I AM the Resurrection and the Life

Perhaps no other claim is as important as this—that we must believe all life is derived from God.  In John chapter 11, we find that Jesus purposely delayed his return to Bethany when He was informed of Lazarus' illness.  Two days after hearing the news, Jesus and the disciples left for the two-day trip to Bethany.  The Lord already knew that His friend was dead (v.14).

As many of us would be, Martha (who came to meet Jesus on the road) was confused with a mixture of both grief and faith.  On one hand, she seemed to understand who He was and what He was capable of doing, yet her belief had limitations—she believed in healing—but resurrection from the dead?

Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again."
"Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day."
Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying.  Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die.  Do you believe this, Martha?"

In Strong's concordance, the Greek word for resurrection (pronounced an-as'-tas-is) can be interpreted also as standing up again; recovery of truth; and raised to life again. 

The crowd, including Martha & Mary, Jesus and the disciples, and a group of mourners then proceeded to the grave site, where Jesus instructed them to roll away the stone.  Martha protested that it had been four days, insisting the smell would be horrible, once again forgetting that Life itself was in her midst.  It makes me wonder what she thought Jesus was planning to do once Lazarus' body was revealed.

Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?"

The emergence of Lazarus from the tomb was a picture of the resurrection of the Lord soon to come; it was also proof of all that He had said to Martha that day.  With this incredible miracle Jesus sealed His reputation and His fate, as the religious leaders sought to arrest Him from that day on.

These passages tells me a few things:

• Jesus was intimately involved in the lives of His friends, since they felt they could call on Him when they needed comfort (v.3)
• Jesus had a plan that would bring glory to His Father (v.4)
• Jesus used the situation to teach the disciples who He really was (v.15)
• Jesus was patient with Martha even when her faith stumbled (v.21-29)
• Jesus was not a passive, ethereal presence on the earth, but quite the opposite.  He was angry over sin that caused death (v.33) and wept over the loss (v.35)

In a setting of grief and sorrow, we find the Lord ministering healing and life to those He loves.  That is you and I.  When we face difficulty and uncertainty, we can rest assured that the very LIFE of God is within us.  In what part of your life do you need resurrection power?  It may be time to stop grieving and mourning over the past, or worrying about the future, in order to fully embrace God's plan for right now.  We can take a cue from Martha, who ran up the road to meet Him, knowing we can trust Him in our time of need.