Statement five... part 3...

To close out this fifth Statement, there are two major points that I must bring forth.  We'll cover them both now, and I know you'll be as excited as I am to look through this one again from these perspectives.  Trust me, it will be worth it.

"Jesus said to her, '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 - ever. Do you believe this?'"

John 11:25-26, HCSB

I have made mention that Jesus spoke only to Martha, and I would like to make it clear that the Word supports this fact specifically.  It states clearly that "Jesus spoke to her," and does not say that Jesus spoke to the crowd, or to the masses, or even to a pluralized "them."  It designates her, Martha, personally and specifically. 

You might ask yourself, "Self, why is this minute portion of the verse so very important?"  Well, I'm glad you are curious, because the importance lies in the facts that follow.  Imagine once more the town, all gathered together and stricken with grief over their collective loss, a loss which reminds them that they are not certain what happens after death (and this probably happens every time someone dies).  Picture the masses of people who are in need of comfort, all crying and destitute.  Now look again at who Jesus spoke to... just Martha.  In the midst of all the pain, all the suffering, on that large scale, He took the time to personally speak to her.  He loved her enough to get right in the middle of it, One-with-one, and offer her comfort directly.  Do you know what that means?  It means He does that for you, too.

Of course, as referenced before, He also asks a very pointed and difficult question in that moment, looking for the clear statement of belief.  I asked before, and I'll ask again, do you believe it?  This makes the moment tough, even though it is comforting, because there isn't a gray area listed as an option.  Do you believe it or not?  That's the question that Martha had to answer, and it is the question that we have to answer.  The better part, though, is that along with the personal comforting, He also makes this moment personal for only Martha.  It doesn't say that He was shouting about whether the crowd believed it, but it says that He asked her directly, in the same sentence, whether she believed.  Guess what, folks... He's asking you, too.

The second point that we must look to is that He IS the resurrection.  I played with emphasis earlier, and I find that exercise to be impactful in looking through passages of the Gospel.  However, we need to look into the semantics and see that the defining part of it is that Jesus Christ IS the resurrection.  It's important, because He is the One who is "resurrected," but that is not how He worded it.  He is also the One "to be resurrected," but that is not how He said it.  To finish out the emphasis exercise, and to do it properly, the only thing to do is to place proper emphasis everywhere it belongs; JESUS CHRIST IS THE RESURRECTION.  Yep... that's how it should be said.

To follow this train of thought, to accept Him is to accept resurrection.  Conversely, one could not hope for resurrection without accepting Him.  Therefore, since the Word of God, Jesus Christ, through Whom all things were created, is saying that He IS the resurrection, the only way to have resurrection is to have Him.  It paints quite the picture, right?  Accept Him, and you receive all that He has to offer.  Deny Him, and you receive nothing but what you deserve, which is hell and death and damnation for all eternity.  He IS the resurrection.

On a final note, as Jesus calls Lazarus forth from the tomb, He shows that He IS, indeed, the resurrection.  His words revived a four-days-dead Lazarus, who by Martha's own admission was already stinking from decomposition (John 11:39, HCSB).  And the Word points out that Jesus "shouted with a loud voice (John 11:43, HSCB)," when He called Lazarus forth.  Now, I don't know about you, but when I think of the possibility of Jesus shouting loudly, all I can picture is the whole power of Heaven behind the roaring and deafening sound of words that are so loud they cannot be discerned by human ears... but the heart knows them anyway.

He IS the resurrection, and He is calling to you and revealing Himself to you through His Gospel.  Be as Lazarus, raised from your condemnation to death, and walk as you can to seek Him and Him alone.  He will send others to help unravel your bondage, and to free your movement (John 11:44, HCSB).  By this, you will be able to be free from the power of death.

God bless you all!!!