Death, hope, and glory: alumnus speaks about the story of Lazarus

“Do you have the hope of Jesus?” the Rev. Zack Keuthan asked the congregation as he led an Erskine chapel service Feb. 11. His message focused on the death and resurrection of Lazarus and how this story gives hope to believers.

If we hope in Jesus, Keuthan said, we never have to confront grief, sorrow, or anger alone. Referencing the famous verse “Jesus wept,” Keuthan emphasized Jesus’ grief over death. Because of Jesus’ personal experience with death, He is able to understand our pain in the face of the death.

Keuthan discussed the purpose behind Lazarus’s death and resurrection—that the bystanders would see God’s glory for themselves. For the Christian, Christ’s death leads to resurrection.

Having read aloud the gospel passage concerning Lazarus—which includes Jesus’ assurance to Martha, the dead man’s sister, that if she believed she would see the glory of God—Keuthan spoke about what Christians can gain from this story.

“As you process death, God wants you to see the glory—the glory of the compassion of Christ, the glory of the sacrifice of Jesus.”

A member of the Erskine College Class of 2011 and a former Reformed University Fellowship intern at Erskine, Keuthan is now an associate pastor at Reformation Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He and his wife Elly, also a former RUF intern at Erskine, are the parents of three children.

The service in the Due West ARP Church was conducted by Erskine’s chaplain, the Rev. Paul Patrick, with the Chapel Music Ensemble leading the music.

Pictured in photo at top of page: Elly and Zack Keuthan during their RUF internship at Erskine