I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. —John 11:25-26.
The great fearfulness of death lies in its finality. Sickness is scary, but we may anticipate a recovery. Financial loss is stressful, but we can work to get out of it. Conflict is painful, but we can seek reconciliation. But death...death is so final. Life is gone. The loss is irreversible. It seems that death gets the last word, and there is nothing left for us to say or do.
In the verses preceding our passage, we learn that Martha’s beloved brother Lazarus had been dead for four days. If only Jesus would have come sooner, his life might have been spared (v. 21). But now, it seems, there is nothing left to do. However, Jesus declares, somewhat ambiguously, “Your brother will rise again” (v. 23). Martha hears in Jesus’ words the hope of a future resurrection, and she herself affirms this future hope. Lazarus will rise again on the last day, she says, when this age is brought to an end (v. 24). Her brother will experience life then. Yet it still seems that nothing can be done for Lazarus now.
Jesus declares otherwise. He proclaims to Martha (and to us!) the hope of life then and now. For eternal life had already come with the coming of Jesus himself. Jesus points Martha not only to a general belief in the resurrection on the last day, but to a personal belief in Himself as the one who will give everlasting life then and gives everlasting life now: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Notice there are two parts to Jesus’ statement. He expands on the first part, “I am the resurrection,” by saying, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live [again].” There is indeed a future resurrection after physical death for those who believe Jesus is the Christ. But don’t miss the second part of Jesus’ statement: “I am the life.” Those who believe find life in Jesus now. As Jesus goes on to explain, “everyone who… believes in me shall never die.” With these words Jesus declares that those who believe in him already enjoy eternal life–a life that is enjoyed now and will never be extinguished. As he puts it in John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Those who believe in Jesus have already passed from death to life. Yes, we still experience physical death. However, the moment a person believes in Jesus as the Christ, he shares in a life that never ends. The body may be laid in the grave for a brief season, but the soul lives on in the presence of Christ and will enjoy the glory of resurrection life in the presence of Christ when he returns.
We are amazed that Jesus goes on to raise Lazarus from the dead that very day. Yet Lazarus’ physical resurrection in this age is only a shadowy pointer to the greatness of Jesus’ power to give eternal life now and in the coming age to all who believe in him. Do you believe this?
For Reflection
What is encouraging about Jesus’ promise to give believers eternal life now?
What else does the Bible have to say about this life that Jesus gives us now? Consider John 3:3-9; Romans 6:1-11; Galatians 2:19-21; Ephesians 4:17-24; and 1 John 3:13-15.
How does Jesus’ promise of a future resurrection give you hope and peace today?
John Kimbell is Pastor of Preaching at Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY, where he has been serving since 2008. He completed his M.Div. and Ph.D. at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. John was introduced to regular Scripture memory through the Fighter Verses memory program at Bethlehem Baptist Church while attending college in Minnesota. John is married to Sarah and they have six children.