I AM the resurrection

Hope Rising: The Resurrection of Our Faith

Bible Passage: John 11:17-27

Summary: In this passage, Jesus encounters Mary and Martha after the death of their brother Lazarus. They express their grief and belief that if Jesus had been present, their brother would not have died. Jesus reveals his power over death by declaring himself the resurrection and the life, emphasizing that believers in Him will never truly die.

Application: This sermon can encourage teens to find hope in Jesus amidst the trials and losses they face. By understanding that death is not the end and that Jesus offers eternal life, they can confront their own fears and uncertainties with confidence in Christ's promises.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that Jesus is the source of life and hope, emphasizing the importance of faith in Him as the key to overcoming despair and gaining eternal life. It invites the audience to personally reflect on their faith in Jesus as the resurrection and life.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage points to the centrality of Christ as the resurrection and life, foreshadowing His own resurrection and demonstrating His divine authority over death. It connects to the larger narrative of the Gospel, which presents Jesus as the Savior who conquers sin and death for everyone.

Recommended Study: Consider diving into the cultural and historical context of mourning practices in first-century Judea as you prepare. You might also want to explore how the themes of death and resurrection in John's Gospel compare to those in the Synoptic Gospels. Utilize your Logos Library to analyze different translations and commentaries focusing on the theological implications of Jesus' declaration of being the resurrection.

Main Idea

Big Idea: Faith in Jesus, the resurrection and the life, transforms our perception of death, grief, and hope, calling us to trust in Him fully even in our darkest moments.

Although we have complete salvation through his death, because we are reconciled to God by it, it is by his resurrection, not his death, that we are said to be born to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).

John Calvin (French Reformer)

Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of the resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed.

John Robert Walmsley Stott (English Preacher)

Today we are going to be talking about a man who CLAIMS TO BE the most important part of our scripture. The man who claims to be the resurrection of all dead things. The one who holds the keys to death and life.

The keys of the kingdom of heaven” are the words of Christ.

Ellen Gould White

WE

What dead things do you have in your life? What things are you struggling with? What is something that is taking life from you Rather than giving it to you?

In those moments do you have faith? IS your faith something that you are living with daily or is it something that comes and goes?

3692 Faith is not merely you holding on to God—it is God holding on to you.

Eli Stanley Jones (Missionary Statesman)

1. Grief Meets Faith

John 11:17-22

discussing how grief and loss are universal experiences, as shown by Mary and Martha's mourning over Lazarus. Despite the pain, they express faith that Jesus could have prevented his death. This offers us a model for how faith and sadness coexist in our lives.

How do faith and sadness coexist?

Encourage teens to present their own grief and struggles to Jesus, trusting Him with their concerns, as He understands our sorrow deeply.

2. Resurrection Redefines Reality

John 11:23-27

transition to Jesus' powerful proclamation that He is the resurrection and the life. Highlight how this declaration challenges our understanding of life and death, offering hope that transcends our earthly limitations.

Ezekiel 37 “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had…”

Jesus invites us to believe in Him not merely for a future promise, but for present transformation. This point can empower teens to build their faith on the certainty of Christ's eternal life, even when confronted with loss.