John 11:1-44 on February 22nd, 2026
Above is audio of the sermon pulled from the video and amplified.
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I'm happy now, huh? Believe it or not, that's actually one of my favorite things. When things don't go according to plan, it's great. So why are you a Christian? That's a pretty heavy question for an overcast Sunday morning, right? Maybe you've given it some thought, maybe not so much. The answers can range. It was how I was brought up. Others may have a life-changing moment, a burning bush or a road to Damascus. A few might even give a theological dissertation about the Trinity. But for many, the answer goes something like, so I can go to heaven. That is a big piece of Christianity for a lot of people. Hope for what is coming. And for me, hope is a big key part of my faith. I have hope that that points to something beyond who and what we are. It is a hope in something someone bigger, braver way better than I am. Hope brings a sense of comfort. It is hope that looks ahead. And hope beyond tomorrow is great. But what about now? Today. What difference does our Christian faith, our being followers of Jesus' make in our lives right now? And again, there are many answers to that question. It gives me a moral compass. It teaches me how to live. Rules to guide me. And of course, some Christians do boil faith down into rules. What you have to do or be to be a good Christian. All you have to do is keep this list of things, or say this prayer, or don't do X, Y, or Z. Just be nice. It's rules. But I don't see Jesus giving us rules. What I see with Jesus is how impractical most of his advice for living actually is. If someone asks for your coat, give them your shirt as well. Love those who hate you. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. Angers as bad as murder, desires as bad as adultery, camels through the eyes of needles. That's not a set of rules to live by, but rather impossibly high standards. Anything less than perfection is failure. And not just with our actions, but our attitudes too. What is in your heart and in your mind matters. Feed and love and give and serve our actions. But also be happy about it, our attitude. Following Jesus isn't just actions. It is not just beliefs. It is every single part of us big and small inside and out. Our whole selves are involved in the Christian faith. And the point is to show us that none of us can do it. None of us can live it. It is impossible. We all fall short. We all need forgiveness. We all need grace.
Now you may be wondering what in the world all this has to do with Jesus raising Lazarus? Well, not much and a whole lot at the same time. And the reason why I asked these questions is I think that this story has elements of both future and present meaning. Why are you a Christian? Hope, promise, life. I am the resurrection and the life as Jesus says. But what about now? Well, Jesus raises Lazarus and then he tells others to unbind him and let him go. Jesus involves the community in his actions. Jesus involves us in his doing the impossible. We are so often concerned about the future more than the present. But what this story shows us is that Jesus takes care of the things that we can't do. Jesus does the impossible. He takes care of the future. Jesus raises to life. And what Jesus asks us to do is participate with him right now. Go. Unbind him. Let him go. Jesus tells us that we have a role to play in the resurrection life that he brings. And there are ways that we at St. Philippa are unbinding life right now. Unbinding looks like feeding people. Several years ago, redirected funding from soup kitchens, meant many went from Friday lunch until Monday breakfast without a meal. Volunteers made sandwiches to pass out on Saturdays and that has evolved into popluck meals at churches. And now this ministry has grown into clothing drives to go bags, hygiene items, and more. And more than that, we make sure that people aren't just fed physically, but through conversations and interactions, we feed them spiritually too. Through this church, people are not hungry. That is resurrection life showing up right now. Unbinding looks like a safe space. Addiction has touched lives all across mortal beings across the world, and people know that they cannot fight it alone. So St. Philippa opens up four nights a week for narcotics anonymous meetings. People come for community support and accountability. They tell the truth, they ask for help, they make amends, they keep showing up. It keeps people from using. It keeps people from dying. Thanks be to God, people are living clean lives. That is resurrection life right now. Unbinding looks like inclusive welcome. This space has been dramatically changed from one year ago. We did some truly ambitious things. And this is a space for worship and welcome. And along with that physical space we did planning, a new mission statement, expanding God's table for all in spirit, song, and service. Welcome is corda who we are, yet it is more than just polite hospitality. It's making room for people who have been overlooked or pushed aside so that they can hear you belong, you are loved. Here people who have had too many rules thrown in their faces can hear grace. That is resurrection life right now. And the list can go on and on. Generosity, not just to the capital campaign, but on top of that, super bowl of caring, Christmas in July, any sort of collection that we do, it all goes to help. It is unbinding others. It is resurrection life right now. And sometimes we may not feel like we've done enough to help our world. That it is impossible. But Jesus, over and over again, shows us that He will handle the impossible parts. What we can do is make life better now. We do it in this community of faith. We do it in our lives every day. We do it in the choices that we make, the words that we say, the attitude with which we do things. Sometimes we do it well. Sometimes we don't. But Jesus is with us. He feeds us. He forgives us. He keeps on binding us. He's raising us up, calling us to participate with Him, hoping Him along, reminding us that He is the resurrection and the life. He is doing the impossible, and He's just asking us to help. That is the Christian life, living now. And now we are Christ's own. Now Jesus has us. Now we follow. And now we live out love. A love that can do the impossible. Amen.