I Am The Resurrection And The Life Series

Death is around us every day. Every day there are funerals at the local cemeteries. Every day people die from cancer and drug overdoses and car crashes. Last week I read that about 160,000 people die each day, all around the world—that’s a lot of death.

And that’s just physical death. Think of all the spiritual death in this world, the many millions who are living without God and a knowledge of Christ. They are dead right now, even if they look alive, for they don’t have a true faith. They are dead in trespasses and sins, Scripture says—just like we would be, apart from God’s grace.

Those who don’t know the Lord face death forever. In God’s perfect justice, it is a state of death that is everlasting. Sin against an infinitely holy God requires an infinite payment. So more death: endless death.

Yes, death is pervasive, inescapable. Apart from a miraculous intervention—apart from life support of the grandest kind—death is our lot. How wondrous then, is the good news in John 11:25! There Jesus announces, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.” Somehow life is possible for us, even a life that does not end.

About this passage, one commentator said, “[Here] Jesus utters what is perhaps the very greatest saying in the Bible, certainly the greatest of the ‘I am’ sayings.” What do you think of that? ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ Is this among the greatest words of Scripture? Is this the pinnacle of the seven ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus? Let’s see, as we explore together the meaning of this passage. I preach God’s Word to you from John 11:25 on this theme,

I am the resurrection and the life:

1) Christ’s power for resurrection

2) Christ’s power for life

1) his power for resurrection: Not far in the background of this saying of Jesus, there’s a remarkable story. It’s the story of the raising of Lazarus back to life. You might remember that Lazarus, together with his two sisters Mary and Martha, were good friends of the Lord Jesus. But Lazarus had become very sick, and he was fading fast. It seemed like Jesus had an opportunity to go and heal him, but when He first heard the news, He chose to delay his journey. Now, when Jesus is finally near Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days—he is way past all earthly hope, his body already in the smelly process of returning to dust.

Martha has gone out to meet Jesus on his way into the village. We suppose that she is broken with grief at losing her brother. But despite her sadness, she speaks of great confidence in the Lord. And Jesus responds to her: “Your brother will rise again” (v 23). The gospel is already beginning to shine through on a dark day: death isn’t the end, not for Lazarus, and not for anyone who believes, but there is life!

Now, Martha knows that Jesus has the power to do incredible wonders. With his miracles, He has proven himself, time and again. But she just can’t imagine how Jesus can do something about her dead brother, here and now. So this is what she says: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (v 24).

On its own, it is a good confession. Martha knows God’s promise of resurrection, that those who are dead will return to life. It was a promise found in the Old Testament, like in Psalm 16:10, “You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption.” God’s holy ones will not be left in the realm of the dead forever, but we will surely awake! Even so, Martha reckons that happy day is a long way off. “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

In response to his friend, Jesus doesn’t say, “Nice try, Martha, but think again.” He doesn’t correct her, but shifts the focus onto himself. He is going to transform God’s promise of a resurrection! Martha is speaking with the person who is the sure fulfillment of every ancient word. For Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life” (v 25). Christ brings the reality of resurrection out of the shadows and into the light.

The Old Testament spoke about the how God would raise up his people, we said, but there was still ambiguity, still

uncertainty. For example, there are some passages in the Psalms or Ecclesiastes that almost make it sound like death really is the ultimate end of us: “The dead know nothing, and they have no more reward” (Ecc 9:5). Some Old Testament texts seem to say that there is no hope beyond the grave, that animals and humans alike have their time of living and then they die, and that’s it—full stop.