I AM THE RESURRECTION

As confronting as it is, death is ultimate shared human reality. Statisticians claim that the average child at his or her 18th birthday has witnessed 200,000 deaths on their TV or computer screen. And yet that does not prepare us for the reality of death, especially the death of someone who we are close with.

In John Chapter 11, we meet two sisters, Martha and Mary, who are confronted with the death of their brother, Lazarus. He has been dead for four days when Jesus comes and raises him from the dead. In John 11:25 Jesus claims He is the resurrection and the life. 

Jesus claim is so audacious it seems impossible; He dares even to defy death, the great enemy of humanity. Jesus claims that in Him is over death and the gift of resurrection life. Of course, Jesus didn’t just claim it, He proved it when he rose from death after his crucifixion.

Whilst life may not be free of suffering on this side of eternity, we can still hold onto the promise that Jesus has defeated death and in Him, we have the promise of resurrection life. 

Whilst John 3:16 might easily roll off the tongue for some, it actually provides a confronting challenge, for the test of any belief system is how it corresponds to reality.

This resurrection and this life are for all those who will believe it. Jesus is not asking Martha to recite an orthodox statement of belief here, nor is He asking her if she believes He can raise Lazarus at the last day. Instead, Jesus is asking her if she has a personal living trust in Him as the resurrection and the life.  

Martha stands as a great example for each of us because she chose to believe. She believed that Jesus was who He said He was, the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the Resurrection and the Life, the Great I am.

Practical application:

Like Martha, Jesus asks all of us, do you believe in me? A relationship with Jesus is not about adhering to a set of rules or having to jump through a series of hoops to prove your worth. Rather, it is simply having the faith to believe that Jesus is who He said He is and accepting Him as the I AM of your life. Whether you’ve believed in Jesus for a long time or you’re taking your first step towards faith in Him, take a moment to pray and acknowledge Him as the Son of God, the Resurrection and the Life, the Great I AM.