CHRIST: THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

When Jesus came to visit his good friends Mary and Martha after the death of their brother Lazarus, he made a powerful declaration to Martha concerning what one needs to believe about him: “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” (John 11:25). Notice it again: if we believe in him, we will never die. Jesus is the only salvation promise in the Bible.

The first death he is speaking of is, of course, physical death. Though a person dies physically, he will live. Eternal life after this life is over is one of the most precious doctrines of the Bible. Through Jesus, anyone who wants it can have it.

The second part of the statement refers to spiritual death—separation from God. Death in the absolute sense, in other words. Though everyone will die physically, no one who knows Jesus Christ as their Savior will ever die eternally. Physical death is simply a departure to be with Christ (Phil. 1:23).

Jesus made many statements relative to his entrance into the world and what it was for. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). In a world full of darkness, Jesus is the light. A light shows you which way to go when you cannot see for yourself. A light also expels darkness. Jesus is the light of the world in that he can change your life. He can take you from the darkness of sin and death into the glorious light of eternal life.

“And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Just as one feeds upon physical nourishment to sustain the body, Jesus, and only Jesus, can sustain the soul. To feed on him is to believe in him. He takes away the hunger and thirst of the soul and makes life worth living. Without Jesus Christ, life has no purpose at all. And it makes no sense at all. But because of him, true life is available. Real living is what Jesus provides, and he also sustains it for us.

The statement that Jesus made to Martha is as powerful as anything you will ever read. When we come before death’s door, there is only one who can help us. Jesus, the one who came and lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial death, and rose triumphantly from the grave.

Notice the context of the statement. Lazarus has died and Martha is grieving. “Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 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 ‭11:20-26‬).

Did you see what our Savior did there? Martha believed in “the resurrection at the last day.” That is all well and good, but she needed more than that. So Jesus moved her from a doctrinal belief to a personal relationship. He took the emphasis off of her knowledge and put it on to him. “I AM the resurrection and the life.”

Doctrinal beliefs are important, but knowledge cannot save you. When you face the storms of life or death itself, your beliefs are not where the power is. Jesus is where the power is. Keep your hope in him. Keep your trust in him. Keep your focus on him.

Dewayne Dunaway