The Resurrection and the Life
Thoughts on Bringing Death into Sacred Space, or A Recent Funeral Sermon
We live in a culture that will do almost anything to avoid death.
We dress it up in softer language with phrases like “passed away,” “gone to a better place,” and “no longer with us.” We push death out of sight—into hospitals, nursing homes, and funeral homes—so we do not have to face its reality. We scroll past headlines of violence, war, and disease as quickly as possible to get back to what entertains us. We pour our energy into youth and beauty, fitness and health, distraction and entertainment, hoping that we can keep death at arm’s reach for just another day. Deep down, we know that we are mortal, but we keep moving, working, laughing—hoping that if we do not stop long enough to think about it, death will not catch up to us.
Then, one day, we are forced to stop moving. Maybe it’s a phone call, a diagnosis, a loved one slipping away, or a funeral, but suddenly we are forced to stop and confront death and our mortality.
At a funeral, we come face-to-face with the reality of death. We don’t hide from it. We bring death into the room with us. Whether it’s a casket lying at the front of the church or ashes in a small urn, at a funeral, we carry the weight and reality of death into sacred space. We gather to remember and to grieve—but also to confront.
Why would we do such a thing? Why would we willingly gather with death so close at hand?
We bring death into this sacred space because God is there too, and where God is, death does not get the last word.
Face-to-face with Death
When Jesus arrived at the home of his friends Mary and Martha after their brother Lazarus had died, he walked straight into grief. He did not avoid it or try to minimize it. He came face to face with two sisters who had lost their brother too soon.
Martha met him on the road with words full of sorrow and longing:
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21).
Martha was not making a theological statement, nor was she looking for platitudes. She was naming her pain. She was asking, “Why weren’t you here? Why didn’t you stop this?” You saved others. Why didn’t you save my brother?
Jesus did not give her an explanation. Neither did he offer her a philosophical argument about the value of suffering or death. Instead, he offered her himself:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
These words are not sentimental. They are not an attempt to soften the blow. They are instead a defiant declaration. Jesus is saying that in him, life is stronger than death.
I AM the Resurrection
This statement by Jesus is one of the seven great “I am” statements in John’s Gospel:
I am the bread of life (John 6:35).
I am the light of the world (John 8:12).
I am the door (John 10:9).
I am the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14).
I am the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25).
I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
I am the vine (John 15:1, 5).
Each one echoes the sacred name God gave to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exod 3:14). Jesus is not simply comforting Martha; he is revealing to her who he truly is. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God who draws near. The God who gives life. The God who raises the dead.
This truth is why the Church, for millennia, has brought death into sacred space—not to glorify it or to make peace with it, but to stand defiantly in the place where heaven and earth meet and declare with one loud voice:
Death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:54).
The prophet Isaiah saw this day coming. He wrote:
“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces” (Isa 25:8).
Isaiah calls death “the covering that is cast over all peoples” and “the veil that is spread over all nations” (Isa 25:7). Death is like a shadow that lingers over human life. We may try to avoid it, but we can always feel its presence.
But Isaiah says that a day will come when God himself will tear that veil apart and banish that shadow from the world. On that day, death will be no more, and the last enemy of humanity shall be defeated (1 Cor 15:26).
Christ Has Been Raised
But how do we know this is not just wishful thinking? Because Christ himself has already passed through death and emerged victorious.
St. Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 15:
“Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20).
That word “firstfruits” is essential. It means that Jesus’ resurrection is not an isolated event. It is the beginning of a harvest. What happened to him will happen to all who belong to him. His resurrection guarantees ours.
Paul says later:
“For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Cor 15:53).
Why must? Why must this perishable body put on the imperishable, and why must this mortal body put on immortality? Because Jesus is not merely on the side of life. Jesus is life. And because he cannot and will not let the grave defeat life, he is resurrection too.
Jesus came not to accommodate death but to destroy it.
This is why Psalm 23 still speaks so powerfully in funeral services:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
The Good Shepherd has walked this valley before us. He is with us, and because he lives, we too shall live.
This is the scandalous hope of the Christian faith. Even at the grave, even in the face of death, we boldly proclaim:
Alleluia. The Lord is risen.
Do You Believe This?
Today, Jesus asks us the same question he asked Martha:
“Do you believe this?” (John 11:26).
It is not a challenge meant to shame us. It is an invitation—an invitation to trust that death is not the end of our story, that there is a love that is stronger than death.
Jesus’ question is the one that lingers at every funeral and every graveside service. Do you believe this?
If you do, then say with Martha:
“Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (John 11:27)
Say those words and you can live—here and now—in the peace of knowing that Christ has already gone ahead of you and that what God did for him on Easter morning, he will also do for you on the last great day.
Amen.
Group Discussion Guide
Introductory Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we gather to discuss the reality of death and your victory over it, open our hearts to receive your truth. Help us to confront our fears and find comfort in your promise of resurrection. May our conversation today deepen our faith in Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life. Guide our discussion and reveal what you want each of us to understand about your power over death. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ice Breaker
What’s a meaningful tradition or practice you've experienced at a funeral or memorial service that brought you comfort?
Key Verses
John 11:25-26
Isaiah 25:8
1 Corinthians 15:20
1 Corinthians 15:53
Psalm 23:4
Questions
In what ways do you see our culture trying to avoid or soften the reality of death?
The sermon mentions that ‘we bring death into sacred space because while death is here, God is here too.’ How does this perspective influence our approach to funerals or memorial services?
Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ Have you ever felt similarly in your own experiences of loss? How did you process those feelings?
Jesus responded to Martha’s grief not with explanations but by offering himself. How does this approach differ from how we typically try to comfort those who are grieving?
The pastor emphasized Jesus’ statement ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ as a ‘defiant declaration.’ What makes this declaration defiant in the face of death?
How does Jesus’ resurrection being described as ‘first fruits’ change our understanding of what happens to believers after death?
The sermon states that ‘Jesus came not to accommodate death, but to destroy death once and for all.’ How does this truth impact how you view your mortality?
Jesus asked Martha, ‘Do you believe this?’ How would you answer this question today regarding Jesus’ power over death?
Life Application
This week, take a moment to reflect on your mortality and how the resurrection of Jesus Christ transforms your perspective on death. Consider writing down your thoughts or fears about death, and then write next to each one how the promise of resurrection addresses it. If you're comfortable, consider sharing this reflection with a trusted friend or family member and discussing how believing in the resurrection influences your daily choices and priorities.
Key Takeaways
We often avoid confronting death, but Christianity brings death into sacred space to declare God’s victory over it.
Jesus' statement ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ reveals his divine nature and power over death.
Christ’s resurrection is the ‘first fruits,’ meaning it’s the beginning of a harvest that includes all who belong to Him.
Jesus didn’t come to accommodate or soften death, but to destroy it completely.
The Christian hope is not wishful thinking but is grounded in the historical reality of Christ’s resurrection.
Ending Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank you for being the resurrection and the life. Thank you for walking through death and emerging victorious, giving us hope beyond the grave. Help us to live with the confidence that death does not have the final word in the stories of our lives. May we carry this truth with us as we face our own mortality and comfort others in their grief. Strengthen our faith to declare with Martha, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe.’ In your mighty name we pray, Amen.