Jesus Christ Is the Resurrection & the Life

Transcript

GR 377
11/2/1980
Jesus Christ Is the Resurrection and the Life
John 11:17-29
Gil Rugh

John chapter 11 in your Bibles. John's gospel and the 11th chapter. We will continue our study in this great chapter today, picking up with the focal point on resurrection. The background has been laid through the first sixteen verses which we have already considered where Jesus focuses in on the fact that what is to be accomplished in Lazarus' illness and subsequent death is all for the glory of God. And verse 4 of chapter 11, Jesus says 'This sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it.' You note how closely linked together the glory of God the Father and the glory of God the Son are. The purpose of Lazarus being ill is that God is glorified, specifically that the Son of God be glorified by this illness. Because it will be the Son of God who will demonstrate His power, His sovereignty even over death in raising Lazarus to life.

In verses 9 and 10, He reminded the disciples of the importance of carrying out the work and ministry that God has given us in the time that He has allotted to us. He sovereignly determines what we are to do, the time in which it is to be done. So there is to be an awareness and recognition of what is committed to us. In a sense of urgency in recognizing that what we are to do must be done in the time that God has given us. There will come a time for every one of us when it will no longer be a possibility to serve Jesus Christ. At least not in this life—we will serve Him for eternity, but the opportunities afforded for serving Him on this earth will come to an end for each of us. There ought to be a sense of urgency about our diligence in service.

Jesus also told them in verses 14 and 15 that Lazarus has already died. Jesus is aware of all the details of the situation. He tells them "Lazarus is dead. He’s not ill any longer, he died." And then He says interestingly, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe.” In other words, the fact that he died will provide the occasion for your faith in Me to be strengthened and confirmed and that in turn will prepare them for the difficult days that lie ahead in connection with the crucifixion, etc.

As we come to verse 17, Jesus arrives in the vicinity of Bethany where Lazarus lived and is now buried. And this section is going to draw attention upon Jesus Christ as the One who is the resurrection and the life. No more important subject in all of the Scripture and all of life than the subject of resurrection. It makes the difference between despair and hope, between meaning and emptiness in our life. It amazes me how many people go on in life without any consideration of what is to come. That people invest their lives here and now as though they would be here forever, and go on glibly ignoring the fact that some day they will die. And if you’ve ever thought about that, allowed your mind to zero in and focus on that, that can become a tremendously despairing kind of thought—that no matter what I do, no matter how hard I work, no matter what I accomplish, there is going to come a day when I leave it all behind and I’m gone. The Old Testament focuses on this very clearly. Look back there if you would quickly.

Psalms is a background for the subject of resurrection. Psalm 39. Important for us as believers to be constantly reminded of the transient character of life, otherwise we begin to live like a non-believer. The person who does not believe in Jesus Christ has no hope beyond this physical life. He invests his life here totally. Now even those of us who have come to believe in Jesus Christ, if we don’t constantly remind ourselves that life is transitory, that we are only temporal beings, we will slide over and begin to live our lives in the same way, begin to invest ourselves here completely and lose sight of reality that someday I won't be here any longer.

Psalm 39, verse 4, David says, "Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extent of my days, let me know how transient I am." He says he needs to be reminded that I'm just a stranger, a pilgrim here. That I don't belong to this world that I won't be here indefinitely. "Behold, Thou hast made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Thy sight, surely every man is at best a mere breath." Everybody, the best you can say about them like a breath. Stop and take a breath—that's what you're like. That quick, here and gone in God's sight. "Surely every man walks about as a phantom"—not promoting ghosts per se. A phantom, an image. In other words, here and gone. Just like a shadow, it passes on that quickly. "Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches, and does not know who will gather them." I like that—he makes an uproar for nothing! A big a-do about me, and here I am and I’m going to be gone like a shadow. Like a breath. I acquire all I can and I don't even know for sure whose going to get it. Ecclesiastes, Solomon the wisest and wealthiest man who ever lived, spoke to the subject and said you know, I've seen a thing that makes no sense where a man invests his life and wisely acquires much and then he dies and leaves it to a fool, and the fools squanders and wastes it. And what has he accomplished? Yet there is nothing you can do. We make wills to secure our wills to secure our wills because we want to be sure what happens to it, and when it's all said and done somebody takes it to the courts and it all gets wasted anyway!

Psalm 49, verse 16. Much of the emphasis is on the rich and there is a certain warning that characterizes through Scripture, that the more we have the more danger can face us about becoming attached to what we have and the world in which we have it. And having much is relative, obviously. God has blessed us as a people and as a nation, and by and large we as believers in this nation have become attached to what we have and thus have become attached to the world. We could be spoken of in that sense as worldly. Verse 16 of Psalm 49, "Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not descend after him." No matter what he has, it will all be left behind. No matter how much glory and honor he has received, he’ll leave it all here. "Though while he lives he congratulates himself—" I like that, it's very picturesque. We congratulate ourselves. Boy, I’m a good buy; I’ve really accomplished a lot. I’ve done it. He congratulates himself. "And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish." Not saying there is no difference between man and beast, but both alike perish. You know what happens to your dog? He dies and leaves his doghouse here. You know what happens to you and I? Same thing. We die and leave it all behind. Psalm 103. Now this is really an encouraging sermon, so don’t leave!
Psalm 103, verse 15. "As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more; and its place acknowledges it no longer." You go out into a large field and you see the most beautiful flower you've ever seen. You examine it and you say, It's gorgeous! And in a brief matter of time you go back and it’s gone and you’re not even sure where it was. You can't even for sure pick out the spot. Yet it was the most beautiful, gorgeous flower and yet it's gone. I can't even be sure where it was. And the Psalmist says that's what you and I are like. No matter what we do, no matter what we accomplish, no matter how glorious we make ourselves, the best you become is a name in a history book. What does it amount to? We go and do archaeological excavations among one of the Seven Wonders of the World that a man constructed for his own glory, and what is it now? An archaeological ruin. And what is he? A name in a history book. He died just like the poor man who was his slave who swept the streets in that great city. No difference at all. Over to James in the New Testament.

James chapter 4. A good study for you to help keep your life in balance. Go through the Old Testament in particular and note all those passages that focus continual attention on the brevity of life—"teach me to number my days that I may apply my heart to wisdom." James picks up this theme and reminds those who are bragging about what they are going to accomplish. V. 13 of James 4, "Come now, you who say, ’Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil." You note, that the planning is not what is evil here. It's the planning without taking God into consideration. He doesn't say that you should not plan, but he says you ought to plan with the contingency that if the Lord wills, this is what I will do. But man today goes on and makes his plans for tomorrow as though every tomorrow would come. But there's not a person here that someday there will be no tomorrow. And for some, it will be much briefer than others. Had a family in this congregation that lost a loved one this week that was well under the appointed years that we think of as 3-score and ten. We'd say he was a young man and yet it is done, it's over. His life has vanished as a vapor. James says you'd better take God into your plan. We as believers need to remember that. I plan for tomorrow but I'd better not slide over and become like the world. I've made all my plans and I've never stopped to give consideration to what if God says today is the day. There is no tomorrow.

Now as you focus on these kind of subjects, they can become terribly depressing. I think the way that the unbeliever can continue to live his life as effectively as he does is that he lives in a world of fantasy. He does not really stop and ponder the fact that he is transient. He is a temporal being. He is in the process today of dying. And it could be next week, next month, next year he'll only be a memory and then probably only to those of his immediate family. That kind of thing weighs upon you and what can I do, and I'm not sure about tomorrow. And there can be a despair and a hopelessness. This is why I believe that many of the young people, high school and college age young people, are much more perceptive than older people because they come to grips with reality and realize something of the hopelessness, the futility of investing all their lives and energy into getting ahead in this life, acquiring in this life only to die and have nothing. Only to have misery at the end. And if you allow yourself to pursue that, pretty soon suicide becomes a rational alternative. Because if death is the end of it, why should I struggle and beat my head against a wall and strive and go on only to die and have nothing anyway? Bail out early. But the Scripture presents hope, and I'm convinced that only those who are Christians in the biblical sense of the word can really live in the realm of reality, can really face the world as it is and go forward and have assurance of what is going to transpire.

That's where John chapter 11 takes us—to the subject of the resurrection. That there is a future. That this life is not the end, but it is just a transient period of time preparing me for eternity. That it has true, real significance because it is part of what God wants to accomplish in my life to prepare me for eternity in His presence. So I can go on knowing tomorrow I might be dead, that I might die in what is called the prime of life. But that's not tragedy, that's purpose because God has a plan and has given me a future.

This will come out as Jesus presents Himself to Martha and then to Mary. When we come to verse 17, He found that Lazarus has been in the tomb four days. So he was dead and buried. It was a practice of the Jews to bury people on the same day as dying. The practice was widespread in that hot, Middle East in biblical times where decay would set in rapidly. So in all probability, Lazarus was dead when Jesus got word. It would have taken a day for the messengers to get to Him, Jesus stayed 2 days after He heard that message, and then He took a day to come to Bethany. In all probability Lazarus was dead but Jesus remained where He was so there would be no doubt about the reality and settled condition of Lazarus. He was dead and He was buried and enough time had passed that no one questioned the reality of his death.

"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." Bethany is within two miles of Jerusalem—that geographical note to explain to you some of those who would be present at the mourning. The Jews from Jerusalem, those who would have been prominent leaders in Israel would have come out. They would have known Mary and Martha and Lazarus. They had come out to console them. Funerals are always a sad occasion, but for some they are hopeless occasions. For others, there is sadness with hope. They are always difficult times. They are probably some of the best times for us because they bring reality into our world. They remind us of what really matters, what really counts.

I remember being at the hospital with a lady who was dying. Both of them were believers—the man was very successful in what he had accomplished and the wife was sharing with me as her day came to the end, her husband’s feelings. He said 'You know, it doesn’t seem to matter that I go and make any more or accomplish anything.' That was healthy for that man to be reminded of reality, because his world had been lived artificially as though it would go on indefinitely.
And now he is presented with the reality, what difference does it make? All of this seems rather insignificant and irrelevant as reality presses in.

Mary and Martha are confronted with this situation with the death of their brother and the Jews are there. They are going to be interested and important spectators because the nation Israel in the form of its leaders will have opportunity to observe the greatest miracle that has ever occurred and then to demonstrate their unbelief in the face of that evidence.

’When Martha therefore, heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him; but Mary still sat in the house.” Word comes ahead. Maybe Jesus sent for Martha, maybe someone just came ahead to say that Jesus was on His way. At any rate, Martha gets up and goes. Mary stays in the house. We see similar characteristics as when we confronted them in Luke and Martha is busy about all the preparations and Mary is quietly sitting at the feet of Jesus. More reserved, that quiet kind of person. And Martha goes out to meet Jesus. She doesn’t wait for Him to come. Perhaps she wanted the opportunity to be with Him alone, to spend some time with Him before He came to the confusion of the home and the mourning that would have characterized that situation.

Verse 21. "Martha therefore said to Jesus, ’Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.'” Interesting. You get the idea of what these sisters had been talking about during the days or weeks, however long it was, of Lazarus' illness. Because when Mary confronts Jesus, down in v. 32, she says exactly the same thing, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." I don’t think it’s intended as a rebuke in any way of Jesus, but simply sharing something of the feelings they have had. That they must have talked in those days of Lazarus’ illness, and then as it got so serious that they sent to let Jesus know of the condition. Wouldn’t it be different if Jesus was here! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Jesus was here! If He was here, He could make Lazarus well! I’m sure over the days they had talked about this and after death had occurred. And if you’ve ever been in such a situation and most of you probably have, you can sit and say 'Oh, if only this had happened. Oh, if we only had done this; or if we only hadn't done that it would have made all the difference.’ And it would have made all the difference in the world if Jesus had been there. She’s right—he wouldn't have died, because He had the power to heal Him. So she’s acknowledging her faith, her confidence. There is the sadness that He wasn't there, but she has faith in Him. He could have made the difference but He wasn't there to do it. But she adds "Even now, I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Some have taken this to mean she is saying, 'I know that even if you want to raise him from the dead you could do it.' And that could be, although from the way the rest of the account goes on, it doesn't seem likely because when Jesus does come to the tomb to tell them to roll away the stone, Martha objects. But rather what she is acknowledging is that he wouldn't have died and I still have confidence in You, that whatever you ask your Father He will do. So in other words, my confidence hasn't been shaken since you didn't come. That perhaps I've trusted you too much. She has full confidence that He could have healed Him and I know that God gives you what you want. But perhaps she hasn't had her faith stretched enough that He'll do whatever you ask, even raise Him from the dead. You know, we're like that. We say, Oh I know He could have handled this. But somehow in our minds we think perhaps we've crossed the line that things have gotten too bad or too serious. It's too bad God didn't do something earlier when He could have handled it. Now we don't say it that way, but really in our mind that's the way our thinking goes. It's too bad that God didn’t do something back before things got into such a mess. I do that. I see situations and I say, Oh God, why didn't you do something two months ago. It would have been so much easier. Easier for Him or easier for me? He's really not in a bind! But I sit and think, Oh my, it's too bad He didn't act before it got hopeless. And I have to remind myself—wait, it's never hopeless. He's just as much in control as He was six months ago. It's no more difficult for Him to do something today as it was then. In fact, it's better He does it today. You know why? I've come to the point to recognize that only God could do something about this situation. That's good for me. If He had done it six months ago, I would have said 'Well, God and me finally got it worked out!' But when it gets hopeless, I already bail out. Then I realize anything that happens, God does it. But we do cross the line in our thinking. We think it’s too bad no one can do anything. In our thinking we often think that includes God Himself.

"Jesus said to her, ’Your brother shall rise again."’ That’s a note of hope. Here you have the resurrection brought in. There is a future for Lazarus, and Martha believes it. "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." She has that confidence. We’ll see a little later that that confidence is what gives hope in the sorrow of death. I’m sure Martha had heard it many times, but if you have been through the death of a loved one, you know that even though there is the coming resurrection it is a rending experience the sorrow of that separation. It is tempered by the knowledge that I'll see them again in the presence of Jesus Christ. But there is the agony and sorrow brought about by the separation. I don't know whether that separation will be for a day for a month, for a year, or two years. It is tempered by the fact that I know it is temporary. But there is the sorrow there, and Martha expresses 'I know he’s going to be raised on the last day.’ And Jesus wants to drive home to her, 'You know, He can be raised again on the last day because of Who I Am.’ You know why there's going to be a resurrection at the last day? Because Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and He is now in the presence of the One who is Himself the resurrection and life. And this is what Jesus draws her attention to.

Verse 25—"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection, and the life."’ Resurrection is found in Me; life is found in Me. This is the fifth of seven I AM statements in the Gospel of John. I AM the resurrection and the life.

Look at these with me briefly, to give you a picture of the claims of Christ and who He is. Back to John chapter 6, verse 35. "Jesus said to them, ’I AM the bread of life.'" I AM the bread of life, so if you partake of Me, you never hunger and you never thirst. John 8:12, "Again therefore Jesus spoke to them saying, 'I AM the light of the world.'" So he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life. I AM the light of the world. Chapter 10, verse 9. "I AM the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved." The way of access to salvation, I AM the door. Verse 11 of chapter 10, "I AM the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." I AM the good shepherd.

Chapter 14, verse 6. "I AM the way, the truth, the life." Same kind of idea as. we have in chapter 11. Jesus says '1 am the resurrection and the life.’ Chapter 14, verse 6, "I am the way, the truth, the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

In chapter 15, verse 5. "I AM the vine, you are the branches." Abiding in Him results in much fruit. I AM the vine. So it is stressed that He Himself personally is the source of salvation, the means of access to the presence of the Father. He Himself is the source of light, and He Himself is the resurrection in chapter 11, verse 25.

Now a concept of resurrection is mentioned in the Old Testament but it is not developed. A number of passages—Job refers to it. And I’ll just mention them to you. Job chapter 19, verse 25-27, Job says "Even though my skin rots, someday I’ll see God with my eyes." It doesn't matter that his body is decaying, someday I shall see him. That's Job 19:25. That's interesting because Job is probably the oldest book in the Old Testament, contemporary of the patriarchs like Abraham. David referred to it in Psalm 15:9-11, of the fact that he shall see Him. Isaiah 26 refers to the fact of a resurrection for Israel, and let me read you that verse. You may turn to it quickly, Isaiah 26:19. Isaiah speaks to Israel and says, "Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits." Those who have been lying in the dust, the corpses, they'll rise again in the coming resurrection.

Perhaps the clearest passage in the Old Testament along with Isaiah, is
Daniel chapter 12 where we’re given something of a timeline with the Tribulation for Israel. Daniel chapter 12, verse 1. And then verse 2, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake. These to everlasting life, others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” Coming resurrection is promised in the Old Testament, but the details are not unfolded. So Martha could say, "I know he'll be raised in the last day." It’s the New Testament that develops for us something of the order of the resurrection, where it is revealed that the first group to receive resurrection will be those at the Rapture of the Church, consisting of all those who believe in Jesus Christ as personal Savior, the One who died for them. From Acts chapter 2 down to that point in time. With the Rapture of the Church, all those believers in Jesus Christ who have died, their bodies will be brought back to life in a glorified state suitable for God’s presence in heaven.

Now the New Testament develops for us that when they died physically, they left their bodies and went into the presence of God if they were believers, and at that resurrection they will come back with Him and move back into that body. That's why we say the body is asleep. The person is in the presence of God, the body is asleep—it's not being used. At that point in time, they'll move back in. Seven years later, Israel will be resurrected Old Testament saints, at the beginning of the earthly reign of Christ. That was referred to in Daniel chapter 12, verse 2 and Isaiah referring to this event. All those who were believers in the Old Testament are called back to life and their bodies as they are resurrected. A thousand years later the end of the earthly reign of Christ, every single person who did not come to believe in the revelation God had given of Himself is raised from the dead in a resurrected body that can never die and is sentenced in that body to eternal suffering for all eternity. So everyone is resurrected ultimately. There are two basic groups—those who are resurrected to life and blessing; those who are resurrected to condemnation and suffering. Now the focal point in John chapter 11 is resurrection to life and to blessing.

So back to John chapter 11, Jesus says "I am the resurrection, and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die." He who believes in me shall live even if he dies. Now, there are two kinds of life and death in Scripture. There is physical life and there’s physical death. There’s also physical death and spiritual death. Now both can be in view in these verses and probably are because they are inseparable. "He who believes in Me shall live, even if he dies." I think the prime focal point there is on physical life. Even if he undergoes physical death, he is going to live because I am going to raise him back to life. So physical death is just a temporary phenomenon that ultimately will be reversed when Jesus calls these bodies back to life again. But it's also true that everyone who believes in me shall have spiritual life as well. Even if he dies, that life will be unaffected. My relationship with God goes on because I simply leave that body and go into His presence. I think the prime point at the end of verse 25 is the physical resurrection that will overcome death, but the spiritual life is also there. And in verse 26, "Everyone who lives and believes in me..." and I think it's important here—there are no second chances. There is no possibility after you die to reconsider. It’s those who while they are alive believe in Jesus Christ. That's why the most important decision a person makes on this earth regards Jesus Christ. The most important thing a person does is place their faith in Jesus Christ as the One who died for them because that determines where you spend all eternity. "The one who lives and believes in Me shall never die." I think the prime focal point here may be spiritual life. That I come to believe in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, the Son of God who died for me who was raised from the dead. I will never die. My relationship with God that began at the moment I believed in Christ will go on for eternity unbroken. Because at the moment of physical death, I will leave that body and go into the presence of God in heaven. No break in my relationship with Him at all. No separation at all. Just the transition.

Now it is also true that I will never die in the final sense physically.
If I believe in Him, I am guaranteed eternity in His presence. So my body will sleep for awhile. I won't be using it. But then at a future time He is going to call it back into His existence^ I'll move back into it and go on for eternity. So it's simply just a temporary break. I'm going to move out of this house for renovation and repairs, so to speak. Because I'll move out and go spend some time in glory with Him, and when I move back in, it's going to be perfected, glorified, suitable for eternity in His glorious presence. So it's just like you moved out for a period of time. And when you move back in, that old place is going to be unbelievable because it is going to be glorified. That's the promise He gives.

Now note, it all begins—I AM the resurrection and life. It's only those who have a relationship with Him who receive from Him the promise of life and resurrection. Now again, it's true, even unbelievers are going to be resurrected. But they're going to be resurrected for a totally different purpose—of suffering and condemnation. A resurrection of death, to be separated in that state from God for eternity. There is a world of differences that cannot even be compared for the two destinies. But for us who have a relationship with Jesus Christ, He is the resurrection and life. We have the hope and anticipation. That's what makes life totally different.

Two passages—I Corinthians 15. You can't talk about resurrection without going to I Corinthians 15. It is God's fullest development in all of Scripture on the subject of resurrection, and you and I as believers ought to be familiar with I Corinthians 15 because it is exciting for us. And he begins the first part after he shares the gospel which you have to believe to be saved—Christ died for our sins, He was buried, He was raised from the dead. When you believe that you have life, you can anticipate resurrection. How do I know I’m going to be raised from the dead? Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. That’s God’s guarantee and proof. I just haven’t accepted a story that someone wrote. There was concrete evidence given—that Jesus Christ Himself was raised from the dead. You note Paul was strong about this. Verse 16 says, if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then there is no hope. We are lost in our sins. We are hopeless. You note that. It is only Christ who gives purpose and meaning and significance to this life. To change it from just a person moving towards death to a person moving toward life.

Verse 20. "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep." He guarantees a coming resurrection. That’s what the first fruits did—they were significant of a coming harvest. Now Christ being raised is significant of a coming resurrection. "Since by a man came death, by a man Christ also came the resurrection of the dead. As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." Now He tells us there is an order of resurrections. "Each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father..." I've shared something with you of the order as the Scripture enumerates them.

We’re promised resurrection. It is going to happen. That's what gives hope to us. There is a future. Look over in I Thess. chapter 4. We could have looked at the end of I Cor. 15 when it talks about the rapture of the Church there, beginning about v. 51, focusing on what happens to those who are alive at the Rapture of the Church. The Rapture of the Church is when Jesus Christ Himself descends in the air, not to earth but in the clouds, and calls for all of those who are believers in Him to come and meet Him and they immediately leave the earth.
First Corinthians 15, beginning with v. 51, tells you what happens to those who are alive physically and I hope I am. That's going to be something to be part of, but I'll be part of it one way or another. In an atom of time, we're told, people will disappear who are believers in Jesus Christ, they'll be caught up to meet Christ in the air.

First Thessalonians 4 talks about those who are believers in Jesus Christ and who have died. Don't feel bad for them—they're going to beat you. They go just before you if you're alive. Verse 13, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep..." I like the King James translation, "We don't want you to be ignorant" because we don't want ignorant Christians. "...about those who are asleep." That's the New Testament word for those who have died, "...that you may not grieve as the rest who have no hope." You note, there may be sorrow there, but it's not a hopeless cause. For people who are not believers in Jesus Christ, when a loved one dies, that's it for all eternity. Good-bye! But for those who have come to believe in Jesus Christ, it's just temporarily a separation until Jesus comes. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus." Where are those who have died who have believed in Jesus Christ? They're in the grave. No they aren't, they're with Jesus. They're coming back with Him and then He'll call their bodies out of the grave and they'll move back into that glorified body. "This we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air," and then we spend eternity together in His presence. That's the hope of the believer. There is a coming resurrection, a coming glorifying of this body. So I'm not moving towards death, I'm moving towards glory in His presence. Now, I may pass through the experience of physical death where I don't use this body for a while, but my life has a whole different focal point than a person who is not a believer in Jesus Christ. Totally different significance—a life—for those who have hope. I'm not laboring and toiling to see what I can get. I'm living in light of the fact that I'm going to spend eternity in His presence.

Come back to John 11 just to wrap this study up. Jesus has presented Himself as the resurrection and the life. Note the question at the end of v. 26. "Do you believe this?" All eternity for you hinges on that question. Do you believe this? Do you believe who Jesus Christ really is? What He's done? That He is the resurrection and the life? That He is the One who secured salvation for you by dying on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins, by being raised from the dead as God's demonstration that He had accomplished salvation? Note Martha's response in closing.

She said, "Yes, Lord; I have believed." Three things she believed—I believe you are the Christ, the Messiah, the King of Israel. I have believed that you are the Son of God. We don't have time to go back to John chapter 5, but you ought to do it. The Son of God there beginning in verse 18 is taken as a statement of Deity when related to Jesus Christ, and she in effect is saying "I believe that you are the divine Son of God." And then that section goes right on in John chapter 5, picking up by talking about resurrection and judgment, and Jesus Christ Himself is going to call forth all the bodies in the grave and exercise judgment. I believe you are the Son of God. Deity, God in the flesh. And I have believed that you are the One sent into the world. He who comes into the world. I believe you are the One God sent into the world to be our Messiah, our Savior. You are His divine Son.

Question. Have you ever come to believe in Jesus Christ yourself? To believe that He indeed is the Son of God? That He indeed did secure salvation by dying on a cross? Not because He deserved it but because you deserve it, I deserve it. That He was raised from the dead three days later because salvation, redemption had been secured for all who would believe?

There are two kinds of people here today. There’s a people who are living their life with no hope. No future except condemnation and judgment. And there are those here who have all the glories of eternity awaiting them. What an opportunity. And it all boils down to one point—do you believe in Jesus Christ? If not, why not? He has done it all. He is the resurrection and the life, not you and Him together. All that is required is that you believe in Him and what He has done.

For those of us who have believed that, do we live like it? Is there a marked difference in the way that you as a believer in Jesus Christ live your life and the way that a man who has no hope, who has no future to look forward to, lives his life? Is there a difference in what you live for and what he lives for? There ought to be. There better be. There must be. Let’s pray together.

Father, how we praise you for Jesus Christ. What a great Savior we have. Lord, one who could secure salvation great enough to cleanse all our sins; Lord, to provide a redemption that enables us to be in your presence as holy and blameless and beyond reproach. Father, a salvation that has given us an eternal hope that we're not a people that look forward to death, Lord, who are not confronted with the reality that dying will be the end of all we've lived for. Lord, realizing that we can live these few years of this life in light of your eternal purpose for us. We pray, Father, that we as believers in Jesus Christ might invest ourselves, our lives, our time, our energy in that which has eternal value and eternal significance.

For those who are here and are not believers in Jesus Christ, Father, I present them before you this morning. You've drawn them here in mercy and grace, given the opportunity to hear the glorious truth of your Word concerning your Son. Lord, I pray that the Spirit might do that work that only He can do in opening the blinded eyes to cause them to see that Jesus Christ is the One who died for them that they might believe and have life, for we pray in His name