He Lives, so She Lives
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do 
you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”” (John 11:25–27)
This little vignette as between Jesus and Marth. She was upset because her brother, Lazarus, had died and Jesus hadn’t done anything to help him. He died. Jesus gave her assurance of greater things by telling her that even though all men die if they believe in him, they will be raised to life again.
Jesus asked Martha if she believed him, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” She said, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Some people have a hard time understanding that Martha understood exactly what Jesus was saying. Her answer sounds unrelated to what he had said. But I think she got it right and her answer and Jesus’ question were saying the same thing. Jesus is the Christ, who came into the world. He came into the world to make all things right with the world, to make all things right with God. Mankind was under the curse of having sinned against the creator of the universe (that’s why we feel guilty all the time), and Jesus paid the penalty of our rebellion and make it okay for us to ask for forgiveness. The fact that he rose from the dead to prove that he is indeed the resurrection and the life all comes together in Jesus question and in Martha’s answer.
Today would have been Eileen’s birthday. I miss her, but like Martha, I believe what Jesus said. Eileen believed what Jesus said. I believe that Jesus is the Christ. I believe that he is the savior of the world. I believe that he rose again from the dead and that everyone who gives their life to him and for him, will one day see him face to face. I also believe that one day, I will be reunited with Eileen because Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He lives, so she lives. He lives, so I will live. She lives and I’ll live and we’ll be together again one day.
I miss Eileen every day. She is everywhere I go and in everything I see. I stop several times every day and want to tell her something. I see things and want to take a picture so I can send it to her. But she isn’t here. She’s with our glorious Lord. She is gone. But she isn’t dead. She is living, waiting for me. Dancing with Bessy, hugging our baby who died in utero, rejoicing in the Lord—in his presence. I see what she loved here and I see what she loves where she is now. I don’t want her to come back because we spent the last 24 years working on getting there. God thought she was ready, so he took her. I’m not ready yet, and so I remain. God is good.