He could have said anything. When Martha told Jesus that if he were there her brother would not have died, he simply could have offered her his condolences. He could have talked about Lazarus life and about how much he would miss him. But he didn’t. Instead he said, “Your brother will rise again.” What a bold thing to say. 

And you can tell Martha is a bit taken back by it. She doesn’t quite understand. Because she says, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” She’s thinking that Christ is referring to the resurrection mentioned in 1Thessalonians 4:13. But he’s not. He’s referring to the present. She’s not grasping that Jesus means that Lazarus will rise up right now. 

So he doubles down on it

He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:17-27 NKJV.

Wow.

So not only is her brother going to be raised from the dead, anyone who believes in him will not die, but live!

This biblical account fascinates me because it’s such a powerful thing to have happened then as it would be today. Sure, with modern medical technology we can prevent death and seemingly prolong life, in some cases. But to raise someone who has already been dead? That isn’t something we have the ability to do. In fact, current knowledge of the subject would say that this story in the bible never happened. That the account of Christs death and resurrection that follows also never happened. Because it’s impossible, right? Stories like this are just stories, right? Once you’re dead, you’re dead. There is no coming back. Or is there?

Scientists have discovered that our brains continue to be active long after our hearts have stopped

Which may explain why some people who have had near death experiences have talked about seeing their life flash before their eyes. In a recent Science article it states, “How the brain does this, he says, “is one of the biggest mysteries in neuroscience,” but seeing the same gamma waves in dying people suggests a biological mechanism for the reports of the brain replaying memorable events in those final moments.”

In a recent 25 site in hospital study it was discovered that, “Between May 2017 and March 2020, 567 people suffered cardiac arrests at participating hospitals. Medical staff managed to gather usable brain oxygen and activity data from 53 of these patients, most of whom showed an electrical flatline state on electroencephalographic (EEG) brain monitors. But about 40 percent then experienced electrical activity that reemerged at some point with normal to near-normal brain waves that were consistent with consciousness. This activity was sometimes restored up to 60 minutes into CPR.”

Human consciousness is more than just a function of the brain

Dr. Sam Parna is quoted as saying, “In the dying brain, however, the researchers hypothesize that the braking system is removed. Parts that are normally dormant become active, and the dying person gains access to their entire consciousness—“all your thoughts, all your memories, everything that’s been stored before,” Parnia says. “We don’t know the evolutionary benefit of this, but it seems to prepare people for their transition from life into death.”

Another neuropsychologist by the name of Peter Fenwick has done extensive research on near death experiences and has argued that human consciousness is more than just a function of the brain. “Hence, in Fenwick’s view, the brain does not create or produce consciousness; rather, it filters it. As odd as this idea might seem at first, there are some analogies that bring the concept into sharper focus. For example, the eye filters and interprets only a very small sliver of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the ear registers only a narrow range of sonic frequencies. Similarly, according to Fenwick, the brain filters and perceives only a tiny part of the cosmos’ intrinsic “consciousness.” – Clifford N. Lazarus PHD, Psychology Today

So is there “life” after death?

Are our brains nothing more than filters? Are the gamma waves that are detected in dying people an indication of something more? Does the acknowledgment of Christ and the establishment of faith “unlock” our brains ability to extend our consciousness beyond our physical bodies? Is this why Christ asks Martha, “Do you believe this?” in that scripture? Was Christ aware of a process we simply haven’t discovered yet? Did Christ have the ability to tap into and change the natural order of things and bend them to His will? I think so.

I think next weekend when millions of people across the globe celebrate the Easter holiday they will not only be celebrating the resurrection of Christ and the forgiveness of sins but also the very real and very possible promise of Life after Death for those that believe. Out of everything that Christ is quoted as saying the prospect of having life exist beyond our physical death is amazing to me. And it’s mentioned numerous times throughout the bible.

You don’t have to know how it works or the science behind it

You’re not required to have the answers to the questions I asked above this paragraph. You just have to believe. “Do you believe this?” That’s all he asked. One of the most popular scriptures that is often quoted says, “¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16 NKJV. Should not perish but have everlasting life. There it is again. That promise. 

The resurrection of the Christ is a declaration of that. That the fear and sadness of death is no more. If he did it for Lazarus he can do it for you! “O’death, where is your sting? O’grave, where is your victory?” – 1Corinthians 15:55 KJV….Indeed.

Copyright©2024 Jacob C. Larson All Rights Reserved

Read more: The curious death of Buck Webb

***The dismissal of the resurrection of Christ by non-believers fascinates me. One of the most influential men in global history by all accounts rises from the dead and claims to be able to spare others the pain of death and it’s dismissed. We know virtually nothing about our own planet, the oceans, or the galaxy our ball is spinning in, but when it comes to death we can definitively say in no uncertain terms that once the physical body dies there is nothing that comes afterwards and there is no such thing as a soul? What unbelievable arrogance. 

****Happy Easter Everyone!