, where he would face his own death and resurrection. The idea of the paschal mystery is the promise of the new kind of life that is possible only after death. Unfortunately for Lazarus, he would have to face physical death again someday. His resurrection was a sign, rather than the full reality. The reality was at hand, however. Within days, this same crowd of people would see Jesus crucified, buried, and resurrected to a whole new kind of life, eternal life. 

PRAYER

King Jesus, teach me to see the signs of life as springtime returns to the land, greening the countryside and blooming the trees. As flowers blossom at my feet, like Lazarus appearing from the tomb, teach my heart to hear, to celebrate, and to tell the story of life everlasting. Open my eyes to read the signs of your constant presence with me, so that I may follow you. Amen.

Deidre Franklin
Pastor of Spiritual Formation

Deidre Franklin is the Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Crossings OKC. She is passionate about cultivating sacred space in which people can experience the power and presence of God

Artwork: “String Theory3—A Reluctant Turn” by Skip McKinstry, the artist who created the collection of art featured in our 2023 Lent devotions.

Practice

• Imagine the scene of a community in grief, having lost a dearly loved man struck down by illness. 
• Trace his interactions with both Martha and Mary. Try to imagine how you would have felt. What would you have said to Jesus if you had been given the opportunity to speak. What would he have said to you?
• Consider Jesus’ claim: I am the resurrection and the life. What does this mean to you? How does it change your understanding of life and death?

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