John 11:18-27

John 11:18-27 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

Faced with Martha's faith that Jesus could have saved Lazarus had He been there earlier and her assurance he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day, Jesus makes an existentially profound proclamation: I am the resurrection and the life. He goes on to say that all who place their faith in him will experience life because He does not merely restore life to the dead: Jesus is life. Those who place their faith IN HIM HAVE LIFE. CHRIST is the giver of all life: the beginning, the origin, the fountain of all that we call LIFE. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4) Paul told the church, this is the great mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27 KJV) Outside of him there is no eternal life, IN HIM there IS LIFE with God forever.

We have a blessed hope. IN JESUS CHRIST, we are literally dressed in his robes of righteousness. Outside of Jesus there is no righteousness that pleases the Father's heart, for all have sinned, each person has gone astray, all bear the stains of sin on the robes of their lives. Yet IN CHRIST we are found in his likeness; his visage shines through our very being. We walk around in grave clothes, but Jesus comes to our Judea, just in time, in the nick of time; and He says, "My son, my daughter, you will rise again." Salvation is here when Christ lives in us and we IN HIM. After we trust in Jesus Christ, we don't walk this Earth alone anymore, for we have the presence of the Spirit, changing us from glory to glory into the image of Christ as we die to ourselves and come alive to God through the power of the cross. We have many great and precious promises concerning the hope we have in Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Jesus reveals this mystery of eternal life very clearly in the Lazarus story. No other man could have gone to Lazarus' tomb and raised him from the dead, but the Author of Creation accomplished exactly that miracle. Nevertheless, Lazarus a man of flesh and bones would eventually die, for his body was born IN SIN from Adam's seed. But Lazarus' spirit through his faith IN CHRIST would live forever. Jesus confirms this point by asking Martha the quintessential question concerning eternal life: Do you believe I am the resurrection and the life, Martha? In other words, He is letting her know that the person who believes in him will never die! Martha understands her Lord and immediately gives the answer Christ seeks from every person who sits in darkness: Yes, Lord! she answered in the affirmative. Salvation would rest fully upon Martha following Christ's complete sacrifice for sin upon the cross. For she had seen the light of the world in his face and said, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.

We remind you this morning that the Bible says in Galatians 2:20 we have been crucified with Christ; therefore, since you no longer live according to the flesh, your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3) If we fully believe God's Word and walk in the freedom of Christ, we will hold our heads high, knowing WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD, DIRECT DESCENDANTS OF THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN, THE HOLY ONE, THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, WHO CAME TO GIVE US LIFE AND LIFE ABUNDANT. The umbrella of righteousness covers our very beings, hovers over us. We are not alone anymore. Jesus abides with us forever. We are his ambassadors of light to a dark world, so of course we will want to step completely out of the darkness ourselves. Joy floods our souls, for we are no longer contending for righteousness: WE ARE RIGHTEOUS. His great love makes us jubilantly joyful--glad to be alive to sing and shout his praises. Hosanna, Jesus is coming, and He will make that which is dead alive again. Bless you today!