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25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

 

25 Jesus said to her,

Now Jesus challenged Martha to go beyond her understanding of bodily resurrection in the last day. He did not deny her understanding of a future resurrection, but here He went further than that doctrine. He now focused her attention on Himself.

The import of what Jesus was about to say is this: “Martha, you missed the point. I did not mean that your brother will rise from the dead at the end times. I can raise him from the dead right now.”

I am the resurrection and the life.

Jesus now made another of His great “I am” statements. This is the fifth of seven claims to deity by use of “I am” in the gospel of John (Jn 6:35; 8:12; 10:9; 10:11; 14:6; 15:5). Jesus’ point here was that He is the source of bodily resurrection and eternal life. No one else has this ability. This statement developed the idea of resurrection far beyond Jewish understanding current at the time.

The resurrection is one manifestation of eternal life; it is something that comes from the Lord Himself. Jesus is what people need. Jesus asserted here that He has the power to raise people from the dead and give them life. No other mortal could ever make this statement.

By “resurrection” Jesus annulled death; by “life” He gave the quality of God’s life and that without end. “Life” here is the life of God, eternal life. He is the One who causes someone to live into eternity.

He who believes in Me,

Belief is the only requirement for possessing eternal life. Jesus will raise only believers to eternal life.

though he may die,

The believer is here pictured as dead physically at some point.

he shall live.

Jesus here compared physical death with spiritual life, eternal life in glory. This is the life lived in heaven for the believer. Even though a believer dies physically, he will eternally live spiritually. He or she will possess eternal life in glory.

PRINCIPLE:

Jesus’ resurrection makes the way for eternal life.

APPLICATION:

All “I am” statements by Jesus have to do with Jesus as the Life Giver. He does not merely give life, but He is life itself.

Jesus was not a prophet waiting for the final resurrection; He was the resurrection, the resurrection One. He is the living resurrection. The power of resurrection rests in His person (Php 3:10). Jesus’ personal victory over death affords our bodily resurrection (1 Co 15:21-22, 44).

Cults like to use passages in the Psalms and Ecclesiastes to present the idea that there is no life beyond the grave. Jesus “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Ti 1:10). He will raise the human body of the person who believes on Him. There is life after death.

Jesus is first the “resurrection” and then the “life.” The resurrection of Christ will lead to eternal life. He Himself is the source for this. Because He lives, we too shall live. He conquered death.

Temporary separation between the soul and body in death will not interrupt everlasting life that began at the point of belief.

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