Eternal Part 2 - Love and Death

This Sunday, Tom Sherman brings us the talk in the latest of our EBC Online services. Once you have watched the video, we encourage you to reflect on the bible text and join us in the prayer that follows below.

To listen to the talk click here.
 
Readings:

John chapter 11, verses 30 to 44 (NIV translation)

Now Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked.

‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’

37 But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 ‘Take away the stone,’ he said.

‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.’

40 Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth round his face.

Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’

 

Prayer & Reflection

God, You are more than we can imagine, You are greater and more powerful than we can ever know. Thank You that You have brought death to it’s knees and Your love is the new eternal.

I thank You that You provide us with this place, this mindset that we can be honest and open with You, Lord, and ourselves.

I pray that we stop burying those things that hurt us, burying those things that society tells us isn’t good enough, and start lifting them to You, Lord. Lift them up to You so we can process them, deal with them, work with You through them.

Thank You that You are by our side every step of the way with this, Lord.

Thank You that You do not leave us, no matter what is going through our heads.

Amen


Questions to Consider

1. What are your own experiences of loss?
 
2. Reflect on personal experience – can this help other people? What did you want people to say/not say to you that you can apply to others?

3. Was there anything that helped you find consolation? People? The Bible? Etc.

4. Are there any passages in the Bible that have helped you/ are helping you through times of struggle?

5. Are you aware of anyone who has experienced loss, whether it be recently or not? How can you approach them in love?