Resurrection and the Life

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live (John 11:25).

Lazarus was a good friend of Jesus. His two sisters, Mary and Martha, were among the most devoted followers of Christ. However, he became sick and died, with Jesus not arriving in time to heal him. His family despaired with sadness, but Jesus did not; He knew that God had a reason to allow Lazarus’ death. And the reason God allowed Lazarus to die was so that Jesus could show His resurrection power! Four days after the death of Lazarus, Jesus and His disciples arrived at the funeral. Jesus walked up to the tomb and commanded Lazarus to come to life, and Lazarus did so! Jesus was and is infinitely more powerful than death.

Shortly before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus declared the fifth “I Am,” saying, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” In other words, Jesus does not just perform resurrections; He is the source of resurrection! He does not just give life; He is life, and all true life finds its beginning and purpose in Him.

It is so important for us to realize this concept, that Jesus is life. So often we spend our time thinking about what we want to do, how we want to spend our lives. We think that our life belongs to us, that it is our right to live and to do as we desire. But our lives are not our own! Every breath we take, every action we make, every pleasure we have, comes directly from God. It is only by His grace that we even exist. He is a tremendously merciful God.

And the best thing is that not only do our lives belong to God, but as we surrender to Him we find our greatest joy and purpose. Allowing Him to glorify His name through our lives is the way to true joy and fulfillment.

Since Jesus is the Resurrection, His followers never need to fear death. We can rest confidently that He is all-powerful. There is nothing for us to fear. He can create life from any circumstance. He can bring life even to the dead areas of our spiritual lives. There is tremendous power in knowing Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life.