Life in Him

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live even if he dies."

John 11:25

So what do we do now? For Christians the resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our hope. When Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” He was claiming to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, and there is no eternal life apart from Christ. When Jesus said these words He had just arrived at the village of Bethany. He had come because the sisters of His friend Lazarus had asked Him to come to see their brother who was very sick. Jesus had waited an additional two days before He came and in that time Lazarus died. The grieving Martha wished that Jesus had arrived earlier so that He could have healed her brother. When Jesus spoke of resurrection, Martha assumed He was speaking of “the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24) Martha thought that it was too late to help Lazarus now. This encounter with Jesus tells us that neither death nor time is an obstacle to Him.

Outside the tomb, “Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ The dead man came out” (John 11:43-44). It’s one thing to claim to be the resurrection and the life, but Jesus proved it by raising Lazarus, who was dead for four days. By raising Lazarus Jesus proved that death has no dominion over Him, nor does death have dominion over those who are in Him (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). Because He lives, we live. Because He is Life, we have life eternally. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have the hope of eternal life. Knowing this we should live our lives in accordance with the Word of God.

Paul wrote,

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Because we belong to Christ our lives should reveal who we belong to. We should ask ourselves the question, “Does my life show others that I am a Christian?”

Although we will never live sinless lives we must live our life in such a way that believes Jesus when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark