Week 17
John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Anyone who says Jesus never claimed deity for Himself surely never read the New Testament seriously; it makes one exclaim, “Are you serious?” What Jesus claims for Himself in this text is the highest or deepest personage fathomable. There is no greater power than the power of death, except for the power of Jesus, whose power is greater than death itself.
- S. Lewis was right, a man who talks like this is either a lunatic, a liar, or else HE IS THE LORD! Martha was soaked with the sweat of grief, and hope-destroying sorrow had sunk into her soul. The pain of heart she felt was so great that it even shook her faith in the very foundation of her life – her belief in Jesus.
With what might be interpreted as insensitive indifference, Jesus did not respond to the call to come quickly when Lazarus was sick. Jesus could have healed Lazarus; Martha believed that, and it was true. But can we understand that there is something greater here than healing? Can we grasp that God’s ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts loftier than ours (Isaiah 55:8)? Surely Martha would have retorted, “What can be more important than healing Lazarus?” The answer – to glorify the Father through Jesus’ manifestation of Himself as THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. Lazarus’ sickness was the context in which Jesus showed Himself as life to the world; this is a sacrifice worth making on Lazarus’ part.
So, what is the point? The point is twofold. First, Christian friend, we must see that Jesus Christ IS the Life! Life is not a thing, it is Jesus! Jesus is the embodiment of life, and to have Jesus is to have life. John would say it like this, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life(1 John 5:12).” Life is Jesus, and Jesus is life! There is life abundant and eternal; it is found in Jesus alone. The second is this: we must come to the point where we act on our belief in Jesus. Jesus ended His glorious declaration to Martha with a question, “Do you believe this?” Jesus is the resurrection and the life, whether we believe it or not. But for the power of this reality to transform us we must BELIEVE it! We must ACT upon it. We must live in the light of this truth because it IS TRUE! Everything comes down to this: faith acting on the truth!
Whatever you face today, precious Christian friend, this truth is for you. Jesus is life; Jesus is YOUR life. He is the victor over even death itself, and you are safe in His hands. Do you believe this? Will you act on this belief?
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me in the midst of my circumstances to see Jesus as the resurrection from death to life. Help me to know that in Him is life itself, and to have Jesus is to have life. Please grant that I may live the life of Jesus in me. Enable me to believe this and live it. Amen.