"I am the resurrection and the life." With these words, Jesus makes one of his most profound declarations while standing at the grave of his friend Lazarus. But what does this statement really mean for us today?

When Jesus refers to the dead Lazarus as merely "sleeping," he hints at something revolutionary: death isn't permanent. While the disciples are confused and Martha believes resurrection is something for the distant future, Jesus boldly declares that resurrection power is present now, embodied in him.

The raising of Lazarus serves as a powerful sign pointing to Jesus's own coming resurrection. There's a fascinating detail many miss: Lazarus emerges still wrapped in grave clothes because he'll eventually die again, while Jesus leaves his burial garments behind—he's conquered death permanently.

This sermon explores how understanding resurrection transforms our relationship with fear. Those who have faced death and emerged—whether literally or metaphorically—often develop a perspective that fundamentally changes how they move through the world. They become "dangerous" because they're no longer constrained by the fears that limit most people.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer exemplifies this freedom. Facing execution for resisting Nazi Germany, he wrote from prison with surprising joy: "This is the end. For me, it's the beginning of life." When we're anchored in something stronger than death, what remains to fear?

The resurrection invites us to live differently—not with reckless abandon, but with purposeful courage. What might you do if you weren't afraid? Ask that person out, pursue that dream, have that difficult conversation, seek help when you need it, forgive that old wound?

The Easter message isn't just about what happens when we die—it's about how we might truly live now. As Brennan Manning suggests, in an unfree world, resurrection people become "so absolutely free that our very existence is an act of rebellion."

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