What can Jesus do about Death?

What Can Jesus Do About Death?

Death is the one thing we all face but rarely want to discuss. It's intimidating. It makes us feel vulnerable. It raises questions about our own mortality, about God, about what happens next. And yet, tucked away in John's Gospel is a story that confronts death head-on—and offers something remarkable in response.

Dave Connolly (one of the founding pastors of Frontline Church in Liverpool) took us through John chapters 11 and 12, where we meet a man called Lazarus who has died. But this isn't just a story about Lazarus. It's a story about Jesus and his power over death itself. And what we discover might just change how we think about life, loss, and everything that comes after.

Jesus Had Mates

Before we get to the drama, there's something worth noticing. Jesus had close friends. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus weren't just random followers—they were people Jesus stayed with whenever he was in the region. When the sisters sent word that "the one you love is sick," Jesus didn't need to ask who they meant. He knew it was Lazarus.

There's something deeply human about this. Jesus wasn't some detached, superhuman figure floating above ordinary relationships. He had people he loved, people whose homes he visited, people he'd share meals with. And when one of them died, it hit him hard.

The Shortest Verse in the Bible

"Jesus wept."

It's the first Bible verse many of us ever memorised—probably because it's the easiest. But there's profound depth in those two words.

Dave pointed out that the original language conveys something even stronger than simple tears. Jesus was "moved with indignation"—a word used for snorting like horses, conveying anger, pain, a shuddering emotion. He was "deeply troubled"—agitated almost to the point of despair.

This wasn't polite sadness. This was Jesus facing death face to face, seeing the effects of sin, confronting the ugliness of loss. Words weren't enough. Just as when we face death, there's a sense that words can't convey how terrible it is.

Grief will come out one way or another. It's better to let it out through tears than to pretend you're fine with a stiff upper lip.

"If You Had Been Here..."

When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Both Martha and Mary said the same thing to him—something they'd probably repeated countless times since their brother died:

"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

How many of us have prayed that prayer? God, if you'd just answered, this wouldn't have happened. If you'd shown up, things would be different. If you'd responded two days ago when I told you he was sick, we wouldn't be standing at this grave.

Martha added: "But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." It sounds like great faith. But Dave suggested she probably wasn't expecting what came next. When Jesus asked for the tomb to be opened, Martha protested: "Lord, by now the smell will be terrible because he's been dead for four days."

She believed in Jesus. She even believed in a future resurrection. But she wasn't expecting a miracle right there and then.

More Than Future Hope

Jesus' response cuts through everything:

"I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish. Do you believe this, Martha?"

Dave highlighted something crucial here. It's not enough to say, "One day it will be okay. One day things will be made right." Jesus wasn't pointing to some distant future event. He was standing right in front of Martha, right then and there.

It's not a belief or a dogma. It's a person.

The one who believes in Jesus still lives—even between the point of physical death and the resurrection. Jesus was about to demonstrate that his followers don't have to say, "We will believe in you despite the reality of death." We can say, "We believe in you because you are the one who gives life beyond death."

"Lazarus, Come Out"

Then Jesus did what nobody expected. He looked up to heaven, prayed aloud so everyone could hear, and shouted: "Lazarus, come out!"

And Lazarus came out. Still wrapped in grave clothes. Still bound in burial linen. But alive.

Dave made an important observation about the timing. In Jewish culture, some believed the soul hung around the body for three days before decay set in and all hope was lost. By waiting four days, Jesus removed any doubt. This wasn't someone in a coma being revived. This wasn't a medical misdiagnosis. Lazarus was definitively, unmistakably dead.

And Jesus brought him back.

This Story Isn't Really About Lazarus

Here's the thing—Lazarus would die again one day. This story isn't ultimately about him. It's about Jesus and what happens to those who put their trust in him.

Dave put it plainly: "We gain victory over death because we then enter into a relationship with the person who is the resurrection and the life."

The events that followed Lazarus's resurrection led directly to Jesus's own death. The leaders plotted against him, which ultimately led to the cross—and to our salvation. Jesus could face his own death because he himself is the resurrection and the life.

Conversation Street

What happened to Lazarus afterwards?

It's fascinating. Did Lazarus become locally famous as "the bloke who was dead and now isn't"? What did he do with his extra years? And crucially—what would you do if you were given more time?

There's a challenge here for anyone who calls themselves a Christian. We say we were dead in our sins and raised to life in Christ. We've done spiritually what Lazarus did physically. So the question becomes: what are you doing since you've been raised from the dead? How has your life changed?

What can you take to the afterlife?

There are only two things you can take when you die. Your relationship with Jesus—you've got it with you when you arrive. And your relationships with other Christians—you'll be reconnected with them.

Everything else stays behind. The wealth, the status, the stuff—none of it comes with you. Which raises the question: what are you investing your life in?

Is this inspiring or depressing?

Honestly? It could be both. But here's the positive spin: if life isn't about wealth and status, then unless you're Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, you've already lost that competition anyway. So why play?

Once you take yourself out of that race, you're free to ask different questions. How am I spending my life? Am I investing in things that rust—or things that last forever? Helping other people, doing good—those things never grow old or go mouldy. They're eternal.

What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?

Dave left us with a sobering thought: "We would probably be smart to realise today that our lives are going to be shorter than we think. Life goes much faster than we would like."

No supplements, no exercise programme, no diet will delay death indefinitely. But we know the one who conquered death and promised eternal life.

Crowd’s Phil shared a conversation he had with a palliative nurse, who spent her career caring for dying people. The nurse said the biggest regrets that her patients had weren't about things they had done—they were about things her patients hadn't done. The risks not taken. The words not spoken. The love not shown.

You don't have to wait another day to start making the world a better place. Wherever you go, whoever you're with, you can be positive to other people. You can make someone's day. And that's an eternal thing.

Your Next Step This Week

1. Ask yourself the Lazarus question — If you've been spiritually raised to life in Christ, what are you doing with that new life?

2. Open your doors — In uncertain times, the temptation is to batten down the hatches. Instead, invite someone in. Share what you have.

3. Invest in what lasts — Relationships. Kindness. Generosity. These things never rust.

4. Have the conversation — Talk to someone about death, about life, about what you believe. It doesn't have to be awkward. It can be honest and hopeful.

5. Consider what you can take — Your relationship with Jesus and your relationships with other believers. Everything else stays behind. Live accordingly.

The One Who Gives Life

Death is real. It's going to happen to all of us.

But here's what Jesus offers: he's not just someone who talked about resurrection. He's not just someone who promised life after death. He demonstrated it. He stood at a grave, called out a dead man's name, and watched him walk out.

And then he went to his own death—and walked out of his own grave three days later.

The question Dave left us with is simple: "You can know the one who died so that you might live."

That's not a doctrine. That's not a future hope. That's a person. And he's offering you life—real life, eternal life—right now.