“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? She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” – John 11:25-27
As I mentioned in previous devotions, Jesus’ many declarations of who He is continue to communicate to you that he is the One who saves lives, nourishes them, preserves them, and gives eternal life to His people. Today’s I AM statement that Jesus gave to Martha is no different and in fact presses to you the glorious connection between Christ who is life, life in Him for the believer, and the resurrection. This connection is made all the clear as you consider the preceding context of Martha’s complaint against Jesus regarding the death of her brother, Lazarus, and Jesus not coming fast enough to save him. (vv. 5-6, 21) What was Jesus’ response in verse 23? “Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha then said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (v. 24)
As you consider Jesus being the resurrection and the life, along with the resurrection of men on the last day, it’s good to have a sound theology of death and resurrection, especially regarding its place in Christian eschatology. What is true of death? Some highlights include the fact that death entered the world through sin. (Romans 5:12) Death is the wages of sin. (Romans 6:23) It brings an end to physical life in this world. It brings a temporary separation between body and soul, the body returning to the dust it came from and seeing corruption. (Genesis 3:19; Acts 13:36) Death is a disorder and unnatural. It’s disruptive of the created order. It’s an enemy of the life that God created human beings to enjoy.
Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 32, Of the State of Men After Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead, Section 1, helpfully teaches you, “The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep), having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies: and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Besides these two places for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.”
Considering all of this, we know that death doesn’t have the final say. Jesus has conquered sin and death through His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself. (2 Timothy 1:10) Christ’s resurrection from the grave on the third day, demonstrating His victory, guarantees yours on the last day. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 55-57) Praise the Lord!
What will happen on that day when Christ returns and raises all men to stand before Him? Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 32, Sections 2-3 once again are very helpful in teaching about the resurrection of men: “2. At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed; and all the dead shall be raised up with the self-same bodies, and none other, although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls forever. 3. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonor; the bodies of the just, by his Spirit, unto honor, and be made conformable to his own glorious body.”
Meditate on these verses and may they both edify and comfort you with the truth about death and resurrection:
- The writer to the Hebrews declares in Hebrews 9:27-28, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
- Further, as the Apostle Paul taught the saints in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
When Jesus declared Himself to be the resurrection and the life to Martha, see that in the midst of her distress, He was both revealing His sovereign power as the fountain of life and head and author of the resurrection, as well as building her faith in Him. Yes, it’s true that she believed that if Jesus prayed, God would give Him what He asked (v. 22). Yes, Martha had a willing hope that a miracle would happen and Lazarus would be raised to life, though he had been in the grave so long. And yet, her faith was weak as she had forgotten that Jesus has life in Himself. So, Jesus would have her see that by His word He could do anything. Further, It’s here that Jesus puts forth the promises of the new covenant. In doing so, He gives solid ground to all believers that builds our hope that we, indeed, will live! For he who believes in Christ is given eternal life.
The important question for you today, as it was for Martha then, is “Do you believe this?” May it be of great comfort to your heart that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and will be so to all of you who believe in Him!