'Creatio Ex Nihilo'
The phrase creatio ex nihilo is Latin for 'creation out of nothing'. It's often used in conversations about the first law of thermodynamics, which is actually an energy equation, which basically means energy can neither be created nor destroyed. In other words, humans can't create or permentantly destroy anything.
We can take flour, yeast and water and make dough. But, we're really not creating food. We're taking food products and building a more complicated food product out of it. We can throw out the dough, but the dough matter or 'energy' doesn't disintegrate, it just changes form. It never really gets eliminated. Albert Einstein said that in order to create matter, you have to convert energy into matter, which cannot be done. Even the best scientists can't create something out of nothing. Matter can neither be created or destroyed - by a normal human that is.
The scriptures tell us that Jesus created everything from nothing. It says that 'For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.' [Colossians 1:16-17 NASB]
It also says in the Gospel of John that 'all things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.' (John 1:3-4)
So when we think of Jesus, the one who created all things from nothing, bringing a dead person back to life again, even though we look at that as pretty incredible, for Jesus, it falls way low on the scale of His power spectrum. In fact, nothing is impossible for Jesus.
When we really consider the power and might of Christ, saying Jesus raised the dead is like being impressed if I told you I lifted one grain of sand. Of course, if I was as small as something called a 'ultramicrobacterium', one of the smallest, parasitic bacterium that lives on the earth, lifting a grain of sand may be impressive. In fact, lifting a grain of sand would be a powerful feat.
A ultramicrobacterium is about 200 to 300 nanometers in size. A grain of sand which is a little less than a millimeter is about 2,000,000 nanometers. It's pretty incomprehensible to imagine something so small that it measures only 200-300 nanometers in size. It's also pretty incomprehensible for us to imagine a dead person lying in the grave for 4 days - then, with one word from Jesus, with all their biological processes at a dead stop, their brain turns back on. Their heart begins beating. Blood starts to flow. All their organs and systems begins running. They become alive again, instantly. For Jesus, ‘life’ or ‘resurrection’ is not what He does, it's who He is... He is the resurrection and the life.
Jesus does not claim to have resurrection and life, or understand secrets about resurrection and life. Instead Jesus dramatically says that He is the resurrection and the life. Resurrection and life are both a natural part of His nature and attributes. Just as the sun produces heat, and water produces wetness as part of who they are, Jesus produces, holds together and brings to life that which is dead by simply being Himself. Death can be considered the opposite of life. But just as darkness flees when light is introduced, so death flees when Jesus enters the room.
In this sermon we will look at what Jesus means when He says He is the resurrection and the life. We'll also discuss how the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead illustrates and ties into all of God's biblical promises of resurrection & life for you and I.
Our text is John 11:22-46. Try to put yourself in the scene. Imagine the grief, anguish and mourning that each person in Bethany is feeling knowing there beloved Lazarus has passed in his sickness. They called for Jesus. Where is He? When Jesus arrives onto the scene, Mary, Martha and the Jews all have the same attitude - 'If only'. If only Jesus were there earlier. What was Jesus waiting for? Little do they know, He was there all along with His purposes in mind.
If anyone waits for Jesus they can know He will never disappoint. What are you waiting for Him to do? He promises, in His perfect timing, to be there for you as well. If only you will believe.
Listen to this sermon by clicking on one of the links below.
