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New Life
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Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies…”
John 11:25 (NIV)—
Everyone knows that spring is the time of new beginnings. New life seems to spring up everywhere. With flowers exploding in full bloom and brighter days, all of us feel energised. It’s the season when being invigorated spills over into activities like Formula One racing and marathon running.
Resurrection
Then too it’s the resurrection season. But that’s a big concept. So it’s right to ask what Jesus meant when He said this. Even an impartial dictionary informs us that resurrection involves bringing something back that no longer exists. But Jesus had something more tremendous in mind. He literally meant bringing back to life someone who dies.
Now that’s awesome. Nobody questions the reality of death. We know it’s going to happen. Yet the thought of coming alive again sounds too amazing to take in. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day thought so too as recorded in Matthew chapter 22.
But Jesus took the focus away from Himself and pointed to the Mighty God that they knew. He reminded them that God appeared to Moses in a flaming bush that wasn’t burnt up by the fire. And this miracle working God identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 3:6). Jesus simply pointed out, ‘“He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”’ (Matthew 22:32). In other words, God isn’t just relevant to those who have died and are gone. He relates to those who will enjoy resurrection life when they are raised from the dead.
Of course, Jesus put the objections of His critics into perspective. He boldly let them know, ‘“You do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”’ (Matthew 22:29). If they had known the Word of God and His mighty power, they would understand He’s the God that brings life to the dead as surely as dry bulbs transform into a riot of glorious flowers.
What’s in it for us?
Maybe we need to look at the conversation in John chapter 11 with the bigger picture in mind. Here’s the worst case scenario, death of a loved one, in this case, a man named Lazarus. Yet one of his two surviving sisters, Martha, goes out to meet Jesus when He’s on the way to their home.
What’s more, she engages with what really matters: His power and might. ‘“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”’ (verses 21-22).
That’s when Jesus speaks of resurrection, God raising the dead to life again. What’s more, He identifies Himself as the source of this eternal life. ‘“I am the resurrection and the life”’(verse 11). But He doesn’t stop there. He then asks Martha, ‘“Do you believe this?”’ (verse 11).
Jesus already knew that He would raise her brother Lazarus from death. But Martha’s answer speaks volumes, ‘“Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world”’ (verse 27). Her recognizing and knowing Jesus as Lord has everything to do with the resurrection life that she and her loved ones could look forward to.
Incredibly, we can too. To see the mighty God as the One who has power to raise the dead is to see the resurrection season of Easter as part of the bigger picture. God raised Jesus to life so that we may share this miracle of eternal life. To all who believe and meet with Him, Almighty God through Jesus still offers us the gift of resurrection life. Whatever the season, that remains awesome through all eternity.
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