I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Jesus said to her, “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 11:25-26
If you had been with Martha that day when Jesus spoke these words as He comforted His grieving friend, how would you have understood them? Soon after this Mary and Martha, along with those who had come to comfort them, walked out to the tomb of Lazarus with Jesus. As you walked along, how would you have unpacked and applied the words of Jesus?
“He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” That day, at these words one’s thoughts could not have been kept from turning to Lazarus—not if you knew him and had heard him express his faith in Jesus. But would you have connected Jesus declaring, “I am the resurrection,” with what he was going to Lazarus’ grave to do? Would you have expected it? Martha didn't. She questioned whether it was a good idea for Jesus to have the stone rolled from the grave four days after her brother had been buried.
After Jesus called Lazarus back from death and the grave, could any believing heart fail to see the connection between Jesus’ words and Lazarus? And Jesus’ next statement and themselves? “Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” Just as Jesus made plain that He was able to raise the dead by raising Lazarus, He there also made plain that He could and would raise all the dead on the Last Day and give eternal life to those who died trusting in him.
“Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” Since Jesus has promised to raise from death to eternal life all who believe in Him, death is no longer a permanent thing for us as Christians. We who are alive in Christ today actually have an advantage over Mary and Martha and those who witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection. Jesus' words to Martha that day have been made certain twice over to us—at two different tombs.
God bless the cloud of witnesses, who share the faith that we confess
The women at the tomb and Martha in her grieving,
The thief upon the cross and Stephen killed believing
With Job we know the life God gives,
“We know that our Redeemer lives!”
Worship Supplement 2000 734:2