Louie Giglio challenges us to truly consider if our names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and encourages us to have hope and believe that when God is in the story, there is always one more move.
Key Takeaway
If the tomb is empty, then anything is possible. Even when the stone seems too heavy or the situation too far gone, Jesus always has one more move.
If the tomb is empty, everything is possible.
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. But with Jesus in the story, there's always one more move.
God has one more move for you today.
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
John 11:17-27
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
John 11:38-39
Are there any stones across any caves in your story today? Are there any dreams, visions, marriages, health situations, or friendships that are shattered?
God is inviting us into more than the spectator seat. God wants us to realize that resurrection and life are here right now.
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
John 11:40-44
You've been on a path towards death since the moment you were born. But the hope of Jesus gives us huge hope. Here are two promises we can cling to from this encounter with Jesus.
- The future promise of eternal life through resurrection from the dead.
- The possibility of broken hearts being mended through the miracle power of resurrection now.
Let’s start with reality number two—the miracle power of Jesus to resurrect now.
Some things can't be put back together on this side of heaven. But that doesn't mean God can't resurrect something in you or move a stone, still accomplishing His purpose for your life.
You have been convinced there is no hope. The tomb is sealed and reeks of decay, but there is still hope. Easter says, “God can do it.”
It's time to take off the grave clothes. The grave is empty, God is still working, and He still has one more move.
If Jesus is in your story, there is always one more move, even if it seems there isn't.
And though He can do anything, we all have faced earthly death. There is a grave marker. An earthly goodbye. A death certificate. Grief. Loss. It feels final. But for those who die in Christ, there is one more move.
In 2012, Levi and Jennie Lusko's five-year-old daughter died in their kitchen from asthma. Her grave isn't her final resting place; she has eternal life with Jesus.
Read Revelation 21:1-5,22-27.
We must confront the question, "Is my name in the Lamb's Book of Life?" Do you know, for sure, that your name is written in Jesus' Book of Life?
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.
John 11:55
Year after year, Jewish people would celebrate the moment God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians by taking the blood of innocent lambs and putting it on their doorposts so the angel of the Lord would pass over them. Jesus, the Lamb of God, came into Jerusalem on passover.
Read Romans 10:8-13.
He isn't just a good person, counselor, or friend. He is Lord, and if He is raised, we have hope.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. So do you know, for sure, that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Have you believed in Jesus and called on Him, "save me"?
Discussion Questions
- What do you think Martha was feeling when she said, “Lord, if you had been here…”?
- How does Jesus’ delay in coming to Bethany affect your understanding of God’s timing?
- What does it mean that Jesus is “the resurrection and the life” in your day-to-day life?
- Can you identify any “stones” in your own life—places where you’ve lost hope or feel stuck?
- How do we sometimes settle for watching miracles instead of expecting to experience them?
- What does this story show us about how Jesus responds to our grief and loss?
- In what areas of your life do you need to hear Jesus say, “Take off the grave clothes”?
- How does the resurrection of Lazarus give us hope for both now and eternity?
- What's the difference between calling yourself a Christian and having your name written in the Book of Life?
- Do you know for sure that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? What’s stopping you from calling on Jesus today?
Scripture References
