THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE – JOHN 11:25

 

Introduction:

Prior to His death and resurrection Jesus made this statement: “I am the resurrection and the life” to confirm His authority over death and life. To confirm this He called Lazarus from the dead. No wonder, the religious leaders, the pseudo-powers of His time made all efforts to kill the truth of His resurrection. They did all that they could do including bribing the soldiers. “And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, say ye His disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governors ears, we will persuade him, secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” – Matthew 28:12-15.

 

Today, this same strategy is being used by the enemies of the gospel to ‘counter and kill’ the truth as did their fathers. Alas, the truth cannot be killed. They tried it with the truth of His birth and Sonship of God, they failed. They tried it with the truth of His works and miracles, they failed. They tried it with the truth of the cross and death, they failed. They’ve tried it with the truth of the resurrection and they have failed – Alleluyah. Jesus is the authority over death and life!

 

The Resurrection and the Life

In the gospel according to St John, Jesus performed not less than seven miracles, each of which is very notable and outstanding. These include the turning of water into wine – John 2:1-11, the healing of the nobleman’s son – John 4:43-53, the healing of the impotent man – John 5:1-15, the feeding of the multitude – John 6:1-14, the walking on the water – John 6:16-21, the cure of the blind man – John 9:1-4, and the raising of Lazarus – John 11:1-45. Each of these miracles underscores the divine authority of Jesus Christ but the one in John chapter 11 – raising of Lazarus emphatically demonstrates the power of Jesus over death. It should be noted, however, that the belief in the resurrection and eternal life was also expressed by men in the Old Testament (Job 14:12-15; 19:25-27; Psalms 16:9-10; 17:15; 21:4; 49:15; Isaiah 25:8; 26:19; Daniel 12:2-3, 13; Hosea 13:14. This issue was seriously argued and debated by the Pharisees and the Sadducees – Matthew 22:23-32; Acts 23:6-8; 24:14-15; 26:6-8. By His teachings and many infallible proofs of miracles, Jesus proved the doubters, the skeptics, the stoicks, the Pharisees and the Sadducees of His time wrong. In particular the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection were proved wrong (Matthew 22:23-28) “The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him. Saying, Master, Moses said, if a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.”

 

Central to our faith is the issue of resurrection. Christianity would have been one of those religions in the world but thanks be to God, the Christian faith stands on life by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and not the deadness of a religion. No wonder Apostle Paul by divine revelation, in his letter to the Corinthians said. “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:12-14.“And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins then they also which are fallen asleep in in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept”  1 Corinthians 15:17-19.

 

No one in history or in any religion that ever made such an assertion like Jesus did when He said: “I am the Resurrection”. Jesus proved His Sonship by His resurrection and when He said “I am the resurrection”. He meant that He had power to raise the dead. He is truly the author of the resurrection.Jesus made two great claims that no other deity could make and can never make: “I am the resurrection… he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” and “I am the life … whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Jn 11:25-26. These statements are remarkable because the second reinforces the first. Christ embodied the power to bring the dead to life.

 

In John 6:40, Jesus said whosoever believes Him, He will raise him up in the last day. Without Christ, there would have been no resurrection at end of time. Therefore, His resurrection is critical to the gospel – 1 Corinthians 15:13-14. Though He was not the first to rise from the dead, He was the only one to rise and never die again. We, therefore, have assurance of His promise to raise us from the dead – John 5:28-29. Jesus said “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” The death of Christ deprived death of its power, the death of a Christian is not technical death.

 

The Lord had even raised others from the dead – Luke 7:11-15; 8:40-56. Not only is Jesus the resurrection but also, He is life. For where there is resurrection, there is life. The Bible says: “In him was life and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4. WHEN Jesus said: “I am the life He meant that He has the power to bestow eternal life – John 6:33; 10:28; Revelations 1:18. He who believes in Christ has eternal life that transcends physical death.

 

Faith does not preserve us from temporal death; but when we die, those who believe and obey, in this instant transition, will be restored to life in the resurrection - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. As Christ is the resurrection of the dead so is He the life of the living, absolute life, having life in Himself, for it has been given to Him by the Father – John 5:26 and because of Christ’s death and powerful resurrection, we can pass from “death unto life”. 1 John 3:14.