I Am the Resurrection and the Life

CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES 1 JOHN 11:1–24 NOW A CERTAIN MAN WAS SICK, LAZARUS OF BETHANY, THE VILLAGE OF MARY AND HER SISTER MARTHA. IT WAS THE MARY WHO ANOINTED THE LORD WITH OINTMENT, AND WIPED HIS FEET WITH HER HAIR, WHOSE BROTHER LAZARUS WAS SICK. 2 SO THE SISTERS SENT WORD TO HIM, SAYING, “LORD, BEHOLD, HE WHOM YOU LOVE IS SICK.” BUT WHEN JESUS HEARD THIS, HE SAID, “THIS SICKNESS IS NOT TO END IN DEATH, BUT FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, SO THAT THE SON OF GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED BY IT.” 3 NOW JESUS LOVED MARTHA AND HER SISTER AND LAZARUS. SO WHEN HE HEARD THAT HE WAS SICK, HE THEN STAYED TWO DAYS LONGER IN THE PLACE WHERE HE WAS. THEN AFTER THIS HE SAID TO THE DISCIPLES, “LET US GO TO JUDEA AGAIN.” 4 THE DISCIPLES SAID TO HIM, “RABBI, THE JEWS WERE JUST NOW SEEKING TO STONE YOU, AND ARE YOU GOING THERE AGAIN?” JESUS ANSWERED, “ARE THERE NOT TWELVE HOURS IN THE DAY? 5 IF ANYONE WALKS IN THE DAY, HE DOES NOT STUMBLE, BECAUSE HE SEES THE LIGHT OF THIS WORLD. “BUT IF ANYONE WALKS IN THE NIGHT, HE STUMBLES, BECAUSE THE LIGHT IS NOT IN HIM.” 6 THIS HE SAID, AND AFTER THAT HE SAID TO THEM, “OUR FRIEND LAZARUS HAS FALLEN ASLEEP; BUT I GO, SO THAT I MAY AWAKEN HIM OUT OF SLEEP.” THE DISCIPLES THEN SAID TO HIM, “LORD, IF HE HAS FALLEN ASLEEP, HE WILL RECOVER.” 7 NOW JESUS HAD SPOKEN OF HIS DEATH, BUT THEY THOUGHT THAT HE WAS SPEAKING OF LITERAL SLEEP. SO JESUS THEN SAID TO THEM PLAINLY, “LAZARUS IS DEAD, AND I AM GLAD FOR YOUR SAKES THAT I WAS NOT THERE, SO THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE; 8 BUT LET US GO TO HIM.” THEREFORE THOMAS, WHO IS CALLED DIDYMUS, SAID TO HIS FELLOW DISCIPLES, “LET US ALSO GO, SO THAT WE MAY DIE WITH HIM.” SO WHEN JESUS CAME, HE FOUND THAT HE HAD ALREADY BEEN IN THE TOMB FOUR DAYS. 9 NOW BETHANY WAS NEAR JERUSALEM, ABOUT TWO MILES OFF; AND MANY OF THE JEWS HAD COME TO MARTHA AND MARY, TO CONSOLE THEM CONCERNING THEIR BROTHER. 10 MARTHA THEREFORE, WHEN SHE HEARD THAT JESUS WAS COMING, WENT TO MEET HIM, BUT MARY STAYED AT THE HOUSE. MARTHA THEN SAID TO JESUS, “LORD, IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE, MY BROTHER WOULD NOT HAVE DIED. 11 “EVEN NOW I KNOW THAT WHATEVER YOU ASK OF GOD, GOD WILL GIVE YOU.” JESUS SAID TO HER, “YOUR BROTHER WILL RISE AGAIN.” MARTHA SAID TO HIM, “I KNOW THAT HE WILL RISE AGAIN IN THE RESURRECTION ON THE LAST DAY.” 12 WE SOMETIMES GET CONFUSED ABOUT WHO GOD IS WE FACE SOME DIFFICULTY IN OUR LIFE AND WE TURN TO GOD FIX THINGS ( PAUSE ) 13 MARTHA SEES JESUS A WAY TO GET GOD TO FIX THINGS IF JESUS ASKS GOD WILL DO IT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO JESUS IS CHRIST IS GOING TO RESPOND TO MARTHA BY EXPLAINING WHO HE IS 14 TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT ANOTHER OF THE “I AM” STATEMENTS TURN TO JOHN 11:25 MARTHA TOLD JESUS “WHATEVER YOU ASK OF GOD, GOD WILL GIVE YOU” 15 JESUS RESPONDS “YOUR BROTHER WILL RISE AGAIN” AND MARTHA MISUNDERSTANDS SHE THINKS JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT THE RESURRECTION JESUS WILL MAKE CLEAR WHO HE IS 16 JOHN 11:25 JESUS SAID TO HER, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL LIVE EVEN IF HE DIES, 17 THE ONLY SOURCE “I AM” I AND I ALONE LIKE ALL THE OTHER I AM’S THIS ONE HAS THE WORD “I” IN THE EMPHATIC POSITION 18 THIS WOULD BE LIKE SAYING “I, AND I ALONE AM.” MARTHA THOUGHT JESUS WOULD ASK GOD JESUS MAKES IT CLEAR HE AND HE ALONE 19 IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE HE DOES NOT NEED TO ASK GOD, HE IS GOD 20 JOHN 1:1 IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD. 21 NO RESURRECTION AND NO LIFE EXIST WITHOUT CHRIST WHEN HE IS PRESENT THEY ARE PRESENT IF HE WERE EVER ABSENT THEY WOULD BE ABSENT 22 SOURCE OF LIFE TO THE DEAD “I AM THE RESURRECTION” JESUS IS STATING HERE THAT HE IS THE PRINCIPLE CAUSE, THE SOURCE OF THE RESURRECTION 23 RESURRECTION IS A RETURN TO LIFE MARTHA WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO A FUTURE EVENT CHRIST IS CHANGING HER FOCUS FROM THAT FUTURE EVENT TO A PERSON, HIMSELF 24 JOHN 5:27–28 AND HE GAVE HIM AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT, BECAUSE HE IS THE SON OF MAN. “DO NOT MARVEL AT THIS; FOR AN HOUR IS COMING, IN WHICH ALL WHO ARE IN THE TOMBS WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, 25 WE CAN GET OVERLY FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE RESURRECTION SOME FOLKS SPEND AN AWFUL LOT OF TIME ON THE 2 ND COMING WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN PRE-THIS, POST-THAT 26 WHO WILL BE HERE WHO WILL NOT JESUS CHANGES MARTHA’S FOCUS YES THERE IS A SECOND COMING AND A RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD 27 IT WILL BE MARVELOUS, IT IS CERTAIN BUT WE HAVE CHRIST NOW THIS IS JUST AS MARVELOUS AND JUST AS CERTAIN WE NEED TO FOCUS ON CHRIST NOW IN THIS LIFE 28 SOURCE OF ALL LIFE “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE” JESUS ADDED “AND THE LIFE” HE IS THE CAUSE OF LIFE, THE SOURCE OF LIFE ( PAUSE ) 29 HE IS NEW LIFE IN THE RESURRECTION HE IS THE SOURCE ETERNAL LIFE AND HE IS THE SOURCE OF DAILY LIFE WHEN WE WALK IN HIM NOW ( PAUSE ) 30 RESURRECTION AND LIFE ARE TWO RELATED CONCEPTS RESURRECTION IS THE PROCESS OF RETURNING TO LIFE THAT WHICH IS DEAD THERE CAN BE NO RESURRECTION WITH OUT THERE BEING LIFE TO RETURN TO 31 WHAT GOOD WOULD IT TO BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD IF THERE WERE NO LIFE TO BE RAISED UP TO? WHEN JESUS SAYS HE IS THE LIFE HE DOES NOT MEAN PHYSICAL, BIOLOGICAL LIFE 32 HE MEANS SPIRITUAL ETERNAL LIFE THE POINT HE IS MAKING IS THAT THERE IS ONE AND ONLY ONE WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE. ( PAUSE ) 33 THERE WAS A TOWN IN A REMOTE PORTION OF CANADA, IT WAS COMPLETELY ISOLATED FOR MANY YEARS. EVENTUALLY A ROAD WAS CUT THROUGH THE WILDERNESS TO REACH IT. 34 THE TOWN HAD ONE ROAD LEADING INTO IT, AND THUS, ONLY ONE ROAD LEADING OUT. IF SOMEONE WOULD TRAVEL TO THE REMOTE TOWN 35 THAT ROAD AND ONLY THAT ROAD COULD GET THEM THERE. THERE IS NO OTHER ROUTE TO BE TAKEN. NO AIRPORT, NO PORT, NO PATH, NO OTHER MEANS TO ARRIVE 36 YOU HAD TO TRAVEL THAT ROAD FOR SIX TO EIGHT HOURS TO GET INTO THE LITTLE TOWN, HEAVEN AND THAT TOWN HAVE THIS IN COMMON, ONLY ONE WAY TO GET THERE. FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY PATH TO HEAVEN. 37 ALL OTHER ROADS LEAD ONLY TO DEATH CHRIST ALONE IS THE ROAD TO ETERNAL LIFE. WE NEED TO STOP LOOKING FOR OTHER ROADS 38 WE HAVE THE ONE AND ONLY ROAD JESUS CHRIST WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE ONLY MEANS TO WALK THAT ROAD, FAITH 39 JOHN 11:25 JESUS SAID TO HER, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL LIVE EVEN IF HE DIES, 40 BELIEF IS REQUIRED THE REQUIREMENT TO LIVE IS TO BELIEVE IN JESUS FAITH IS THE PREREQUISITE FOR RESURRECTION AND ETERNAL LIFE THAT MAKES FAITH VERY IMPORTANT ( PAUSE ) 41 WE SURE BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS MEANS BY “BELIEVES IN ME” BELIEVES IS THE SAME WORD AS TRUST OR FAITH TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING IS TO TRUST, RELY ON, HAVE CONFIDENCE IN IT. 42 HEBREWS 11:1 NOW FAITH IS THE ASSURANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE CONVICTION OF THINGS NOT SEEN. 43 SO WHEN JESUS SAYS “BELIEVES IN ME” HE MEANS TO HAVE FAITH IN, HAVE CONFIDENCE IN, TO HAVE ASSURANCE IN HIM. AN ELDERLY MAN WAS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT HIS FIRST AIRPLANE RIDE. 44 HIS FRIENDS, EAGER TO HEAR HOW IT WENT, ASKED IF HE ENJOYED THE FLIGHT. “WELL,” COMMENTED UNCLE OSCAR, “IT WASN’T AS BAD AS I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE, BUT I’LL TELL YOU THIS. 45 I NEVER DID PUT ALL MY WEIGHT DOWN!” WHEN WE TRUST JESUS WE PUT ALL OUR WEIGHT DOWN ON HIM HE IS THE OBJECT OF THE BELIEF 46 WE ARE TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS, GOD THAT HE CAN DO WHAT HE SAID HE CAN DO LIVE A SINLESS LIFE AND DIE ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS 47 AND THAT THE RESULT WILL BE THE RESULT HE SAYS WILL HAPPEN WE WILL LIVE EVEN IF WE DIE, WE WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE 48 BELIEF RESULTS IN LIFE “HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL LIVE EVEN IF HE DIES,” NOTICE JESUS DOES NOT SAY “MIGHT” LIVE HE SAYS WILL LIVE, THIS MEANS WILL CERTAINLY LIVE ( PAUSE ) 49 IF WE TRUST WHAT JESUS HAS JUST SAID WE WILL HAVE ASSURANCE OF OUR DESTINY OUR ETERNAL SECURITY IS NOT A MATTER OF IF’S OR MAYBE 50 ITS NOT BASED ON OUR WORKS IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE WORRY AND FRET OVER OUR ETERNAL SECURITY IS BASED ON THIS PROMISE FROM CHRIST “HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL LIVE EVEN IF HE DIES” 51 JOHN 10:28–29 AND I GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO THEM, AND THEY WILL NEVER PERISH; AND NO ONE WILL SNATCH THEM OUT OF MY HAND. 52 “MY FATHER, WHO HAS GIVEN THEM TO ME, IS GREATER THAN ALL; AND NO ONE IS ABLE TO SNATCH THEM OUT OF THE FATHER’S HAND. 53 WE ARE SECURE NOT BASED ON OUR EFFORTS BUT BASED ON WHO IT IS THAT HOLDS US HE WHO HAS TRIUMPHED OVER DEATH ( PAUSE ) 54 BELIEF BEYOND DEATH HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL LIVE EVEN IF HE DIES , THE SEPARATION OF SOUL AND BODY 55 IS SAID HERE TO NOT EVEN INTERRUPT, MUCH LESS IMPAIR, THE EVERLASTING LIFE IMPARTED BY JESUS MARTHA WAS UPSET AT THE LOSS OF HER BROTHER 56 I UNDERSTAND THAT, WHEN WE LOSE SOMEONE IT IS UPSETTING JESUS TELLS MARTHA, “DEATH IS NOT THE END FOR THOSE WITH FAITH” THIS SHOULD AFFECT HOW WE GO THROUGH THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE 57 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13 BUT WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE UNINFORMED, BRETHREN, ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE ASLEEP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT GRIEVE AS DO THE REST WHO HAVE NO HOPE. 58 NOTICE THIS DOES NOT SAY WE WILL NOT GRIEVE IT SAYS WE WILL NOT GRIEVE THE WAY THOSE WHO HAVE NO HOPE GRIEVE I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO LOSE SOMEONE NOT KNOWING GOD 59 OUR GRIEF MAY BE TEMPERED BY THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WILL SEE THOSE WHO TRUSTED CHRIST AGAIN THIS SHOULD ENCOURAGE US TO SHARE THE GOSPEL 60 JOHN 11:26 AND EVERYONE WHO LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER DIE. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?” EVERYONE INCLUDED WHO SO EVER LIVES IN THIS WORLD 61 NO MATTER WHERE IN THIS WORLD CHRIST’S OFFER OF SALVATION IS FOR EVERYONE CHRIST IS ABLE TO SAVE ANYONE ANYWHERE WE MIGHT THINK SOMEONE IS BEYOND HIS REACH ( PAUSE ) 62 WE ARE WRONG WE MIGHT THINK THEY ARE TO FAR GONE WE ARE WRONG THEY ARE ALL PART OF “EVERYONE WHO LIVES” 63 MARK 16:15 AND HE SAID TO THEM, “GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ALL CREATION. 64 THE OFFER OF THE GOSPEL IS FOR EVERYONE AND EVERYONE THE GOSPEL IS OFFERED TO IS REQUIRED TO DO ONE THING 65 EVERYONE REQUIRED TO BELIEVE “AND EVERYONE WHO LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER DIE. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?” THE REQUIREMENT TO BELIEVE IS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE 66 NO ONE CAN EARN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD NO ONE CAN BE GOOD ENOUGH TO BE WORTHY OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD EVERYONE HAS THE SAME REQUIREMENT FAITH 67 HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY GOD CHOSE FAITH ( PAUSE ) SEE I THINK GOD CHOSE FAITH BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING EVERYONE CAN DO WE TRUST THINGS ALL THE TIME 68 WE TRUST A CHAIR WHEN WE SIT IN IT WE TRUST OUR BRAKES WHEN WE GET IN THE CAR GOD CHOSE FAITH BECAUSE ALL OF US CAN DO IT 69 YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE FAST, OR BIG, OR SMART, OR RICH. HE DID NOT CHOSE SOMETHING ONLY SOME OF US CAN DO IT DOES NOT TAKE SPECIAL TRAINING TO TRUST 70 EVERYONE OF US NEEDS GOD SO HE CHOSE SOMETHING EVERYONE OF US IS ABLE TO DO SO THAT EVERYONE OF US CAN HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM 71 EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES WILL NEVER DIE. “AND EVERYONE WHO LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER DIE . DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?” 72 WILL NEVER DIE REFERS TO SPIRITUAL DEATH THE SECOND DEATH WHICH IS SEPARATION FROM GOD 73 REVELATION 21:8 “BUT FOR THE COWARDLY AND UNBELIEVING AND ABOMINABLE AND MURDERERS AND IMMORAL PERSONS AND SORCERERS AND IDOLATERS AND ALL LIARS, 74 THEIR PART WILL BE IN THE LAKE THAT BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.” 75 THE EXTENT OF THIS GUARANTEE IS FOUND IN THE WORD NEVER IN THE GREEK THIS IS A DOUBLE NEGATIVE 76 IN ENGLISH A DOUBLE NEGATIVE CANCELS OUT THE NEGATIVE BUT IN GREEK IT EMPHASIZES THE PERMANENT NATURE OF THE NEGATIVE 77 THIS TEACHES THE TOTAL SECURITY OF EVERY BELIEVER TO ACHIEVE THIS SECURITY WE MUST FIRST BELIEVE 78 MUST BELIEVE THE OFFER “AND EVERYONE WHO LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER DIE. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?” JESUS ASKS MARTHA IF SHE BELIEVES WHAT HE HAS TOLD HER 79 DOES SHE BELIEVE HE IS THE RESURRECTION DOES SHE BELIEVE HE IS THE LIFE DOES SHE BELIEVE THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM WILL NEVER DIE 80 MARTHA WAS ASKING ONE THING “WILL YOU ASK GOD TO RAISE MY BROTHER FROM THE DEAD” AND JESUS WAS RESPONDING WITH A QUESTION THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION 81 SEE, WE GET TO THINKING GOD’S JOB IS TO FIX THINGS FOR US BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THIS LIFE IS A JOURNEY THERE ARE ONLY TWO DESTINATIONS ( PAUSE ) HEAVEN AND HELL 82 HOW YOU ANSWER JESUS’ QUESTION “DO YOU BELIEVE?” DETERMINES WHICH WE ARRIVE AT THIS QUESTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE 83 WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANT THINGS A COUPLE WERE GOING ON VACATION, THEY WERE STANDING IN LINE WAITING TO CHECK THEIR BAGS AT THE AIRLINE COUNTER. 84 THE HUSBAND SAID TO THE WIFE, "I WISH WE HAD BROUGHT THE PIANO." THE WIFE SAID, "WHY? WE'VE GOT SIXTEEN BAGS ALREADY!" THE HUSBAND SAID, "YES, I KNOW-- BUT THE TICKETS ARE ON THE PIANO!“ ( PAUSE ) 85 IN LIFE WE GET CAUGHT UP IN THINGS THINGS WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE FOCUSED 86 ON THE TRULY IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE THE QUESTION “DO YOU BELIEVE?” 87 JOHN 11:27 SHE SAID TO HIM, “YES, LORD; I HAVE BELIEVED THAT YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, EVEN HE WHO COMES INTO THE WORLD.” 88 AND CHRIST WENT ON TO RESURRECT LAZARUS FROM PHYSICAL DEATH LIKE MARTHA WE TURN TO GOD WHEN WE ARE SUFFERING AND DISTRAUGHT 89 SOMETIMES WE THINK GOD’S MAIN PURPOSE IS TO HELP US IN THESE TIMES WE NEED TO KNOW WHO GOD IS HE IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE 90 THE ONE AND ONLY SOURCE OF ALL LIFE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL, TEMPORAL LIFE AND ETERNAL LIFE HE HAS TOLD US THERE IS ONE AND ONLY ONE ROAD TO HEAVEN 91 JESUS CHRIST ( PAUSE ) THE ONLY WAY WE GET ON THAT ROAD IS BY BELIEVING IN HIM BELIEVING HE CAME AND LIVED A SINLESS LIFE 92 BELIEVING HE DIED ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS BELIEVING HE ROSE AGAIN AFTER THREE DAYS BELIEVING HE ASCENDED TO HEAVEN AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD 93 BELIEVING THAT HE IS COMING BACK IF ANYONE HERE HAS NOT TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST… 94 95