Just down the street from us lives a family that weeps today. Their son was killed in a tragic accident last weekend. Today does not feel like Easter to them. There is little sense of the power of Jesus' resurrection when you stand in a cemetery, and watch the body of your child sink into the dark earth.

Death is so much stronger than life for our friends. In fact, much of their lives right now seem like the zombie shuffle of the animated dead. They died along with their son last week, and whatever "life" might be, it has no power over them or in them.

Some of you know our neighbors. Many of you have been struck dumb, along with us, by the tragedies of young lives lost in our community in recent weeks.

That's why I had to prepare message for today based on Jesus' words to his disciples just before he himself died. "In my Father's house are many rooms," he said. "I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am."

On this Easter morning, allow me to bring three thoughts to you in reflection on Jesus' words.

Death Stop

The first is this: for the friends of Jesus, death was the final stop on life's railroad.

They had come through much that was difficult with Jesus, and yet they felt they could go through even much more with him. Peter was very bold about it. He was ready to swing swords and to stride through hell. James and John would stick it out with Jesus no matter what happened, because they could envision the day when Jesus would be king. If they were mere at the time (and they certainly planned to be), they would be rewarded with great honors.

But it was Thomas who was the realist among them. A week before this night of feasting and fellowship they had been up north in Galilee. News came to them there of Lazarus' death. Outside of the twelve disciples, Lazarus was one of Jesus' closest friends. Whenever Jesus went south, he stayed with Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. But it was dangerous to go there now. Jesus had a lot of powerful enemies, and there were rumors that they were out to get Him. If he so much as showed his face in Bethany, they were pledged to assassinate him!

That's why the disciples were surprised when Jesus told them that he was planning to go to Lazarus' funeral. They tried to talk him out of it. They could cope with a lot of other things. They would march with Jesus almost anywhere. But this was pushing it. A hunted Jesus they could shelter. A lonely Jesus they would comfort. A despised Jesus they would honor. But a dead Jesus was worthless to them. Death would ruin everything. It was the final stop on life's railroad. Only death could cancel all their hopes and dreams and schemings.

The twelve begged Jesus not to go. And when He still insisted, they argued among themselves whether or not they were bound to go with him. It was Thomas who finally sighed and said, "Well, men, we've been with him this long; let's go and die with him!" If he's going to come to the end of his life, we might as well come to the end of ours. Let's take the train with him, and get offer the final stop. That's how they were thinking.