John 11: 25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Jesus will always surpasses our expectations. He can not only raise the sick from their beds of affliction, but one day he will raise the dead from their graves of dust and ashes. One resurrection morning he will fill the darkness of every tomb with the glorious light of his resurrection power. As the sun turns dew-drops into jewels so on that special day he will transform our tears into jewels. In a nana-second of time, in the twinkling of an eye we shall be changed into his physical likeness.
Notice the divine consciousness of “I AM!” (John 11:25)
What higher claim to divinity can there be than this? Who before Christ or after Him ever spoke like this? It is the crown of his eight I AMs.
When you stand by the grave where your cherished hopes lie buried, still dare to affirm that He is the resurrection and the life. Our resurrection depends upon Him. As he raised Lazarus from the dead in the past, as he burst open the tomb on resurrection on Easter morning, so he shall do again in the future to every tomb on every hill, to every grave in every valley, to every mausoleum, ossuary, catacomb, and crypt under the sea where believers lie buried. Only Christ could make such a bold claim because he is the author, restorer and maintainer of all life.
“He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
Believers in Christ die physically as well as others, but though they die, they shall live again; their dust is under the peculiar care of Christ Not only shall the believer’s soul survive death but so shall his body. It is as eternal as his soul. The believer’s resurrection body will be as glorious and eternal as that as Christ’s resurrection body. O what joy to contemplate upon such blessed immortality, O what happiness to know that our redeemed soul and body shall be reunited and live in his presence and be kept from evil for ever and ever.
“And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die”
The temporary separation of soul and body is not even regarded as an interruption.
“Shall never die” – or, shall not die spiritually Though the believer die a temporal physical death they shall not continue under its power for ever; but shall have a resurrection to life eternal.
A resurrection is a return to life, and Christ is the author of that return. They shall never die in the sense that they shall never be forsaken by Christ. As the Good Shepherd he is with the believer even in the valley of the shadow of death. Our divine comforter promised us that he would be with us always and would not leave us comfortless. Death is only a momentary shadow that leads to a life which is far far better than this. Thank God that as Christians we do not have to go through the valley of death alone. How awful it must be to do so.
Christ asked Martha, “Do you believe this?”
Can you take my word for it? Do you believe what I am telling you concerning your future state? I, not death shall have the last word over your body and soul.
“When you are sick, you want a doctor and not a medical book or a formula. When you are being sued, you want a lawyer and not a law book. Likewise, when you face your last enemy, death, you want the want him who alone can say, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
The believer does not die but simply makes an instant transition from an old life to a new life.
“The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear shall live.” (John 5:25.)
“Do you believe this?”
The Best Is Yet To Be!
Pastor Robert Bryant