Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were good friends of Jesus.  The Bible says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5).  It was a sad occasion, then, when Jesus learned that Lazarus died.  Again the Bible says, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).  Jesus did not weep, however, because Lazarus was dead, for He knew that He would shortly raise him from the dead (ver. 11).  He wept because of the broken heart of Mary (ver. 33).

When Martha first heard that Jesus had come to Bethany, she went out to meet Him.  Finding Him, she demonstrated confidence that He had the ability to raise her brother from the dead if He so desired.

John 11:21-22 (ESV)
²¹  Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

Jesus affirmed His ability to do as Martha said by saying “Your brother will rise again”.  Perhaps because Jesus spoke in the future tense, Martha concluded that He was referring to the general resurrection that would take place on the last day (ver. 24).  This triggered another “I am” statement from Christ.

John 11:25 (ESV)
²⁵  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

That Jesus Himself would be resurrected from the dead, after dying for our sins, was a subject of prophecy (Psalms 16:10).   We know that Jesus, Himself, was aware of this because when He promised to build His church, He stated, as a foregone conclusion, that the gates of Hades would not prevail against Him (Matthew 16:18), and later told them that He would be raised on the third day (Matthew 16:21).

What does the resurrection of Christ tell us?  It first tells us that Jesus is the Son of God.

Romans 1:4 (ESV)
⁴  And was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

This is not why Jesus referred to Himself as the resurrection and the life.  He referred to Himself as such because everyone who dies in Him will experience the resurrection of life (John 5:28-29).  Jesus is the firstfruits of all those who rise, never to die again.

1 Corinthians 15:21-23 (ESV)
²¹  For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²²  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Notice that only those who belong to the Lord will be raised to life as He was.  This begins with believing in Him, and is demonstrated by one’s obedience to the gospel.  The words that Jesus spoke to comfort Martha should give us comfort as well.  “…Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”

Martha answered our Lord’s question with a yes.  What about you?  Do you trust that if you believe in Jesus with an obedient faith, you will never die?  You should.  You must!  You can, for in Him we have victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).  After all, He is the resurrection and the life.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.