JESUS CALLED HIMSELF "THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE" (JOHN 11:25; 14:6)

Curtis A. Cates

Myriads of people have pillowed their heads in death comforted by that cardinal doctrine of Christianity, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:25,26). Again our Lord spoke, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

One of the deepest longings of man’s heart is to live on after death. Philosophers and sages of all ages have searched in vain for immortality apart from divine revelation. Some might feign no fear in death, but, like Robert Owen, they also have no more hope than a brute beast in death. Colonel Robert Ingersoll’s hope "saw" perhaps a star of immortality, at least reached out for some glimmer of hope.

The resurrection was the center, the cornerstone of the apostle’s doctrine. Nothing, not even death, could deter the apostles and inspired evangelists in the first century from this magnificent theme. Peter explained it thus-"Him" ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it" (Acts 2:23-24). John saw one who appeared as "a Lamb as it had been slain" offered as a sacrifice on the cross, crucified for all men but now who was as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, standing in the midst of the elders because of His glorious resurrection, ascension, and reign at the right hand of God (Rev. 5:6-8). How fitting the appellation, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing" (Rev. 5:12)!

The Resurrection Of Christ In Prophecy

The Old Testament is replete with references (predictive prophecy) to the resurrection of Christ. This foundation truth was no precipitate of a long, naturalistic, evolutionary process of development in man’s wishful, religious thought. Genesis 3:15 speaks of Christ’s death, Satan’s bruising the heal of the seed of woman and of His resurrection, the seed of woman’s bruising the head of Satan, a prophecy dating from the beginning of time. The Psalmist affirmed the resurrection of Christ thus, "For thou wilt not leave my soul in Sheol; neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption" (Psm. 16.10; cf. Acts 2:27-32). He would be begotten from the grave (Psm. 2:7); "he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee" (Acts 13:33). This was to be a bodily resurrection, not a "spiritual" one. Christ would die an awful death ("They pierced my hands and my feet") by crucifixion, prophesied hundreds of years before crucifixion was administered, He would cry out ("My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"), but He would be raised from the dead ("helped," "delivered," "saved from the lion’s mouth," His prayer "answered") (Psm. 22:16,1,19-21). Note the rejoicing after Christ’s deliverance from death-"I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee" (Psm. 22:22)-"Whom God raised up"!

Isaiah gives another remarkable prophecy, 700B.C. Christ would be God’s suffering Servant, "despised," "man of sorrows," "rejected," "stricken," "smitten," "wounded," "bruised," "chastised," beaten "oppressed," grieved-for us. But, praise God, "when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand" (Isa. 53:1-12, esp. 10). God would prolong His days through raising Christ from the dead; His "seed" would be seen in souls saved including yours and mine, dear reader, by His sacrifice and through His cleansing blood, He died for our sins and was raised for our justification. Isaiah prophesied further that the resurrection would be a "sign" set among the nations, to draw them to Christ (Isa. 66:19). Christ would be raised the "third day" (Hos. 6:1-2).

Christ Predicts His Resurrection

The Lord knew why He came to earth, why He had to be born of the virgin. Man has no problem going to the grave, but he is impotent to extricate himself from death (Heb. 2:15; Song of Sol. 8:6). Were angels to have become flesh, they likewise could not come forth from the grave. But, Christ "in like manner partook of the same [flesh and blood, like man,] that through death [Christ was killed, and His fleshly body went to the grave.] He might bring to naught [since He was also God, deity, He could come forth from the grave] him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:14-15). In fact, Christ "was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1:4).

The Lord foretold His resurrection, proving Himself to be a prophet (John 14:29; 13:19; cf. Deut. 18:20-22; Jer. 28:9; regarding the true test of a prophet). He affirmed, "Destroy this temple (His body, v.21), and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). Like Jonah, the Lord would be but "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matt. 12:40). He showed His apostles how that He would "be killed, and the third day be raised up" (Matt. 16:21). He assured the disciples thus: "But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee" (Matt. 25:32).

The Certainty of Christ's Resurrection

After Judas fell, the apostles were led by the Holy Spirit to complete their number, replacing Judas with Matthias, that he might "be a witness with us of the resurrection" (Acts 1:22). The resurrection was the main emphasis of Peter’s sermon on Pentecost of Acts 2. The apostles continued to give "witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" with great power (Acts 4:33). The central theme of Paul’s preaching was the resurrection, to the Athenians (Acts 17:18, 31-32), to the Corinthians (I Cor. 15:1,17), to the Romans (Rom. 10:9), et al. There was but one explanation for the empty tomb-the evidence is overwhelming!

No Salvation Without A Living Savior - John 11:25

Upon the occasion of the death of His beloved friend Lazarus, the Lord went that He "may awake him out of sleep" (John 11:11). Mary and Martha were very disappointed that their Lord had not arrived four days earlier, for He might have healed Lazarus. Upon arriving, "Jesus saith unto her, thy brother shall arise again." She unhesitatingly responded in faith, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." The Lord took the marvelous opportunity to teach additional great, foundational lessons to Martha. "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

In this, one of the seven great "I am’s" of John (cf. 6:48; 8:12; 10:9; 10:11; 14:6; and 15:1), Christ was first affirming Himself to be the source of the resurrection and of life itself. Death for Lazarus and for the countless faithful now deceased was not the end of life but the beginning of true life, life indeed (John 1:4; Phil. 1:21-24; Col. 1:16, 17; II Cor. 5). Death is no dead end street! Second, Christ was even then the great giver of life. Though Martha did not understand, Christ would bring Lazarus forth from death. Third, in linking the resurrection and life, Christ was saying, I am the source of eternal life (John 3:15, 16). To the disbeliever, death is the end; not so with the Christian! Death was not eternal for Lazarus nor for those faithful gone before, nor would it be for those still living. Fourth, Martha was to realize that the final, general resurrection was but one evidence of the supreme power of God the Son, who was tabernacling in the flesh and who stood before her now. What comfort, what consolation to the millions of mourners who follow the lifeless forms of their loved ones to the silent city of the dead! Fifth, our Lord was affirming the destruction of death itself (I Cor. 15:50-57). The resurrection means life because it destroys decay, dissolution, and death. The fact of the Lord’s resurrection guarantees the full harvest, for "every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming" (I Cor. 15:23). Sixth, to escape the second eternal death separation from God, you, dear reader, must respond, as did Martha. "Believest thou this?" "Yea, Lord: I believe..."

John 14:6

In another "I am," Christ affirmed, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). One, the Father can be reached; the case is certainly not hopeless! Two, the Son of God is the sole means whereby one can go to heaven, where God is and where Christ is gone to prepare mansions (v.2). Three, Christ is not the mere guide to the way, but He is the way, He is the truth, He is the life. He is the God-man; He is the mediator; He is the advocate; He is the place of reconciliation. Christ is the only source, the only place where spiritual life is available. Remove the resurrection, and one removes the way, the truth, the life! Four, "I" is emphatic, meaning there is no other life (John 1:11,12).

Conclusion

Our Lord is the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, indeed, the Life. He affirmed this but moments before He went to His crucifixion. But-"Death cannot keep his prey-Jesus my Savior! He tore the bars away-Jesus, my Lord!" (from Spiritual Sword, July 1987, vol. 18, Nov. 4)