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The Resurrection and the Life
Presenter: Larry Kirkpatrick
Location: Clark Fork Seventh-day Adventist Church, ID, USA
Delivery: 2011-03-19
Publication: GreatControversy.org 2011-06-04 15:44Z
Type: Sermon
URL: http://www.greatcontroversy.org/gco/ser/kirl-resurrection.php
About this time each year, many Christians observe “easter.” They do this, they say, in honor of the resurrection of Jesus. We are always glad when Jesus is honored. The resurrection of Christ is a rich and joyful topic but one that has nothing to do with bunny rabbits and chocolate eggs. Today we want to go back together to the words of Jesus and see what insight He offers us in understanding His resurrection.
Nearly one third of the gospel of John focuses on the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life. In the very middle of the book comes Jesus’ resurrection of Lazarus. After Lazarus dies, Jesus goes to raise him. Approaching Lazarus’ grave, He converses with each of Lazarus’ sisters in turn. First, Martha; then, Mary. In the course of these discussions, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Actually, this is one of seven similar statements in the gospel of John.
- In John 6:35, 41, 48, 51, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” That is, He is our sustenance.
- In John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” That is, He is our moral insight.
- In John 10:7, 9, Jesus says, “I am the door of the sheep.” That is, He is our protector.
- In John 10:11, 14, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” That is, He is our provider.
- In John 11:25 Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” That is, Jesus is our life from death.
- In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way the truth and the life.” That is, He is our road or journey.
- In John 15:1, 5 Jesus says, “I am the true vine.” That is, He is our source power.
But let’s think about this statement in particular. Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Resurrection is not just life. It is life from death. It is God intentionally bringing back the captive from the grave.
We forget that the grave is, unfortunately, a human innovation. If death entered through sin, and sin is only seen on planet earth, death is unique to earth. No other planet, no other solar system, so far as we know from the Bible, has ever seen death. Look up at the stars tonight and realize that no other planet has on it a single grave. The Hebrew word for the grave is SHEOL, the Greek, HADES, the English, HELL and GRAVE. When people die, they go to sheol. Whether good or bad, they go there (Job 3:11-19). It is presented in diametrically opposed position to heaven (Job 11:8; Amos 9:2; Psalm 139:8). Jesus took flesh and blood in order to defeat Satan who had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). Jesus died and is risen again, and holds the keys of hell and death and hades (Revelation 1:18).
The gospel of John focuses on seven miracles by Jesus. The climax of the series is the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the very passage in which we find our text, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Remember, it was in answer to this event that the decision was made to murder Jesus. What is more absurd than murdering someone who can bring the dead to life?
But let’s go back, listening in on the conversation between Jesus and Martha:
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now 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. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world’ (John 11:17-27 TNIV).
Martha’s feelings are very mixed right here. She was sure that, had Jesus been present, her brother would not have died. And yet, hopefully she adds, “But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus insists that her brother will rise again. She says she knows this, and that it will happen at the last day.
Just here is where it becomes very interesting. Martha is waiting for the resurrection at the last day. She is convinced that Jesus would have prevented her brother’s death had He been there during his illness. But Martha is a little bit behind the curve, isn’t she? Jesus replies to he, “I am the resurrection and the life.” She is waiting for the last day and the resurrection then. But Jesus is standing before her today, looking into her eyes. He states as plainly as possible that He is the resurrection and the life. Jesus does not separate the two. Here, He is using the two words to lay claim to being not two things but one. Both words, resurrection and life, go together.
Jesus owned not only the ability to heal but to resurrect. It was all the same, simply healing manifest in a particular way. Wait for the last day? The resurrection was present; the Life-giver was here.
Jesus challenges Martha. If you believe in Jesus, even if you die, it is as if you do not die. He confirms these things and then asks Martha whether she believes Him. Her answer is “Yes, Lord.” Yes, she says, I believe that you are the Messiah. Martha goes and sends Mary. Mary says the same thing as Martha—had Jesus been present, Lazarus would not have died. But Jesus does not repeat the discussion. Perhaps Mary already believes. She had sat at Jesus’ feet and learned His lessons first hand. She had spent time learning from Jesus. Jesus’ only question to her is, where have you laid Him?
Jesus and the others go up to the tomb. Jesus asks them to roll away the stone. Martha speaks up again, no, she says, we cannot do that, by now there is the smell of decay. Remember now, the man had been in the tomb for four days. He had been dead longer even than that. The stone is rolled away. And it must be, that at first, the smell of decaying flesh wafted through the air. But soon Jesus prays, and asks the Father, and then calls Lazarus to come out. Of course, the man is changed, raised, decay vanishes away and he rises and walks out of the grave.
Here was Jesus in action, Jesus raising someone from the dead. He is the resurrection and the life. As He rose we will rise, should we die before His return. We are not worshipping jus anyone, or just a very wise human. We are worshippers of God. Jesus came in human flesh. The resurrection and the life came and llived and will indeed resurrect all those who believe.
The emphasis on Jesus as the resurrected and resurrecting Lord is not on what day he rose, but on the fact that He is the resurrection and the life. The crime of Jesus was that He came to free man from the grave. He came to offer something very different than what men had been settling for. Jesus is Lord, and in this seventh spectacular event He incurs the deadly wrath of the religious leaders and His actions cause them to reveal what they are. They could not stand him. He was Mr. Resurrection. They did not deny that He did mighty and incredible deeds, but they ascribed the source of His power to demons.
It always boils down to how do we live. What do we do? What are our values? Where do we come into conflict with the Word of God and decide that we are entitled to this or to that even though God’s Word forbids this or that? This urgent question is the pivot, because its answer is the difference between our embracing resurrection and life, and resurrection and death. Remember, there are two resurrections.
Jesus said,
an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment (John 5:28, 29 ESV).
Yes, there are two resurrections. Jesus gives life to those who will have it, and he removes it from those who will not. The raising of Lazarus was Jesus as Resurrector in action. He was also the sword. He divided people, but in particular by causing them to manifest what they are.
And that brings us to the ida of Jesus’ resurrection and Easter Sunday. As I said, I am glad to see Jesus honored. We are not commanded to observe a holiday called Easter, and we actually honor Jesus better by doing what He says. The real question is not whether Jesus is God or Lord or the resurrection and the life. He is. The real question for us individually is, whose reality will we embrace? The reality of the people offended because Jesus came and shattered their little traditions and comfortable practices, or, the reality of Jesus who came to live and to die in your place and mine and to conquer hell and the grave and to give to us resurrection and life?
The real meaning of Easter (if we choose to call this day that), is that you search your heart along with Martha, and ask, do you believe this? If Jesus is what He says He is, then what shall I do about it? Do I embrace Him? Am I pleased that His tomb is empty and that He is alive even now to make intercession for me in heaven? Or, am I worshipping another Jesus—who never existed and never had nails driven through His hands, never hung on a cross, never died, never was entombed, and never rose?
The answer, as always, is found in the Bible. And, in your heart and mine. The resurrection of Jesus was a joyous day indeed! It not only tells us that Jesus is risen but that He is ready to animate darkened hearts with resurrection life. And that is why this day is a good one to consider Jesus’ utterance, “I am the resurrection and the life.” GCO
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