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#2
You’ll Never Die
John 11:25-27; 20:24-29
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Oh, the things we will do to live longer! We all know that a healthy diet and exercise improve our bodies and, therefore, help us live longer. Beyond that, though, researchers have discovered a few more things that might increase your life span.
Live on top of a mountain. People who live at high altitudes live longer.
Learn a new language. Being able to speak multiple languages slows the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Learn a new language. Being able to speak multiple languages slows the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Live on a reduced-calorie diet. One of the longest-living people groups limits their daily intake to 1,200 calories.
Work harder. Serious and persistent workers tend to live longer than the carefree employee.1
You could try all these, and while you might increase your life span, you can be sure of one thing: you’re still going to die. Jesus told us the only way not to die is to believe in and follow Him. And He made that possible when He died on the cross and rose from the dead.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
John 11:25-27
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
As John 11 opens, we see “Lazarus from Bethany,” a man who was sick and at the point of death. Jesus Himself was only days away from His crucifixion and death. Lazarus was a beloved friend to Jesus (vv. 3,11), yet Jesus intentionally delayed making the trip to Bethany to heal His friend. Jesus delayed, and Lazarus died (v. 14).
When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, He sought to comfort Lazarus’s grieving sisters, Mary and Martha. He told Martha, “Your brother will rise again” (v. 23). Martha did not disagree; she accepted the popular view taught by the Pharisees that there is an afterlife, and the Jewish people would experience a resurrection someday. But Jesus was referring to something a lot more immediate!
To explain the miracle He was about to do, Jesus gave one of His seven I AM statements; this one carried a great claim of Deity.2 “I am the resurrection and the life.” Implied in this statement is the truth that Jesus is the One true God; He is not just any god, but one that can resurrect Himself. He did not say He would bring about the resurrection or He would be the cause of the resurrection; Jesus said He is the resurrection.
Resurrection from death and the promise of eternal life are so closely related to Jesus that we can only find them in a relationship with Him. That relationship begins with believing. Jesus went on to say “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
What brings this truth about Jesus into our lives is the word believe. This verb means far more than acknowledging something. The Greek word carries the idea of placing our confidence and trust in that which we believe. And in this context, we are to believe in Jesus.
This great truth of Jesus as the resurrection calls for a response. Jesus asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” She affirmed her belief and trust in Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” She had seen His miracles and heard Him teach; now she came to the only conclusion: Jesus is the Messiah.
John 20:24-25
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Can other religions claim death? Sure, every religion can point to their founder’s death, but only Jesus died and came back to life. Only Jesus is the resurrection.
The disciples had no doubt Jesus had died. The duty of a Roman soldier assigned to a crucifixion was to ensure the victim died. Should a criminal escape death, the soldier paid for it with his own life. The women had seen where Jesus was buried, so there was no question they went to the right tomb—which was empty (24:1-3). And now the disciples had seen Jesus alive for themselves!
The resurrection was surely a hard reality for the disciples to believe at first, considering the shockingly hard reality of Jesus’ death. Yet here He stood in front of the disciples.
Except Thomas. John did not tell us why Thomas was not with his fellow disciples, but he did give us Thomas’s reaction to the news. Thomas, most likely in awe and confusion, demanded to see Jesus’ scars and wounds before he would believe. This is where we get the phrase “doubting Thomas,” an unfair distinction for Thomas. He wasn’t the only one who doubted. The other ten disciples initially refused to believe as well (Luke 24:11).
It’s hard to believe without seeing. It’s far easier to believe when evidence and proof are right in front of us. The Christian life is one of faith, but that faith has to be grounded in something solid. Otherwise, it’s just blind faith, something we hope might be true. Faith is only as good as its foundation.
So how can we have faith in the resurrection? Like Thomas, up to this point, we haven’t seen the physical, resurrected body of Jesus. Thankfully, God has given us ways to trust with confidence.
John 20:26-29
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Into this locked room, Jesus appeared. With His presence, Jesus gave His disciples the peace that passes understanding (Phil. 4:7), the peace that only He can give, the peace the world will never understand unless they are followers of Christ (John 14:27). This is yet another reminder that Jesus is our peace.
Jesus then turned His attention to Thomas. He did not rebuke Thomas for his disbelief. Jesus met Thomas with reassurance, compassion, and grace. We might wonder if Thomas fell to his knees weeping as he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” This was his clear confession of his belief. Through seeing the scars in Jesus’ hands, Thomas found a new faith in Jesus—a faith that no longer included doubt or fear.
Thomas and the other disciples got to see firsthand what we can’t see today: Jesus’ ministry at work. Jesus knew many believers like you and me would come after Him, who would be unable to experience what the original disciples did. So, He told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We don’t simply believe the resurrection of Jesus happened, but it is an event that we can trust to be life changing. Jesus IS the resurrection, and life only comes through Him. If you want eternal life, trust the truth of the resurrection, follow the words of Jesus, and believe.
LIVE IT OUT
- Believe. Jesus is alive, and He invites you to follow Him. If you have never trusted in Christ, place your full faith in Him. Read the inside front cover of this book to learn how you can do this. Talk to someone in your group about your desire to believe and trust in Christ.
- Investigate. Look into the truth of the resurrection for yourself. Many books address the resurrection, such as Buried Hope or Risen Savior: The Search for Jesus’ Tomb by Charles Quarles or The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.
- Share. Who has God put on your heart to hear the truth of the resurrection? Ask God to put someone on your heart who needs to hear about His resurrection and eternal life.
God’s not against healthy living; He’s for it! But let God be the source of your joy. Joy is found in Him and the sure hope of His resurrection.
Hope to see you this Easter Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher's Notes:
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. If you’ll recall, she played the associate producer for a local news show. Ed Asner played her boss, Lou Grant. One of its most famous episodes involved the death of Chuckles the Clown, who hosted the children’s program at their station. He was killed in a rather bizarre accident, and some of the news staff couldn’t resist making jokes about it. They knew the jokes were insensitive, but they just couldn’t seem to help themselves. Lou and some of the other men were discussing it, and one of them asked, “What’s the matter with us? A man has died, and we’re laughing!” Lou replied, “It’s a release – a defense mechanism. We laugh at things that scare us. We laugh at death, because we know death will have the last laugh on us!”
Should we laugh at death?
Why do we fear death when Christ says,
“you’ll never die”?
Our inability to understand the things of God completely is to be anchored in an unquestioned faith in Jesus and conviction that what He says is true and can be trusted.
Lou was correct as far as he went, but he missed one little detail. If you’re a follower of Jesus, death will never have the last laugh on you, because Jesus has already gotten the last laugh on death! Because He has risen from the dead, we can be certain that all of His promises are true, including the promise of life after death.
YOU’LL NEVER DIE
John 11:25-27
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one 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 replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
What does Jesus mean when He says,
“I am the resurrection and the life”?
I. Jesus promised that those who believe in Him will never die.
What did He mean by this?
· Each person is confronted with a decision to declare who Jesus is.
· Those who believe in, trust, and are committed to Jesus have the promise of eternal life.
· Jesus embodies within Himself the power to bring the dead to life. He said that He is the resurrection!
I. The promise of life after death.
A. Jesus went to the home of His friend Lazarus who had been sick.
1. When Jesus arrived Lazarus had already been dead four days.
a. His body had already started to decay (v. 39).
b. He was likely the provider for Mary and Martha.
2. This chapter contains a short but powerful verse: “Jesus wept” (v. 35).
a. Though He was going to bring Lazarus back to life, He still felt compassion for Mary and Martha. b. Likewise, Jesus understands our pain and grief.
B. He made an important promise to Lazarus’ sister Martha.
1. “I am the resurrection and the life”.
a. He not only raises the dead, but He has life in Himself.
b. Those who believe on Him have eternal life, and thus we have no need to fear the grave.
2. To Martha’s credit, she affirmed her belief in this promise.
a. She had stated her belief in the final resurrection.
b. She said she believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.
C. Jesus then raised Lazarus from the dead.
1. This was an undeniable miracle.
a. No one could deny that Lazarus was dead (v. 39).
b. There were numerous witnesses to his resurrection.
2. It upset the Jewish religious leaders.
a. Many of them were Sadducees, who did not believe in any kind of resurrection from the dead. b. They were afraid of the political consequences (v. 47-48).
Implied in this statement is the truth that Jesus is the One true God; He is not just any god, but one that can resurrect Himself. He did not say He would bring about the resurrection or He would be the cause of the resurrection; Jesus said He is the resurrection. Resurrection from death and the promise of eternal life are so closely related to Jesus that we can only find them in a relationship with Him. That relationship begins with believing. Jesus went on to say “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” Wait. If I’m dead, doesn’t that mean I’m not alive? Yes, your physical body will die, but you will not cease! For those who believe in Jesus, they are and will remain spiritually alive in Christ—and they will be resurrected to a new glorified body. Jesus promised us a life with Him in heaven.
John 20:24-25
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Do you consider Thomas a skeptic or an honest searcher?
· We generally characterize Thomas as a skeptic, which may be unfair to him.
· In John 11, when word came that Lazarus was at the point of death, Thomas, knowing how dangerous it would be for Jesus to return to Bethany, near Jerusalem, spoke up to his fellow disciples saying, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (11:16). Some suggest that this statement shows his negative perspective. I read it as a bold declaration of commitment.
· Resurrection can be difficult to accept as reality.
II. Resurrection can be difficult to accept as reality.
What’s your reaction to that?
· The great testimony of every believer is “I have seen the Lord.”
· Each person must have his own personal experience with the Risen Lord; someone else’s experience cannot be ours.
Jesus had risen from the dead, but Thomas was not yet convinced. Thomas was evidently a pessimist. Newspaper columnist George Will has said the nice thing about being a pessimist is you’re either right or you’re pleasantly surprised.
Hobbs cuts Thomas some slack regarding his “doubt.” He says, “Doubt is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a protective device given us by God. … When one doubts, he should not be content to let the matter end there. But he should pursue all evidence with an open mind – and with a disposition to believe – if the evidence demands it. Thomas did just that. And the result was most wholesome indeed!”
John 20:26-29
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Why is the resurrection of Jesus so important?
1. It proves that Jesus’ claims about Himself were true.
a. He predicted He would die and rise again.
b. He claimed to have power over death (John 10:17-18).
2. Since Jesus has proven Himself, we can believe His other claims.
a. He is coming again (John 14:3).
b. He is the only way to God (John 14:6).
3. His resurrection is a foretaste of our own resurrection.
a. When we die, our souls go directly to heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8).
b. When Jesus returns, our bodies will be raised, too (1 Thess. 4:16).
c. Our new bodies will not be under the curse of sin (1 Cor. 15:53).
d. Jesus’ resurrection was “the first fruits” of the future resurrection of believers (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).
III. Jesus backed up His promise of eternal life by rising from the dead.
· Jesus comes to us and accepts us just as we are, doubts and all.
· The call of the gospel is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the way of salvation.
· We may long to have walked with Jesus when He was on earth, but actually, we have the greater blessing of knowing Him and having Him dwell within our hearts through a dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit.
· When someone asks you how you know Jesus lives, sing out, “He lives within my heart!”
What part of the gospel seems too good to be true?
In what area of life do you need to stop doubting and believe that God is in control?
Conclusion: By His own resurrection, Jesus gave validity to His claim that He is “the resurrection and the life.” And because He lives, we live. His resurrection assures us that we too shall be resurrected. Thus, we claim the hope; we receive the new life; and we invite friends, neighbors, family members, and yes, all the inhabitants of the world to believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Hope of eternity! We do not worship a martyr on Easter or any other Sunday. We worship the Risen Lord.
You don’t die. When you die. Whatcha talkin bout, Jesus?
Jesus made some unusual statements. Consider what he said to a woman named Martha: “The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (John 11:25).
If you take that statement at face value, it sounds contradictory. If you die, you won’t die. What?? That sounds like something out of one of the zombie movies and series that have flooded popular culture in recent years.
So, which is it? Do I die or do I live?
Human history is full of attempts to find a fountain of youth or at least increase our lifespan. There are scientists committed to the study of longevity called — surprise! — longevity scientists. Their goal is to find ways to increase the average lifespan.
I’ve got to be honest. I don’t want to live a long life. I mean, a loooong life. I turned sixty last year, and within a month, I saw three different doctors for three different reasons. It’s like my warranty suddenly ran out. My mother died last month after many years of ailments and pain, mostly related to just age, and she said on several occasions she was ready to die and go Home. Who wants to live a long life if that’s in the future?
OF course, we know what Jesus meant with His statement, “The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” This physical life ain’t all there is. According to Barna Research, 81% of Americans believe there is life after death. That large percentage of the population, though, would differ on what exactly life-after-death means. Jesus is clear: Belief in Him is the key to having eternal life. That means, conversely, that eternal death awaits those who do not believe in Him.
Our physical bodies wear out. All the kale, vitamin supplements, and workout regimens won’t change that. Your warranty will give out. But that’s not the end of the story for the follower of Christ.
“There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in fact, one star differs from another star in splendor. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power…. The dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality” (1 Cor. 15:40-43,52-53).
I’m hesitant to use the phrase “new and improved” to describe our bodies after we die. Too many advertisements have jaded me to shout “NOW NEW AND IMPROVED!” I buy the new product, and it seems just like its old counterpart. And sometimes the new is not better than the old. Who really thinks all the design changes to the original Mustang were an improvement?
I cannot say what our new physical bodies will be like, but I’m pretty confident in saying we won’t miss our old ones! “What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived —God has prepared these things for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).
It may be that 81% of Americans believe there is life after death, but it is only those who trust their lives and futures to Christ who can look forward to a never-ending life in a physical body beyond anything we can imagine.
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
Got Questions: When Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” He was claiming to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, and there is no eternal life apart from Christ. Beyond that, Jesus was also making a statement concerning His divine nature. He does more than give life; He is life, and therefore death has no ultimate power over Him. Jesus confers this spiritual life on those who believe in Him, so that they share His triumph over death (1 John 5:11-12). Believers in Jesus Christ will experience resurrection because, having the life Jesus gives, it is impossible for death to defeat them (1 Corinthians 15:53-57). Death will not have the last laugh! The grieving Martha wished that Jesus had arrived earlier so He could have healed her brother. And when Jesus spoke of resurrection, Martha assumed He was speaking of “the resurrection at the last day.” In both statements, Martha reveals that she considered Time an insurmountable obstacle. In effect, Martha was saying, “It’s too late to help Lazarus (the time is past), so now we must wait (allow more time).” Jesus shows that neither Death nor time is an obstacle to Him. Outside the tomb, “Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ The dead man came out” (John 11:43). It’s one thing to claim to be the resurrection and the life, but Jesus proved it by raising Lazarus, who was four days dead. Truly, with Christ, death is but “sleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Death has no dominion over Him who is Life itself, nor does death have dominion over those who are in Him (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). Because He lives, we live. Because He is Life, we have life eternally.
Jesus’ statement that He is the resurrection and the life provide a godly perspective on several spiritual matters.
· Martha believed that the resurrection is an event; Jesus showed her (and us) that the resurrection is a Person.
· Martha’s knowledge of eternal life was an abstract idea; Jesus proved that knowledge of eternal life is a personal relationship.
· Martha thought victory over death was a future expectation; Jesus corrects her, showing that victory is a present reality.
After presenting Himself as the resurrection and the life, Jesus asks Martha an all-important question: “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26). May Martha’s answer be ours as well: “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world” (verse 27).
Billy Graham
Many people will soon hear the famous saying, "I am the resurrection and the life" but what does it really mean?
"I suppose I'd believe in life after death if I ever met someone who had gone there and then came back to tell about it," a man once wrote. But this is exactly what Jesus did when He died and then came back to life by the power of God. This is the Easter message and it is the glorious Good News that has been broadcast around the world for 2,000 years.
When Jesus was put to death, He truly died. The Roman soldiers who nailed Him to the cross attested to that fact when they took His body down and placed it in a tomb. Its entrance was sealed with a huge stone and placed under guard. But that was not the end of the story.
When the first day of the week dawned the tomb was empty, and shortly after, Jesus appeared numerous times to His followers -- as many as 500 on one occasion. His resurrection proved that Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God, sent from Heaven to save us from our sins. But it also proved for all time that there is life after death -- this is the Resurrection Story. The resurrection blasts apart the finality of death. The most important events in human history are the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without this, the cross is meaningless.
Jesus made this wonderfully profound statement that changed the world, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25). The resurrection is our great hope.
