Life beyond Death and Man’s future destiny-part-4
Does the history of man terminate in the tomb? Is the grave a world of everlasting oblivion?
In today's reading, our text is taken from John's gospel chapter 11, we read about one of the most moving occurrence in the Lord's ministry. There is only one unique person ever in the world who called Himself “the Resurrection", “the Truth”, “the Way,” and “the Life” and He is the Alpha & Omega.
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”(John 11:25-27)
Here we must pause and consider the meaning of these few powerful words, although they were spoken 2000years ago, they are recorded for our edification and comfort. When speaking with regards to Jesus position, relation & deity, we may be familiar of Christ using the words “I am" In the Gospel, Jesus declares:
1. John 6:35 "I am the bread of life...."
2. John 6:51 "I am the living bread..."
3. John 6:58 "I am the true bread..."
4. John 8:12 "I am the light of the world..."
5. John 8:18 "I am one who testifies for myself."
6. John 9:5 "I am the light."
7. John 10:7 ".I am the door for the sheep"
8. John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd...."
9. John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life...."
10. John 12:46 "I am the light that has come into the world..."
11. John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life...."
12. John 15:1 "I am the True Vine
And He has also declared that ‘before Abraham was, I am’, revealing His eternal existence (8.58). In all this He reveals His uniqueness as the Lord of glory. Note the emphasis in the sayings on life and resurrection. He has come as the life-giver and the Saviour. Truly ‘no man ever spoke like this man. ‘
When Jesus Christ was on his way to the grave of Lazarus, he proclaimed, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26) In a world of suffering and death, the words of Jesus transcend our life. Jesus first addressed these words to Martha of Bethany. This occasion is one that has profound meaning because Jesus shows clearly his emotions in the face of death, weeping openly over the death of his friend.
When Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” He was claiming to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, and there is no eternal life apart from Christ. Beyond that, Jesus was also making a statement concerning His divine nature. He does more than give life; He is life, and therefore death has no ultimate power over Him.
Let us take a journey to Bethany, a small village in Judea situated on the south eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, just three kilometers east of Jerusalem. The name Bethany itself meant "House of Dates." The story begins with a man named Lazarus who was sick with a deadly disease. This man was brother of Mary and Martha. He also had a close relationship with Jesus, as John specifically says that Jesus loved all three of them. Mary and Martha both went to Jesus to inform Him of Lazarus’ illness, hoping that He would heal him. Rather than heal him immediately, Jesus simply assures Mary and Martha that the illness will not end in death.
Lazarus finally succumbed to his illness and died. Jesus then goes to his disciples to inform them. He uses the euphemism of “fallen asleep” to state that Lazarus was dead and the metaphor “wake him up” to state that He intends to bring him back to life. Interestingly, Jesus’ disciples did not pick up on the figures of speech and thought that Lazarus had simply fallen asleep. They even said “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus then told them more directly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
By the time Jesus and His disciples finally got to Lazarus’ body, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. Martha says to Jesus that had He been with Lazarus, he would not have died. Jesus simply replies to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Jesus’ words were of no real surprise to Martha. Martha was fully aware of the Jewish doctrine of resurrection of the dead and she thought this was what Jesus was talking about. She say’s to Him, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Death is the enemy of man; but it is the glory of the Gospel of Jesus that it teaches us how we may meet this last enemy with triumph.
The words “I am” are very significant. Martha had stated the resurrection rather as a doctrine, a current tenet: Jesus states it as a fact, identified with His own person. He does not say, I raise the dead; I perform the resurrection, but I am the resurrection, In His own person, representing humanity, He exhibits man as immortal, but immortal only through union with Him. I am the resurrection, and the life. Christ makes the grand, striking declaration that he is the RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, words that never could have fallen from the lips of a sane mortal.
They mean that he is the power which opens every grave, gives life to the sleepers, and calls them forth to a new existence; that the life that endows men with eternal being is in him and proceeds from him. In the light of his own resurrection they mean that when he burst open the tomb, he did it for humanity and in him humanity has won the victory over death. When Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” He was claiming to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, and there is no eternal life apart from Christ. Beyond that, Jesus was also making a statement concerning His divine nature. He does more than give life; He is life, and therefore death has no ultimate power over Him. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life..." We do not have all the answers as to what the future may hold, but if we know the One Who holds the future in the hollow of His Hand, that is sufficient!
The grieving Martha wished that Jesus had arrived earlier so He could have healed her brother. And when Jesus spoke of resurrection, Martha assumed He was speaking of “the resurrection at the last day.” In both statements, Martha reveals that she considered Time an insurmountable obstacle. In effect, Martha was saying, “It’s too late to help Lazarus (the time is past), so now we must wait (allow more time).” What did Jesus say to her? Jesus gave her the words of life: “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again’” How assuring the message must have been. But Martha did not believe his promise. Look at verse 24. Martha answered, “I know he will rise in the resurrection at the last day.” She had no thought of an immediate resurrection but she did believe in the final resurrection at the last day. She did not apply Jesus’ word to her current situation but applied only to the last day. She needed a practical faith. Jesus knew that she had superficial Bible knowledge. Still Jesus gave her the most glorious promise of God. Read verses 25-26. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus was standing in front of Martha as the giver and author of life
The situation Jesus found in Bethany was very grotesque: Lazarus had already been wrapped in grave clothes and put in the tomb four days before. The bad odor was pervading. Many Jews had come from Jerusalem to comfort Mary and Martha in the loss of their brother. The atmosphere was filled with sorrow and was under the shadow of death. Physical death is horror because it separates people from their loved ones. Death is unbearable. The unbelieving atmosphere was overwhelming. What did Jesus do? Jesus’ heart was troubled. Why was he troubled in spirit? Obviously, Jesus participated in their sorrow and anguish at the death of Lazarus. But Jesus had a deeper reason for being troubled in spirit. Jesus was troubled in spirit because all of them were weeping, having been overpowered by the power of death.
Jesus then proceeds to the tomb where Lazarus’ body was put. Jesus shows that neither Death nor time is an obstacle to Him. When Jesus came to the entrance of the cave tomb, he said, “Take away the stone. Outside the tomb, “Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth the dead man came out” (john 11:430).,” Lazarus comes back to life and walks out of the tomb. The dead man staggered out of the tomb in his grave clothes. It is important to note that even though Lazarus walked out of the tomb in the context of both Martha and Jesus talking about
resurrection, and the fact that this was clearly a demonstration of Jesus’ power over death. Its one thing to claim to be the resurrection and the life, but Jesus proved it by raising Lazarus, who was four days dead. Truly, with Christ, death is but “sleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Death has no dominion over Him who is Life itself, nor does death have dominion over those who are in Him (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). Because He lives, we live. Because He is Life, we have life eternally. Martha’s knowledge of eternal life was an abstract idea; Jesus proved that knowledge of eternal life is a personal relationship. Martha thought victory over death was a future expectation; Jesus corrects her, showing that victory is a present reality. Martha believed that the resurrection is an event; Jesus showed her (and us) that the resurrection is a Person.
Theologically and historically, so far as John’s gospel is concerned, the raising of Lazarus is the high point of our Lord’s self-disclosure to men. This is without a doubt the greatest miracle of His ministry. Humanly speaking, there was no hope of recovery, and yet at the point of absolute helplessness and hopelessness, Jesus gave life to the dead. The spiritual parallel is obvious, for all men are ‘dead in their trespasses and sins’ (Ephesians 2:1-3). When we reach the point of utter despair and self-distrust we find that what we can never do to merit eternal life God has provided as a free gift (Romans 3:20-25; Ephesians 2:8-10). Jesus Christ has come, not to aid men in their struggle toward heaven, but to give life to those who are dead. As He gave life to Lazarus, so He offers spiritual life to all men, on the basis of faith.
When God created the earth, there was no death. When he spoke to Adam concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God told him, “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). The generally-accepted assumption is that Adam and Eve would live forever, if they obeyed God. But, we know that they did not obey. When tempted with the appealing fruit and the opportunity to be like God, they ate of the tree. Thus, sin entered the world, “and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Since that time, man has had to deal with death as an unnatural occurrence.
The thought of death causes fear and anguish. We fear death for we do not know what to expect from it. We haven’t had someone go there and come back to really tell us what it is like. We fear it, because we see it as a cutting short of our life and activity. Death also causes anguish for the family and friends of the one who had died. In the passage from John 11, we see that Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus are very upset, because their brother has died. Their broken hearts cry out to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Later in the chapter we are told that even Jesus wept at the grave site. As God and man, he was deeply touched by the idea of death.
Besides physical death, we must also consider the idea of spiritual death. When Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately died spiritually, and they began to die physically. Their spirit became dead to God, no longer understanding the things of God, and no longer desiring to be with God. It is just such a dead spirit that we all inherit from our first parents when we are born.
Bible speaks of two deaths. The first death is the separation of the spirit from the body. This is physical death, and for believers it is merely a passage to glory (Philippians 1:21-26). The second death is the separation of the spirit from God. This is spiritual death, and it is to be dreaded above all else. By the same token, we can see two resurrections for believers. The first is the deliverance of God’s elect from their state of death in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). The second will be that glorious day when the bodies of all who died in the Lord will be raised, reunited with their spirits, and ushered into the presence of God for all eternity.
Both these resurrections are rooted in Christ Jesus. It is only because of his accomplished work of redemption on the cross that sins are forgiven, guilt is removed, and believers are brought into the kingdom of God. Also, it is only through his defeat of death on that same cross that we are assured a resurrection to glory (Romans 6:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15: 20 & 57; Colossians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Jesus' public ministry spanned only three short years before he was put to death for declaring himself to be God. In the pages of Scripture, which exist to reveal him, we discover that while Jesus loved children, fed the hungry, befriended the marginalized, healed the sick, encouraged the downhearted, and rebuked the religiously self-righteous, the light of Scripture shines most clearly on the final week of his life and his work of atonement through the cross and empty tomb.
The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to be guilty. They found it difficult to find anything that he had done wrong, even though they paid people to lie about him. Eventually they asked him if he was the Son of God. Jesus replied 'I am.' This was enough. They said this was an insult to God. Jesus was taken before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, and Pilate, asked what he should do with Jesus, and known as the 'King of the Jews'. 'Crucify him!' shouted the people. Pilate asked 'Why? What has he done?' The people continued to shout. Pilate called for a bowl of water and let everyone see him washing his hands of sending an innocent man to his death.
The soldiers took Jesus away, removed his clothes and dressed him in a purple robe. On his head they placed a crown of thorns. Mocking him they knelt down before him and said 'Hail, King of the Jews'. As the blood ran down his forehead they made fun of him. Jesus never said a word.
Then they took him away and laid a heavy wooden cross on his back. Jesus was made to carry the cross out of the city gates and up a nearby hill. On the way some of the crowd cheered, others wept.
On top of the hill Jesus was put on the cross and nails were put through his hands and feet. The cross was raised up. Two robbers were also put on crosses, one on either side of Jesus. One of the robbers was feeling very afraid. Jesus spoke to him and comforted him. Jesus' mother watched him on the cross. He called to one of his friends to look after her now. At noon darkness fell on the land. It lasted a few hours. Jesus cried out aloud, 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?' In the sadness and the dark, Jesus died.
Jesus spoke seven times during the closing moments on the Cross. The seven utterances of Jesus from the cross are known of eternal significance to those who listen to them, a heroic confrontation of evil inspiring millions the world over. The words which Jesus uttered on the Cross are worthy of special consideration because of who uttered them, where they were uttered, why they were spoken, and what they mean. They are precious because they are deep expressions of the Eternal son of God in His time of terrible agony in those moments when He actually paid the price of our redemption. Here is the greatest mystery of all time: God chooses to reveal God's divine glory in humiliation and poverty - where all beauty is gone; all eloquence is silenced; all admiration is withdrawn - it is here that God chooses to manifest His unconditional love for us through His son Jesus.
At the moment Jesus died, the earth shook. One of the soldiers who had been keeping guard said 'This man was the Son of God.' Many people began to feel afraid. Some of the friends of Jesus and his mother waited for permission from Pontius Pilate to take Jesus down from the cross. They laid the body in a tomb cut in the rock. The tomb was sealed with a large stone.
Two days later a friend of Jesus known as Mary Magdalena went to the tomb. She was astonished to find that the huge stone had been moved and the body had gone.
She ran to tell Peter and John(Disciples) who only found burial sheets in the tomb. Mary, weeping, was approached by a man she did not know, who asked her why she was crying. She explained that it was because they had taken her Lord away. The man was Jesus rose from the dead. Believing him to be the gardener, Mary asked if he knew where Jesus body had been taken.
Jesus said 'Mary, it is I'. Mary was full of joy. Jesus told her to tell his friends that she had seen him and that he would soon be with his father in Heaven. Mary ran back to tell all their friends the news. At first not everyone believed her.
Jesus appeared to the disciples several times. Once, when they had been fishing on the Sea of Galilee, he called to them from the shore. He asked them if they had caught many fish. They replied 'Nothing.' Jesus told them to drop their nets on the right side of the boat. They did this and when they pulled in their nets, they were full of fish. It was only then that they realized that the man was Jesus. They came ashore and had a meal of fish with him.
Later Jesus spoke to all of the disciples telling them that once he had left them they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. He wanted them to spread the word of God throughout the world. Jesus was then taken up into heaven. Two angels appeared and told his friends not to be sad because one day Jesus would return. Two thousand years have passed since the Crucifixion and resurrection Day, yet the Bible account enables us to visualize the event with a great deal of accuracy.
As we gaze up at the dying Jesus, we realize that it is only because he was willing die on the cross that we don't have to live lives of desperation. The darkness in our hearts that makes us surrender to the power of death, the darkness in our society which makes us victims of violence, war and destruction has been dispelled by the light that shines forth from the One who gave his life as complete gift.
Resurrection of Christ symbolizes love of God, forgiveness and God’s gift of eternal life. We view the day of resurrection as a victory over sin, death, and all destructive forces in our lives. Jesus the son of God bravely gave His life to die for the sins of the world. One of the greatest assurances of life after death is anchored in the forty incredible days Jesus spent on the earth after His resurrection. During this dramatic season of heaven on earth in which Jesus made several appearances, we gain invaluable insight into the priorities of our life and following Christ. Resurrection is the cornerstone of Christian faith. It is precisely because the physical resurrection of Christ is at the very heart of our faith and Hope.
Bible says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’’
Right at the heart of resurrection of Christ lies the central purpose of God - to glorify Himself by redeeming the mankind and giving a new hope and everlasting life. Resurrection of Jesus made all the difference in the world. The death of the body, some day, is strangely linked, in a way that we do not fully comprehend, with the death which is at work in our inner lives, right now. That is, death is all one thing, whether it takes place and affects the physical body some day, or whether it is taking place within the spirit of man today. It is all of a piece. And that inner death is what we experience in a thousand ways - sometimes as loneliness, bitterness, emptiness, despair, depression of spirit, and sometimes it is malice and resentment and violence. Whatever it may be, it is not what God intended for man. It is an enemy which has seized man and lives with him and haunts him in everything he does. The glorious hope as it is in Jesus, is that Jesus Christ, in dying and rising from the dead, that he defeated it by his risen power. And the result is peace instead of restlessness, acceptance rather than guilt, love in place of lust or hate, power to replace weakness, joy for mourning, beauty for ashes, hope for despair, courage in place of cowardice, and cleansing from all dirt and filth of spirit.
The reason Jesus Christ means so much to the world is because he brought mankind a great new hope- The hope of life beyond the grave. He robbed death of its sting and the grave of its victory. He brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. 2Tim.1:10. Until Jesus Christ came, men died without hope. Death was feared, for death was an enemy. Men hated it, fought against it, and dreaded its arrival. Jesus promised a life of endless bliss and joy, a life where there would be no more pain, sickness, and death. Never before had men heard of such a glorious resurrection and a life of endless bliss with Christ. It is not transmigration of souls, no rebirth into animals or men! No purgatory! Dread of evil spirits! No future suffering ,! Instead, Heaven, Paradise, The Father’s house, the many mansions.
A life with Christ in place where there would be joy unutterable and peace indescribable. What a prospect. Only Jesus was able to drawback the curtain and let us see beyond the grave. Only He could tell about the future. No one else could, for no one else knew. There was no uncertainty with Him. There is no sorrow like the sorrow of separation. One by one our friends and loved ones are taken away and we’re left with lonely, aching hearts. For the heathen there is no hope. They cry aloud in their agony, for the dear one is gone, and gone forever. There is no hope of reunion. So it is with the unsaved everywhere. When casket is closed and they have gazed at the beloved face for the last time, hope within them dies, and they wonder if they can go on living.
Jesus promised us a life beyond death. John 14:1-2. He opens the gate of heaven. We catch a glimpse of immortality and we learn that we may meet again in another world. Jesus said to His disciples Heaven as “My Father’s House” “The New Jerusalem” and “The Holy city.” What a beautiful expression. The city of God is larger by far than any city and beautiful beyond description. This city is 1500 miles wide, 1500 miles long and most amazing of all it is 1500 miles high. It would cover the wall of India from North, Kashmir to South, Kanyakumari and West Arabian Sea to the East Bay of Bengal. It is so high that if it were divided into storey’s, each 150 feet above the other, it would be so commodious that it would be abundant for all people of all ages. The city itself is pure Gold. There is a beautiful river in the city that flows from all the way from the throne of the King and winds around in every direction. Its crystal clear, pure water is never contaminated. On the river’s side stands a tree full of life and capable of bringing healing to multiplied thousands. It is a city that no curse has ever blighted, and where nothing ever withers or decays. How I wish I could describe it, but I cannot. Words are so inadequate. You’ll have to see it for yourselves.
When a loved one dies, we are sorrowful because we miss them. This is natural; but we must remember that they are with Jesus which is far better than being here. If we could see how beautiful it is in Heaven, we would never want to bring them back here. Jesus Christ will one day return and bring His children with Him. Death is not the tragic final act in this drama we call life, but instead death is a glorious Homecoming with our Heavenly Father and with our loved ones who have gone before us. Psalms 116:15 puts it so beautifully when it says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones". The death of a faithful one is precious to the Lord because through death that loved one is now in the very presence of God, The Father. That loved one is home.
Do you want to go there? Remember, it is a prepared place but it is for prepared people.” Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord” declares God, “That they may rest from their labours” Rev.14:13. So to enjoy this promised rest and happiness you must “die in the Lord”. And if you die out of the Lord, Heaven will never be yours. To die in the Lord, you must live in the Lord. If you are now living in the Lord, then you will someday “die in the Lord”. To live in the Lord you must be saved, and to be saved, you must repent from your sin and accept the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior and put your trust in the Lord Jesus. (Acts 16:31). Then when you die, you’ll be with the Lord in that city through all the countless ages of eternity.
When our hopes crush, & dreams collapse, the resurrection of Jesus is designed to relieve and to bring hope to us. We celebrate life and the great triumph of Christ over the grave and Death. We are also given the assurance that we will not be alone in the hour of death. There will be a divine companion with us; a hand will steady us through this time. Jesus said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," {Heb 13:5) “I am the one who lives. I was dead, but look; I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”(Rev 1:18)
Beloved, God, who is infinitely holy, cannot be pleased apart from a sinless life. You can never please God or find peace by your own performance, for He demands perfect obedience, without spot or blemish. Your sins forever stand in the way of finding life on your own record or works. God has sent His only Son as your Redeemer, your substitute and saviour, the Second Adam, to die for you, in your name, what you cannot do for yourself. As a man, Jesus has lived once -- without sin. As a man, He has died -- the just for the unjust -- the Righteous One for sinners. As a man, He was judged once -- and in Him the Father found no fault. The work which earned salvation is finished, forever sealed in heaven. See yourself as God sees you, in terms of His demand for perfection as measured by His law. Genuinely repent of your sins.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."( 1 John 1:9) Sin Alienates Us from God. Forgiveness Restores Our Relationship to God. Sin Makes Us Feel Worthless and Defeated. Forgiveness Restores Our Sense of Worth. Sin Gives a Burden of Guilt. Forgiveness Restores Our Innocence. Sin causes Fear, Grief, and Hopelessness. Forgiveness Gives peace, Joy and Hope. Sin Is a Barrier Between Loved Ones. Forgiveness Reunites Loved Ones. Sin Leads to Punishment. Forgiveness Leads to Eternal Life. The new life in Jesus, frees us from the devastating hold and effects of sin, guilt and death (Rom. 8:1). The resurrection power provides us the Power and Grace to live a truly Everlasting life.
Resurrection of Jesus is the assurance that we need have no fear about death. This is why the prediction of the resurrection in that amazing Psalm says The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. {Ps 118:22-24}
How happy is the believer in Jesus! He is filled with joy and peace. Knowing in whom he has believed, he can repose with calm reliance on the faithfulness of his Redeemer. While journeying through the wilderness, he feeds upon the heavenly manna, and is refreshed by living water from the smitten Rock. The pillar of fire, and the cloud, guide and protect him. Underneath and around him are the everlasting arms. He realizes the sweetness of the promise, "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him all the day long." And as he approaches the banks of Jordan—the cold stream of death which rolls between him and his promised rest—he hears a voice from heaven proclaiming, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." Full of faith and hope, he falls asleep in Jesus, and enters into the joy of his Lord. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.
The single most valuable Prayer you can pray from the depth of your heart to God is: “Dear Jesus, I accept that, I am a sinner and confess my sins I believe that you Died for my Sins, Rose from the Dead and Will Come Again. Please forgive my sins and come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. I accept you as my Personal Savior and Lord.”
(The author is Bishop of Believers Church, Bihar Diocese)
