Daily Devotional · John 11:25–26
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Reflection
"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?'" John 11 is one of the most emotionally rich chapters in the Bible. Lazarus was sick; Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus. Jesus delayed two days. By the time He arrived, Lazarus had been dead four days. Martha met Jesus on the road. She said: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." And then: "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus said: your brother will rise again. Martha assumed He meant the general resurrection at the last day. And then came the declaration: "I am the resurrection and the life." Not: I will cause resurrection. Not: I am a path to resurrection. I am the resurrection itself. Resurrection is not an event He produces; it is a reality He embodies. "The one who believes in me will live, even though they die." Physical death is not the end of the story for those who believe. They will live. "Whoever lives by believing in me will never die." Those who are alive and believe will not undergo the final death — the second death, the permanent separation. Then, characteristically: "Do you believe this?" The declaration becomes a question. It does not satisfy with information; it calls for response. Jesus wept at the tomb — not because He didn't know the outcome, but because death and grief are real and wrong and He entered fully into the sorrow of those He loved.
Background
The raising of Lazarus in John 11 is the climactic seventh sign in John's Gospel. The raising itself is described with unusual detail: the stone, the command "Lazarus, come out!", the grave clothes. The reaction to the miracle is divided: some believed, others went to tell the Pharisees (v. 45–46), setting in motion the plot to kill Jesus. John presents the resurrection of Lazarus as the proximate cause of the crucifixion — life given to one led to death for another, and then resurrection for all.
Truth
The resurrection is not primarily an event in the future — it is a Person in the present. "I am the resurrection." The life He offers is not a future hope disconnected from the present; it is a present reality that swallows death — now and ultimately. The question He asked Martha He asks you: Do you believe this?
Application
Jesus asked Martha: "Do you believe this?" Answer that question today — not as a doctrinal statement but as a personal response. Do you believe that the One you follow is resurrection and life? That the death you fear does not have the final word? That the grief you are carrying will not be the last thing said about your situation? Answer out loud.