‘I am the
resurrection and the life’
In John's gospel record we read
about one of the most moving incidents in our Lord's ministry. John
chapter 11 opens with the words: ‘Now a man named Lazarus was sick.’
Martha and Mary the two sisters of Lazarus, sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord,
the one you love is sick.’ (John 11.3) Jesus' reply to this message was:
‘This sickness will not end in death.’ (John 11.4)
On hearing this news, Jesus
stayed where he was for two more days. Martha and Mary wished Jesus
would come immediately to heal their brother but Jesus did not always
respond immediately in the way that men and women wanted or expected. He
always acted in complete obedience to his heavenly Father as he said on
another occasion: ‘…I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.’
(John 5.30)
After two days Jesus said: ‘Let us
go back to Judaea.’ (John 11.7) John tells us that on his arrival,
Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Allowing for the
messengers to reach Jesus, the lapse of two days and then the time taken
for the return journey, Lazarus must have died shortly after the
messengers left Bethany. Yet Jesus already knew that Lazarus was dead
because we read in this chapter: ‘When he heard this, Jesus said,
"This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so
that God's Son may be glorified through it."’ (John 11.4) Yet
Lazarus was dead and buried – so what did Jesus mean? After he had said
this he went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but
I am going there to wake him up.' (John 11.11) Then Jesus explained to his
followers ‘Lazarus is dead.’ (John 11.14)
After this Jesus and his band of
followers journeyed to Bethany. On arrival they found Martha, Mary and
many people who had come to comfort them. We can picture the sad scene. A
loss of a loved one, the tears, the emptiness and Martha's words: ‘Lord…if
you had been here my brother would not have died.’ (John 11.21)
Martha knew Jesus had the power to heal the sick immediately but Lazarus
had been dead four days and his body would have already started to decay.
Jesus answered her with the words:
‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha replied with conviction ‘I
know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ (John
11.23,24) Martha believed in the resurrection, at Christ's return to
the earth. She was also convinced that Jesus could raise her brother
immediately. Here was true faith. There was no place in her thoughts for
the erroneous idea that his soul had left the body and gone to heaven at
death. No, she knew that her brother would remain in the grave until the
call of the resurrection at Christ's second coming. She believed the
decaying body presented no difficulties for the power of the resurrection.
After Martha had expressed her
belief in the resurrection of the dead, Jesus said to her:
‘I am the resurrection and
the life.’ (John 11.25)
Here we must pause and consider the
meaning of these few powerful words, which form the title of this article.
Although they were spoken to Martha, they are recorded for our learning
and comfort also.
Lazarus, who had believed,
was now in the sleep of death, completely unconscious, waiting the time
of resurrection. The one to bring about this mighty work was Jesus who
was standing before Martha. Martha was looking on the one, the only one
who could through the power of his heavenly Father, bring the
resurrection and the life. Martha understood fully and believed the
words of Jesus which are recorded in John's gospel: ‘For my Father's
will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall
have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6.40)
Imagine the feelings Martha
would have experienced at this time of great sadness in her life.
Standing before her was the complete answer to all human problems. She
understood Jesus was God's only begotten Son whose work was to preach
the gospel of salvation. ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you
are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ (John
11.27)
One of the many joys of believing
the Bible is to discover how it all perfectly fits together. Martha knew
that men and women are mortal. Left to our own devices, death is the final
end for all living beings. The words spoken to Martha - ‘I am the
resurrection and the life’ held out far more than just the resurrection.
Jesus was the life. Martha's sister Mary also understood that Jesus
was the resurrection and the life. Martha had to share this great
news with Mary as we see from the following verses: ‘And after she had
said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher
is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she
got up quickly and went to him.’ (John11 28,29)
Yes, she believed in her heart that
Jesus could raise her brother from the dead, just as he could have healed
him. Mary as well as Martha did not believe in heaven going at death. No,
they showed in their actions faith in God through his Son. Why? Because
they had listened to the teachings of Jesus based upon the Old Testament
prophecies. David wrote in the Psalms: ‘because you will not abandon me
to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.’ (Psalm 16.10) These prophetic words of David expressed his own hope in the
resurrection and pointed forward to the resurrection of his greater son,
Jesus Christ. By becoming associated with the work of Jesus in the way he
has appointed, through belief and baptism, we too can have that great hope
of the resurrection.
The Apostle Peter spoke of this same
hope in his first letter:
‘Therefore, prepare your
minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace
to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Through him you believe
in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your
faith and hope are in God.’ (1 Peter 1.13,21)
The prophet Daniel also spoke of the
day of resurrection in these words:
‘Multitudes who sleep in
the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to
shame and everlasting contempt.’ (Daniel 12.2)
The Apostle Paul was also convinced
of the resurrection. We read in his first letter to the Thessalonians:
‘For the Lord himself
will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will
rise first.’ (1 Thessalonians 4.16)
Jesus then, being the resurrection
and the life, we surely need to associate ourselves with him to be part of
the resurrection and life. How do we do that? We need to open our Bibles
to search out the true Gospel message and we need to get to know Jesus and
to obey his commandments:
‘As the Father has loved
me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands
you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands
and remain in his love.’ (John 15.9,10)
After the example of Jesus we must
get to know what God really wants from us in service to Him. Jesus, in his
three and a half years ministry, obeyed his heavenly Father. To have Jesus
live or abide in us we must try to copy his Godly characteristics. We need
to become adopted children of God by faith and through baptism. Without it
we cannot share in the resurrection and life evermore. The teaching of
Jesus is unmistakable:
‘Whoever serves me must
follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will
honour the one who serves me.’ (John 12.26)
‘…I tell you the truth,
no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the
Spirit.’ (John 3.5)
What greater honour could there be
than life evermore? Surely that is what we all long for? Not life as it is
now, with pain and sorrow but life in God's promised kingdom upon this
earth. Jesus is life. He is our hope, our redeemer. Even if we die we will
live again. Those who are still alive at Christ's return who believe in
Him are baptised and found worthy, will never die. What a wonderful hope.
What more can we wish for? Far better than any lottery prize. Truly
something money cannot buy - something freely available if only we act
upon it now.
As Martha gazed upon Jesus, in
answer to His question 'Do you believe this?' (John 11.26) her reply was
‘Yes Lord,’ and she continued ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the
Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ (John 11.27)
The resurrection of Lazarus
was a miraculous sign pointing forward to Jesus’ own resurrection and
that greater day of resurrection yet to come. The record in John
continues: ‘So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said,
"Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear
me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that
they may believe that you sent me."’ When he had said this, Jesus called
in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands
and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ (John
11.41-44)
Before their eyes the miracle took
place. Lazarus came out of the tomb. They saw the glory of God. At Bethany
Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ Jesus also
promised that those who were in the graves would hear his voice and be
raised at his return to the earth.
‘Do not be amazed at
this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear
his voice and come out-those who have done good will rise to live and
those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.’ (John 5.28,29)
We can contrast this miracle with
the events surrounding Christ’s own resurrection. In Matthew's gospel
record we are told it was an angel who removed the stone. Jesus' grave
clothes were lying in the tomb, as well as the burial cloth that had been
around him, folded up by itself. It was not thrown in a corner or trampled
under foot as it would have been if the false accusations of the chief
priests and Pharisees, that grave robbers had been and taken him away,
were to be believed. ‘Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and
went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the
burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by
itself, separate from the linen.’ (John 20.6,7) Jesus was raised
from the dead, free from grave clothes. Death had no more power over him.
The teaching of the New Testament is
that forgiveness of sins through Christ is the means of raising the
believer to a new life. At Christ's return many will be raised from the
dead. The gift of everlasting life will be given to those who have
believed in Jesus, have been baptised and truly followed him as his
disciples.
The example and teaching of Jesus needs to be a
force in our lives today. For those who are his disciples he is ‘the
resurrection and the life.’
(All quotes taken from NIV) |
