Raised to be Unbound from Sin, John 11, Ezekiel 37:1-14

In the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Jesus proclaims that he himself is the resurrection and the life. These things are not abstract promises, but are fully embodied in Jesus himself, which will be completely revealed to all through his death and resurrection into his glorified state. The Valley of Dry Bones becomes an emblem of this reality about Jesus for we all who have trusted in him will likewise be raised to new life from the grave. That life is hidden for now, but will also be revealed to all in the end.

Image: The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Gustave Dore, Public Domain. Image location: https://www.wikiart.org/en/gustave-dore/the-vision-of-the-valley-of-dry-bones-1866

Undoing Our Unruliness, Luke 20:9-19

When Jesus tells the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, he is confronting the wicked leaders of the Jewish people with the reality that they had neglected how they came to be in the vineyard in the first place. The tenants were chosen and brought into the vineyard by the owner that they might care for it while he was away, but they rejected him and wanted to keep everything for themselves. Father Jeremiah explains how this relates to our very salvaiton.

Image: Phillip Medhurst, Photo by Harry Kossuth, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons

God's Favor that Leads from Death to Life, John 12:20-36

Jesus spoke of a grain of wheat that must die to bring forth a harvest. Jesus himself is that grain of wheat, and yet, we too are grains of wheat that have come from Jesus falling into the earth and dying. We too must continually die to ourselves in order to bring forth the harvest that God the Father desires.

Image: The Veteran in a New Field, by Winslow Homer. Public Domain. Image Location: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11145