I am a pastor, so I conduct funerals. The last four involved a young man who committed suicide by gassing himself in his car, a middle-aged woman who died during an asthma attack, a 65-year old fine Christian man who passed away after heart surgery, and another youth who put a gun into his mouth, and sprayed his brains onto the ceiling. At each of service we heard, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live...' Twice in John 11:17-44 Jesus is 'deeply moved'. It's a strong word: the kind of deep distress that makes one's body tremble. Why? His deep love for Lazarus? His profound antagonism to death as Satan's work and the result of sin? His identification with the grief of Lazarus' loved ones and friends? A deep spiritual struggle as he braces himself to do battle with the forces of darkness? But so confident was he that someone four days dead would rise again, that he thanked his Father in advance for the miracle that was about to happen! No wonder many of the bystanders henceforth believed in him! This restoration of physical life to one person is a pledge of Jesus' lifegiving power to you and me.

Meditate: One day you too will be the subject of a funeral...

A prayer: 'In Christ we live, in Christ we sleep, In Christ we wake and rise'. Amen. (J.S.B. Monsell)