Week one: There and back again...

One week. Wow. Who knew how much a week could hold? I feel like Bilbo Baggins with his mammoth of a hobbit's tale, well, except for the fact that he got to fight giant spiders, steal from a dragon, and found the One Ring, and I'm sitting in a hospital bed. But when you really look at it, it's basically the same... Ha, just kidding :), his story makes for much better bedtime reading lol. But this week has indeed held a lot for me and my family. One week ago I had no idea I had cancer. One week ago I was hypervelentalating at the doctor's office cause they stuck my finger for my blood sugar level. No way did I know all this was going down. But God did. He had the whole thing mapped out, the timing and everything. He always has something up his sleeve, and even in the midst of the most trying times when you're at your wits end or when you feel as if you're just a little hobbit up against a mighty dragon, Jesus holds some fantastic promises in store.

John 11 begins one of my favorite moments in the gospels (if you're a jr. higher reading this you are immediately rolling your eyes because I that almost everything in the Bible is my favorite, but hey, what can I say?). At this point the whole gospel of John just gets turned up in terms of mission and purpose, with massive event and dialogue after another. So this chapter turns that corner. Many of you know the story. It's the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Yes, from the dead. Awesome. But before we get to that spot, a few of Jesus's responses must be recognized in order to get the magnitude of what he does later.

First, after hearing that Lazarus is sick, instead of going to Bethany immediately to heal the guy, he stays two days longer where he was at, saying it was for the glory of God. So maybe it is true God doesn't free us from trials immediately for his glory later? Well, if that's not the best news, he waits and gets there four days after Lazarus was dead! Oops! Perhaps God was sleeping or on vacation. I know it can feel that way sometimes. But God is not some silly idol or good luck charm that helps us cope with the troubles of this world. He's not some father figure we've just made up to psychologically manage the angst of the world. Ohohno. Here we go. Just you wait and see.

So, Jesus gets to Bethany, and Lazarus' sisters come to him. Martha first. She's wrapping her mind around it intellectually, saying, Jesus, I know he'll rise again at the resurrection of the dead. But Jesus says, hey Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even if he dies. He says, "hey, do you get? I'm right here. That thing you're waiting for at the last day is right in front of you. Just watch what I'm about to do" well, I think she gets it and goes to get Mary.

Enter Mary. Totally different encounter. Emotions. she comes and says the same thing Martha does. Then she weeps. And what does Jesus do? He weeps with her. Awesome! Jesus, amidst waiting to do something that will shock everyone, is deeply moved, weeps alongside his dear friend. The resurrection and the life is weeping, deeply moved with emotion. Incredible.

So he gets to the tomb. And showdown time. Death or Jesus? Who will win out? Jesus in the center of the stage, prays to his father and says, let them know that you sent me. And with this, he call Lazarus out of the grave, stench and all, and saying, "unbind him and let him go," as if Jesus himself were ripping off the chains of death of the stinky ole Lazarus. Resurrection and the life? I think so...

But fast forward to a later day when those Jews earlier in the chapter finally had their chance to kill Jesus, and once more Jesus is deeply moved in spirit. Cause now it's the resurrection and the life's turn to die; to suffer alone, despised and rejected, to be lifted up so that those who believe in him will have life. And then, three days later, he who is the resurrection and the life defeats death itself; conquering the grave once and for all. Where o death, is your sting? Where o hell is your victory? I'll tell you, swallowed up in Jesus, the one who brings trials for his glory, who weeps with us in the midst of them, and who endured the cross and defeated death as the resurrection and the life. Now that's a there and back again tale of epic proportions.

So has it been a crazy week? Yeah absolutely. But I've got Jesus. And as he's shown up already in mysterious and powerful ways, I know he will continue to show up through the rest of this.