Die before you live

Hearing God’s Voice–Jesus is the resurrection and the life

Today’s verses are John 11:25-27: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?’  She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’”

My child, my friend Martha had just said that she believed her brother Lazarus would one day be raised from the dead in the final resurrection.  In response, I told her that her brother would rise again.  I meant much more than just the final resurrection.

I told her that I am the resurrection and the life.  Yes, I will bring about the final resurrection.  Yes, I will cause the final resurrection for all to occur.  But I wanted her (and you and all people) to understand something of much greater importance.

True resurrection life is found in an eternal relationship with me.  It is who I am.  And whoever lives and believes in me, whoever personally trusts in me, as I live in them and they live in me, this person, though he dies here on earth (as all do), he will live and never die again.  It’s an extraordinary promise.  But it’s the primary reason why I came to earth.

Note I said “who lives and believes in me.”  Trusting in me is not mere intellectual assent.  It’s a life lived in me and my life living in you.  It’s a union life, your life united with mine.

If my resurrection life lives in you, and you live in my resurrection life, when you die, your mortal, fading, aging earthly body is merely cast off.  Your soul, imbibed with my resurrection power, then receives a new, perfect resurrection body which will never die.  You live and believe in me.  Both are essential for this resurrection life to occur!

And don’t miss, once again, another “I am” statement. I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me will never die.  It’s yet another claim to deity.  Moses never made this statement.  Nor did Mohammed.  Nor the Buddha or Confucius.  It’s a unique claim to deity.  Only I could make it.

I asked Martha if she believe this about me.  She said she did.  She also noted that she believed I was the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah.  She also affirmed I was the “Son of God,” a clear reference to my deity.  She said she believed I was the one “who is coming into the world,” a Messianic expression from Psalm 118:26.  She believed I was the fulfillment of all her own Scripture.

My child, do you believe this about me?  I am not only your very present help in time of need, your strong tower to whom you can run in times of need, your strength and your shield today.  I am also your resurrection hope.  I am your life.  I am your absolute assurance of life after death, the conviction that you will live with me forever in paradise.  If you believe in me, to be absent from your body is to be with me.  For me to live in you and you in me means I will never leave you or forsake you.

And once you settle your eternal life, you can enjoy this one to the full!

I am the resurrection and the life.  Believe in me.  When you do, though you die, you shall live.

You can trust me today.