In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     The prophet Ezekial writes, "The hand of the Lord came upon me and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.He said to me, 'Mortal, can these bones live?"

     That--is a question that should not be unfamiliar to us--mortal, human beings. In fact, it's a question most of us who have lived, and lost, have surely asked ourselves--time and again. Can, even we Christians, stand beside the lifeless body of a loved one who has passed from this life, and not ask ourselves, "Can these bones live?" As a child, six years old, I stood by my grandpa Bud's casket, and wondered that, in my own, six-year old way.as I experienced my first deep loss. But then, time after time, I've stood there, wondering. My last time was just last week, and it was the same as always. You look at the lifeless body, so different, in some ways, from the person you knew before, and how can you help but ask yourself, "Can these bones live? Can this person, live, again?"

     It's not that you don't believe; it's not a lack of faith, for most of us. It's just that--death is so--final. It appears final, anyway. Most folks attend a handful of funerals in life--thankfully. Death is all too much a part of a pastor's life. I've lost count of the number of members and friends I've been with as they've died, as the life has slipped away, as I've held cold-lifeless hands, as I've stood at the viewing, been there at the close of the casket, said the final words. And it's not that I don't believe the words I've read, and preached and affirmed. It's just that, at that moment, you wonder, truly, "Can these bones live?" There is such a difference, between a body that is full of life, and one that has breathed it's last. It happens so quickly, that our loved one is no longer there, and what is left is a shell. And then, it's only honest to question, "Can these bones live?" And it's only honest to answer, with Ezekial--"O Lord God, you know." And that, is what our Gospel account is about this morning.

     Our reading from St. John 11, describes for us the experience of Mary and Martha, who, upon the death of their brother, Lazarus, were stricken with a deep and heartfelt grief. They had sent for Jesus, and hoped that He would come in time to rescue Lazarus from death's door, to keep Lazarus among the living, and breathing, for a while longer. And yet, Jesus delays coming to Bethany and Mary and Martha--apparently on purpose. Apparently, so that Lazarus WILL die. Jesus says to his disciples plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake, I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." Which to us, as surely as to them, sounds callous and harsh, negligent and uncaring. But the truth is, Jesus was about to do another of His "signs"--signs that were not just for his time, or his friends, then--but manifestations of God's power and glory that would stand for all time, and ring out through the ages, proclaiming good news to those living in darkness and the fear of death. Yes, it may be that had Jesus gone right away to Lazarus' bedside, Jesus could've prevented Lazarus' death. Yes, it may be that had Jesus hurried to Bethany, He could've saved Mary and Martha from the terrible grief they experienced, losing their beloved brother. But Jesus was concerned, and acting, not only for the sake of this one family in Judea. Jesus was concerned, and acting--performing a sign that would speak to people of all times! Jesus was offering a sign, to those throughout the ages who would stand by the lifeless body of a loved one asking, "Can these bones live?" Jesus was working a miracle that would answer the questioning of each of us who would grieve the loss of a loved one, and then wonder if God could indeed, breathe life and breath, back into our departed parent, child, spouse, friend, neighbor. And the answer Jesus gives, is the sign that He does.

     Before raising Lazarus, Jesus has a heart-to-heart talk with Martha, assuring her, "Your brother will rise again." And Martha responds, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Whereupon Jesus proclaims to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, yet shall they live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." And then Jesus asks Martha, "Do you believe this?" And she said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." Martha affirms that she believes in Jesus--that she believes Jesus is the Messiah, and she says that she believes that there is life after death. But if you think about it, she never really says she believes that Jesus has power over death and life. In fact, it is Martha, herself, who says, when Jesus commands that the burial stone be removed--"Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." If she truly believed that Jesus is the resurrection and the life--if she truly believed that Jesus could make these bones of her brother live again, why is she worried about the death-smell? Why is she so consumed, still, with the reality of death? Why is she not jumping for joy that Jesus is here, and is about to give life to Lazarus' dry bones? Could it be that she wasn't really sure? Could it be that in spite of her confession of faith, she didn't expect that Lazarus could be raised?

     Everything seems to point to the fact that Martha wasn't at all ready for what was about to happen. Which is why Jesus performs this miraculous sign, in the first place. Because when we stand, with Martha, at the door of the tomb--we're not sure. We're afraid, bottom line, that Jesus can't raise the dead. Which translates, also, to the fact that down deep inside, we may be afraid Jesus can't raise me, after I'm dead. So, Jesus raises Lazarus for us, as well as for Martha and Mary and the disciples gathered around. Jesus raises Lazarus as a sign, and an assurance, and a promise, that indeed, Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and that indeed, He has power over death and life.

     And Jesus raises Lazarus, to prepare us all for what would come after.not a restoration to earthly life, not just giving life back to a person so that they could have a few more years now. The sign that Jesus gives, in the raising of Lazarus, points ahead, to Jesus' own death, and the fact that He was not just restored to life on earth, but He was resurrected, unto eternal life! It would be one thing, for us to see our loves ones healed, or restored to life--to have a few more precious moments with them here and now. But God doesn't always give us that. Our earthly life has a span, and a number of days, and all of us die. So the sign that Jesus gives, isn't meant to promise our loved ones back, now. The sign that Jesus gives--both in the restoring of life to Lazarus, but even more, in His own death and resurrection, promises, not more days--but eternity. Promises, not restoration to earthly life, but resurrection, unto eternal life. And this is, truly, a promise.

     When we struggle with the question, "Can these bones live?", the natural answer is, "O Lord God, you alone, know." But the message of Easter, the good news of Jesus' own death and resurrection is God, letting us know; God promising us, that these bones can live--that He can breath life into us, again, and re-create, from dust and ashes, from dry, lifeless bones--new beings, new creations in Christ, who will live forever, with Him, and with each other! So that, as Martin Luther said, the reality of existence for us, is not now, "In the midst of life, we die, but in the midst of death, we live!" That, now, is our reality--and our future.and it is that which we celebrate, not just this morning as we hear about the restoration to life, of Lazarus--it is that which we are preparing to celebrate in the not too distant future, as we will mark the Paschal Feast--the Festival of our Lord's own, death and resurrection, when we receive once and for all, the answer to the question, "Can these bones live?" And God's answer is, "Yes! Yes, and they will live, forever!"

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.