“Preparing for Jesus”

Article for November 30, 2025, first Sunday in Advent

John 11:23–24 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

How does one prepare for Jesus?  Should you be on your best behavior?  Maybe make sure you are doing a lot to help others?  Make sure you have repented for all your sins?  Maybe memorize the small catechism all over again?  Or maybe we should get into a heavy bible study to learn more of God’s word.  Though, we should do all these things, do you think this is what will prepare you for Jesus when He comes again?

Martha, like many of you, listen to the words without realizing the meaning of the question.  I ask questions and people try to answer with what they think I want to hear or what Jesus might want to hear.  Here Martha is so inebriated from her mourning and grief she is just listening to the words of Jesus and not its meaning. 

The meaning of Jesus’ words probably would escape us all.  Jesus said in meaning, “I will raise your brother.”  But let’s give credit to Martha as she surely understood the final resurrection of all believers on that last day.  Truthfully Martha is prepared for Jesus, but even so she still has a lot to learn, as do we all.  And she will and hopefully we all will.

Jesus is about to raise Lazarus from his four-day rest in his tomb.  Four days is enough time for the body to start decomposing.  They most likely witnessed Jesus wake others from their dead sleep, but many of these they witnessed were only asleep for a few hours.  No, what Martha will witness this time is the true and mighty power of a real God.  She is going to gain more faith and belief and be more prepared for the coming of Jesus.

John 11:25–26 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

Yes, Lazarus was dead and had been prepared for his resting place with balm, wrappings, and herbs. They will place Lazarus in a tomb/cave much like the one they put Jesus in before His resurrection.  Though Lazarus could not resurrect himself, Jesus could and only Jesus can. 

Jesus is about to astound all who are there and all who were there were not prepared for what Jesus was about to do.  Jesus will raise Lazarus from his four-day sleep in the grave to life and whatever decay Lazarus’ body suffered would be repaired by the very one who will give us new bodies at the time of our resurrection on that last day.

Hosea 14:7–8 7They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.  8O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you.  I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.

Put your idols in the trash and burn them, they cannot save themselves.  Jesus resurrected many who were asleep as one day we to will fall asleep and one day we will be resurrected.  Note Jesus resurrected Lazarus from a long sleep.  Some of us will have had a longer sleep before we too are resurrected. 

Jesus raised Himself from the grave and appeared to over four-hundred people.  This is the one whom we gain faith from as He says, He answers and He looks after us.  Jesus does what no idol can do, even those whom people idolize because we think we want to be like them and have what they have.  Jesus is the one who really cares for us even when we don’t realize it and He is the one who gives us the true fruit of life.

Revelation 22:1–2 1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

It is the true fruit of the vine, the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve apostles of Jesus, the twelve fruits of life that feed those who believe.  We will witness that throne of God and the Lamb, that throne of the Father and the Son.  And we will see the nourishment poured out on the nations of God as they heal and are reformed in the likeness of God.  These words that come from the mouth of God are meant to prepare us for Jesus in faith.

Revelation 22:3–5 3No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Have you ever given thought to the statement “on the last day”?  We live in time and let time rule most of our lives.  Heaven has no day or night it is not measured in time and darkness cannot exist because of the eternal light.  The eternal light is Jesus and His light exists everywhere.  Jesus Christ is the light to the path that He sets before us.  And we will not suffer the pangs of darkness anymore.

John 11:27 Do you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

      Do you believe it?  For it is our faith and belief that is given to us by our God that prepares us for Jesus.  Amen.

Written by Pastor Curtis A. May