I Am the Resurrection and the Life
I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:25
This statement was made by Jesus to Martha prior to raising Lazarus from the dead, after Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Martha wished that Jesus had come prior to Lazarus dying because she knew Jesus could heal the sick but when Jesus told her Lazarus would rise again she thought he meant in the final resurrection, which the Jews believed in. Jesus then told her that he was the resurrection and the life. Then, Jesus, did command Lazarus to come out of the tomb and Lazarus came out wearing grave clothes. The scriptures tell us, Jesus told them to loose him, to undo the grave clothes which were wrapped in strips. So, what does this statement mean? I Am the resurrection and the life.
There is another set of verses earlier in the chapter of John which explains about this verse.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do, for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
For the Father loveth the Son and showeth him all things that himself doeth and he will show him greater works than these that ye may marvel.
For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. John 5:19-21
So, Jesus, oneness with the father was how real, “life”, came about. He tells us that the power comes from the Father, that he can do nothing of himself. All power is given to the Son because the Father loves the Son. Then he commands a dead person to live, demonstrating that what he says is true!
This is Easter week when we rejoice in the power of the resurrection of the Christ. Jesus traveled on to Jerusalem after resurrecting Lazarus at Bethany, where he knew, he too would die and rise again!
He did this to show us the way to real, life! He also tells us that if we believe in him, understanding that all that he says is true, live as he lived, loving God, doing his will, which is loving, abiding in love, for God is love, then we will be truly alive and never die! Glory to God! For God is light, love and spirit which never dies. Jesus proclaims that he is the very light of life, here.
I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12
Jesus too, showed humanity that he still lives and tells us we too shall, if we only believe. Jesus also told us that if we ask anything in his name, he would do it, which should leave us completely without fear. Yes, everything in the spiritual realm works by faith! That is what, “believing”, is, having faith in what you believe to be true; in this case believing in what God’s Word says is true. Here is what Jesus said:
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works sake.
He did not care how you came to believe; he said believe because of the very works, the miracles, which he performed which proved God was with him, or just believe his words, which are God’s words.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:11-15
Jesus then later in the book of John prays for us all to be one as He and the Father are one here.
Neither pray I for these alone, (the disciples) but for them also which shall believe on me through their word (us):
That they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one;
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17:20-23
This is the great truth of the resurrection, that new life is given to mankind as a gift, the light of life! This year, at Easter and throughout the year, may we all be filled with the love of God and Christ. May we be beacons of hope, fountains of living water, loving God and one another! We were given an amazing love lesson, an intense course on who God is and what our relationship should be like with God when Jesus laid down his earthly body for us. The good news is, He’s Risen!
The Realm by Daniel Mears 