Christ Jesus - The Resurrection And The Life!

JOHN 11:21-26

Over lunch, British writer G. K. Chesterton once expounded to fellow writer Alexander Woollcott on the relationship between power and authority. "If a rhinoceros were to enter this restaurant now, there is no denying he would have great power here. But I should be the first to rise and assure him that he had no authority whatever."

Chesterton's vivid example is right. There is a profound difference between power and authority--and Christ Jesus possesses both.

Last week I said that we do not always understand what God is saying or what He is doing. And the most critical point of misunderstanding centers in what God has to say about death. Yet this very point separates Christianity from all other religions and exalts God above every pretender. If you miss His truth about life and death, you miss everything. Also I stated that death, contrary to popular belief it is not a natural extension of life. It was not until Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit that sin entered the garden and the world. And it was at that moment that death entered the world, (Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death...

Christ Jesus raised three people from the dead. There was the young girl who was only 12 years old and recently deceased (Mark 5:39-42). There was the young man on his way to the graveyard (Luke 7:12-15). And then there was Lazarus who had been dead for four days and already decomposing in his tomb.

Again last week you saw that the Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus sent word to Christ Jesus that he was very ill. Christ Jesus assured Mary and Martha that their brother’s illness would not result in death. Then He delayed His departure by two days. Some ask why Christ Jesus delayed His trip to save His friend. We looked at a couple of possible reasons last week, but I think the best explanation is this, the Jewish people believed that the spirit of a dead person hovered over the body for 3 days before departing on the fourth day. By arriving 4 days after Lazarus' death there could be no doubt for those who were about to witness this miracle that Lazarus was dead.

The disciples were a little worried about going back so close to Jerusalem. After all it had been just a few weeks earlier that the Jewish leaders had try to stone Christ Jesus. As a matter of fact good old “doubting” Thomas (possibly Matthew's twin brother) said, “Lets us also go, that we may die with him.” (vs.16). I can picture it going down like this, Thomas shrugging his shoulders and saying, “Well Lazarus is dead, so lets go and join him; after all the more the marrier.”

What an emotional scene when Christ Jesus got to Mary and Martha’s. The two grieving sisters moved Christ Jesus to tears Himself. Oh that we might have a faith like Martha’s, “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you.”

When Christ Jesus was ready He had the stone rolled away from the tomb. Martha protest but Christ Jesus insists. He then prays not because He has to, but so that those around Him will know that what He is about to do is in harmony with God the Father’s will. And then He calls out in a loud voice for Lazarus to come out of the grave. And sure enough we see in vs. 44 Lazarus still bound in his grave clothes walks out of the grave.

D.L. Moody once searched for a text used by Christ Jesus at a funeral. He thought such a text would bring great consolation at the funeral he had to preach. He was delighted to discover that Jesus broke up every funeral He attended! 

John 11:21-27
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." 

Here in John 11:21-26 we come as close as we ever will to one of the Lord’s funeral texts. In these verses we see revealed 3 kinds of life Christ Jesus bestows. The first kind we see is:

1. RESURRECTION LIFE – “I am the resurrection and the life” (vs. 25)

Death stands as the last and strongest enemy in many people's eyes, but it is defeated. (1 Cor 15:55-57) "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

How has this been accomplished? Because “I am” has made it so. And with God all things are possible. Folks, death’s hold on your life has been broken once and for all if you will just allow Christ Jesus into your life as Lord and Saviour. Christ Jesus will one day come back for us. And on that day He will resurrect all believers who have died. Unlike Lazarus who had to experience death again, you will not if you know Christ Jesus as your Saviour. Can you say with certainty this morning that Christ Jesus is your resurrection?

Yes Jesus bestows the resurrection life and He also bestows the:

2. SPIRITUAL LIFE – “He that believes in Me, will live even if he dies,” (vs.25)

Physical death may overtake you, but spiritual death has no power over you if you will believe in Christ Jesus. Your spiritual life will never be extinguished, but will be perfected in eternal life. Remember to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). 

He or she that lives and believes is one that by faith is born again to a heavenly and divine life. So to live in Christ – is to makes Christ Jesus the center of your life, and this includes your spiritual life. Will you chose this, to make Christ the all and exclusive center of your life?

Christ Jesus gives us a resurrected life. He gives us a spiritual life that can never be extinguished. And there is one more kind of life He gives us, that is:

3. ETERNAL LIFE – “and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” (vs. 26)

Martha did not grasp the entirety of this theology, but never less she placed her foothold of faith directly in Christ Jesus' affirmation of His messiah-ship. She believed that Christ Jesus was the Son of God, and that He might still be able to do something for her brother. But becausae of her limited grasp of things she did not think that Christ Jesus would bring her brother back to life in the here and now.

Everyone who does not know Christ Jesus is dead, dead to God, dead in trespasses and sins. But there is hope if you will believe in Christ Jesus, and trust Him as your Lord Savior, you will live. The mortal body will at length give up it's life; but the life of the soul, the believing soul, will be immediately at death take up immortality. 

Will you believe, will you trust, will you chose Christ Jesus and eternal life today?

CONCLUSION:

Life is a mysterious and complex thing. True, we can now make artificial proteins in the lab. And protein is the building block of life. But, it is doubtful if man will ever be able actually create life, and as for making it out of nothing, well. To say that life is only Chemistry, as some do, is to grossly understate the fantastic complexity of even the simplest form of life. But Christ Jesus offers life in three dimensions; resurrection, spiritual, eternal.