Jesus Christ: The Resurrection and the Life

Jesus is The Resurrection and the Life

John 11:25-26

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” [ESV]

Jesus was speaking to Martha, who had approached Him outside of Bethany; to say in verse 21 Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Her faith was so strong that she knew Lazarus would still be alive had Jesus been there. What Jesus means by His prophetic announcement in verse 25 and 26 is not simply that He is able to restore life by resurrecting people from the dead but that He Himself is that resurrection and life. We are called to see Jesus as possessing eternal life in such a way that to believe in Him is to share with Him the resurrected life. The person who believes in Him will come to life (spiritually) even though that person will die (physically). As Jesus asks Martha, He too asks you: Do you believe this?  In other words, do you really believe in Jesus in terms of the higher truths He taught about Himself and His mission? Do you really believe Jesus to be the Son of God and will raise you to be with Him just as He Himself was raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven?

In John Calvin’s Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 16, he writes … yet it was by his ascension to heaven that his reign truly commenced.

Eph. 4:10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) [NIV]

For Thought:

1.     Do you truly believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and as such you too will rise to be with Him for eternity?

2.     Do you understand that the tomb Christ was in is empty and as such those saints who have gone before us are not in the grave any more than you will be?

If the ascension was not true and was a lie then it could easily have been proven to be so, for when Peter spoke to the masses in Acts 2 (Read 22-41) soon after Jesus death on the Cross, the Pharisees could easily have shown the crowds the tomb where Jesus was laid, had He been there. But the truth of the matter is Jesus is raised and the tomb is empty and if you believe this then you too will rise spiritually when your physical body dies. Halleluiah!

Today as you speak to God in prayer may you rejoice in knowing that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and it is because of that you and all who believe in that fact will rise again to be with the Father in heaven and worship God with all your being. Remember you should celebrate every Sunday as Resurrection Sunday for as you gather with other believers you do so because Jesus was raised from the grave and sits at the right hand of the Father to speak on your behalf. Remember as Jesus demonstrated His power by raising Lazarus from the dead, He will do the same for you.

As Jesus Christ asked: Do you believe this?

Happy Resurrection Sunday!