“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die”; John 11:25
Have you ever seen the movie “Toy Story?” It tells the story of a little boy named Andy, who loves to play with toys in his room. The story follows all of the toys as they come to life when Andy is not there. One of the things I love about it is the song called, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. It is all about friendship. The words of the song go like this: “You’ve got a friend in me, when the road looks rough ahead, and your miles and miles, from your nice warm bed, you just remember what your old pal said, you’ve got a friend in me”. Do you have a trustworthy and dependable friend? A friend that knows how to make you laugh and feel better when you are sad?
Today’s verse tells us a story about that kind of friend. His name was Lazarus, and his two sisters Martha and Mary were good friends of Jesus. When Lazarus became sick his sisters sent word to Jesus, but He was in another town. When Jesus arrived, Martha told Him that Lazarus had been dead for four days, Jesus answered, “your brother will rise again, I am the resurrection and the life”. When Jesus arrived at the tomb with Mary and Martha, Jesus told them to roll the stone covering the entrance away. He prayed and then He called in a loud voice, “Lazarus come out!”. Do you know what happened next? Even though Lazarus had been dead for four days, he walked out of the tomb. He was alive! How amazing would it be to have a friend like that? Well, we do because Jesus loves us just as He loved Lazarus and He wants to be our friend. Jesus will always be there for us. He knows how to bring light into our lives when all we see is darkness and He will lift us up when we feel sad.
Jesus is saying in this verse, “I am the resurrection and the life”. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, He was showing us that He has power over death. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and then he came back to life. He gives eternal life to those who trust in Him. If we choose to love Jesus, He comes and lives in our hearts, giving us life forever too!
PRAYER: Thank you, Jesus, for your unconditional love and for your amazing gift of eternal life! We praise your great name today and every day, as our redeemer, way maker, promise keeper, light in the darkness and our Friend who is next to us through it all! Keep us rooted in your word and guide us through our journey in this life. In Jesus name, Amen.
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Easter Series – Kids@Exchange Church Belfast 2021