John 11:17-27

John 11:17-27 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  A few things about this passage -- I read once that there was an ancient belief that the soul stayed near the body for 3 days, so for Lazarus to be in the tomb for four days meant that he was completely dead (as though just raising someone from being mostly dead isn't miraculous enough, but I'll leave that distinction up to The Princess Bride).  
  Second, Martha makes an important point -- while she's disappointed that Jesus wasn't there to cure Lazarus before he died, she still believes in his power and ability.  This reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who declare that they believe God can save them from the fiery furnace, even if God does not.  Just because God doesn't answer our particular prayer, this doesn't mean that God does not -- we can ask questions and still maintain our faith.
  Finally, Jesus isn't simply able to bring resurrection -- he is the resurrection.  It's what I love about the Christian faith.  It's based on a relationship.  God doesn't come to show us some thing -- God comes to show us himself.  God reveals himself to us, and making Jesus Christ into the pathway into eternal life means it isn't just praying to an impersonal deity, but rather it's a living relationship with a real and historical person who knows you and wants to be known by you.  Jesus is the basis for our faith, and we are rooted in Jesus Christ!!  Our hope walked and talked in this world, and we can look to Jesus for an example of how to maintain hope in the face of anything this world brings.