As a child, some of my favorite people to spend time with were my grandparents. They were very actively involved in my life and they went out of their way to do a lot of fun things with my sisters and me.
One of the distinct memories I have from my childhood involves driving different places with them. When we drove, they didn't typically turn the radio on. Rather, my grandmother would often entertain us with singing, or invite us to sing along with her. It was a lot of fun and very entertaining. She taught us the lyrics to quite a few classic songs that way.
Sometimes when we learned a new song, we would attempt to teach it to her. I have a very clear memory of riding in the back of their car after coming back from Summer camp when I was about ten-years-old, with a head full of all the new songs I learned that week as a camper. One of the songs we learned, and enthusiastically sang in their car, was a song about the fact that Christ called Himself, "the resurrection and the life."
The chorus of the song said, "I am the resurrection, and the life. He who believes in me will live a new life. I am the resurrection, and the life. He who believes in me with never die." It was very catchy, and through that song, I became familiar with some meaningful theological concepts at a very young age.
In John 11:25, Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." When He made this statement, what truth was He trying to convey? What was the context in which this truth was communicated?
I. Jesus comes to us in the midst of our grief (John 11:17-19)
“Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. ”
In Scripture, there are several people we can see that Jesus had rather deep friendships with. Three of those people were siblings named Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. I get the impression that they were a very close family, and that they had rather distinct, but pleasant personalities.
Mary tended to be someone who could live in the moment without getting overly stressed about what was coming next. Martha was the type of person who was very task focused and responsible, but sometimes forgot to enjoy what was right in front of her. Lazarus strikes me as someone who wasn't shy about associating with Jesus and openly expressing His friendship with the Lord. Jesus truly appreciated this family, and they appreciated Him.
As the events of this portion of Scripture unfold, we're told that Lazarus had died and was in a tomb for four days. I believe that John tells us these details, in part, to make it abundantly clear that the crowd that was grieving with Mary and Martha would have also been generally accepting of the fact that Lazarus was not only dead, but in the process of decomposition.
That's typically not the kind of environment many of us would prefer to place ourselves in, but that's precisely the context Jesus was entering into. He came to visit His grieving friends. He came to share their grief.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to do when people you care about are grieving. I remember when I was a new pastor being asked to rush to the home of a woman who had just passed away, and her family wasn't completely sure what to do. When I arrived at their home, they were all sitting in silence around a table. I wasn't sure what to say or do because I knew I couldn't make their shock or pain go away, so I just spent some time sitting with them in silence while we all processed what took place. Then I invited them to join me in prayer, and as we prayed, it was clear to us that Jesus was present with us. He reminded us of His presence, and comforted our shocked and grieving hearts.
Jesus doesn't run from our messy and painful moments. He doesn't abandon us in our pain and grief. When you're grieving, don't hesitate to reach out to Him. I think you'll probably be surprised to discover that He's already present with you, just like He promised to be.
II. Jesus isn't surprised when we question His methods (John 11:20-22)
“So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” ”
A while back, my neighbor's dog got loose and chose to run all around our neighborhood. In response, their family decided to chase him because they didn't want him to get hurt or lost, but the more they chased him, the more of a game he made out of it. At the time this was taking place, I was mowing my front yard and I thought to myself, "If that dog comes anywhere near me, I'm going to lay down on the grass and see if I can draw him to me."
That approach wasn't the most obvious way to catch a swiftly running dog, but that's exactly what I did when it got near. As I hoped, the dog came close to me to investigate what I was doing. I pet his head for a quick moment, then slid my hand under his collar and brought him back to my neighbors. Sometimes the very thing that needs to be done doesn't seem as logical as a lesser solution might.
Prior to Lazarus dying, Jesus had healed some very sick people. He had restored sight to the blind, cleansed the skin of the leprous, and even raised the dead the life. While Lazarus was dying, I'm certain that Mary and Martha wished Jesus was with them, but He was miles away and seemingly inaccessible. When He finally arrived, Martha stated what she had been thinking all along. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." As I read these words, it sounds to me like part of her was questioning Christ's methods.
If I'm honest, there are quite a few times in my life when I have questioned what Christ was doing as well. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that we've all done that at one time or another. I also don't think Jesus is shocked when we do that. In some ways, I imagine it's part of His strategy to stretch our faith and show us over and over that He can be trusted to do everything He promises to do.
I point this out because it's quite possible that during this season of your life, there may be a few things taking place that seem jarring, scary, or stretching. You may have even asked the Lord to clarify what He's up to or why He's allowing some of these things to take place. He isn't surprised when we question His methods, just like Martha seemed to be doing. But He does want us to trust Him even when we can't see ahead of time how He's going to work everything out.
III. Jesus is the source of true life (John 11:23-26)
“Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ”
After Martha made her comments, Jesus explained a few things to her that probably didn't sink in immediately. He started off by telling her that her brother would rise again, and if you look closely at what she said, she seemed to give a theologically accurate response that simultaneously showed how much she struggled to live in the moment. Instead of allowing herself to believe that it was possible that Jesus might raise Lazarus from the grave in mere moments, she answered Him by expressing her confidence in the fact of a future resurrection.
When Jesus responded to her answer, I believe He was attempting to help open her eyes to what was right in front of her. She was speaking of resurrection as if it was an impersonal concept, but Jesus was about to show her something new about Himself that she was apparently missing. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
In that moment, Jesus made the concept of resurrection quite personal. He didn't just say, "I can raise the dead." He said, "I am the resurrection and the life." Jesus is life. Jesus is the source of life. Apart from Jesus, we remain spiritually dead and doomed to physically die. But in Christ, we find life. And that isn't just eventual life. It's eternal life that begins the instant we believe in Him.
I'm amazed at how many people are convinced that a good life can be found outside of Christ. I don't believe it can, because a life being lived apart from Christ is missing the key component to joy, hope, and purpose. Likewise, I'm often amazed with professing Christians who spend their lives chasing after the things of this world with such a fervor that it starts to seem like they're convinced that those things are the source of joy or the cure for death.
Jesus made it clear that those who believe in Him will find the kind of life they truly need. Anyone who believes in Him will never truly die. All aspects of the effect of sin's curse will be eventually reversed in their lives.
As Jesus was making all of this clear to Martha, He asked her, "Do you believe this?" I wonder what our response would be if He asked us the same thing. Do we believe Jesus is life? If so, how high is He on our list of priorities? How devotedly would our children or closest friends say we're pursuing our relationship with Him?
IV. Jesus is the One the Scriptures have been pointing to (John 11:27)
“She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.””
Martha gave her response to Jesus, and expressed her belief that He is indeed the Son of God. Moments later, Jesus proved that everything He said to her was true when He raised her brother from death.
As Martha expressed her faith that Jesus was the long-promised Messiah, we're also reminded by her statement that Jesus is the One the Scriptures have been pointing to. He is the fulfillment of centuries of promises. He is the key to understanding the plan of God for creation and redemption.
And just as He is the key to understanding the Scriptures, He's also the key to making sense of our lives. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." He meant those words, and He delights to grace us with the power of His resurrection and the continual joy of His presence.
© John Stange, 2019
