Notes from the Pastor
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” John 11: 25-26
Some years ago I was preaching on a regular Sunday service, and suddenly I saw my almost 3 years old son Luis Fernando coming down by the center aisle, I thought that he will come to sit in some of the front pews, but he didn’t stop and he came directly toward me while I was preaching! He didn’t realize what I was doing, he just wanted to speak with me, so he came, stand by my side and asked me to tell his sister to give him a book he like to read. He said: “She won’t give me the book but you tell her and she will”. I, like you have to imagine, have to stop the sermon for a second and told him: Go and tell her that your father say to give you the book, he just answer: ok, and then he leave running by the center aisle as if nothing was interrupted, that was so simple to him.
I learn that when we need our heavenly father, many times we believe that what we need is not important for him, that there are many other very important things that he is working on, but as my son came to me in the moment that I was “busy”, he just came to me and asked. My son knew that his father had the authority to get what he cannot get by himself and that he is available for him.
When Jesus say: “I am the resurrection and the Life”, he was speaking with his friend Martha after the death of his brother Lazarus. Martha sent a messenger to tell Jesus to come to help him but apparently Jesus didn’t come on time. These words from Jesus, tell us that he knows who he is and what he can do. Jesus is the resurrection and the life, in other words, Jesus is the life itself, so there is not power of death that can overcome him. And then he says: “He who believes in me, though he dies, and whoever believes in me will never die”. Jesus not only is the life but also conveys life to us. Shortly after these words Jesus was commanding Lazarus to come out of the grave.
Jesus is never “busy” for his children. He is giving us one of the most beautiful promises that we may receive, that we will never die, we will become transformed and take home to haven with those who have been raise from death before us. This is the bigger motivation of our faith in Jesus Christ, the assurance of eternal life through Jesus Christ, the giver of life. Jesus has the voice of authority to triumph over death, the name of Jesus that is above all names.
This Lent season remember that you will live forever, that your spiritual life is more important than your physical life, that your spiritual life is the one that is in connection with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Ask Jesus to come to you, or as my son did, you may go to your father and ask him to take care of you, to give you the peace and joy we search in our lives. He is always available for you.
I wish you that Lent be a very special time for each one of you and that time of reflection, reading of the scriptures and prayer help you to approach to God in a deeper way every time. God bless you. With love. Pastor Hugo.