`In this world nothing can be certain, except death and taxes.` So said Benjamin Franklin in 1789. But our Gospel reading denies that. Death is not certain in the Kingdom of God. We inherit the promise of new life in Christ. Let`s look at the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead – our Gospel reading today.

Here we are in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem, on the road to Jericho, on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Jesus will soon be on his way to Jerusalem and the cross. We are near the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, Jesus` dear friends. There is bad news: Lazarus, is very ill. In Jesus` response, we learn much of what death is about.

Jesus receives the worst news about Lazarus: that he has died. He puts it clearly: `Lazarus has fallen asleep`: Lazarus is dead. We have questions about what it will be like when we die. The picture Jesus gives is one of sleep. We need not be afraid: so often, to die is to enter that state which we know well and enjoy: that of sleep. We inherit the certainty of life with Christ. Here is Romans chapter 8, verse 11: `If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.`

There is little peace in Bethany, four days later. Martha and Mary are hurt and sad. Their words to Jesus are blunt: `If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died.` It is natural to have questions when someone dies. We need not be afraid to bring our honest thoughts to God and tell him about the pain we are enduring. In Jesus` response to the sisters is his understanding of what they are going through. In the shortest verse in the bible we read that `Jesus wept`. He shares our tears and meets us in our grief.

At such times our faith is tested. Here Jesus challenges the faith of the sisters Mary and Martha. He uses the words of the promise we proclaim every time a Christian funeral is held: `I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.` Jesus adds these words to Martha: `do you believe this?`

It`s as though Jesus says to her and to us: `do you really believe this? Is your faith rock solid to stand against the storms? Do you truly trust me?` We are human, of course. We are reminded of the words of the father seeking healing for his son: `I believe: help my unbelief.` We come to Jesus as we are and he meets us there.

`Lazarus, come out!` Here is the voice of authority, the voice of Jesus, and here is the man coming out of his burial chamber, bound hand and foot, four days buried but now alive. `Untie him and let him go`. Let him return to his life, his home, his people, and go on living in the knowledge of the Resurrection. Lazarus lived perhaps another thirty years. But when he died finally, he was not afraid because he had seen beyond death. The same words of authority come to us. Through Jesus we are set free to know new life. `In this world nothing can be certain except death and taxes.` But actually, death is not certain in the Christian Gospel. Though I`m afraid taxes are . . . Amen.

The Revd Pat Hopkins