February 17
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world,’” John 11:25-27.
In the little town of Bethany, which was located about 2 miles from Jerusalem, there were living three close friends of Jesus – the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and their brother Lazarus. Lazarus was very sick, and the two sisters got word to Jesus, “He whom You love is sick.” After Jesus received the news, He still waited two days before He said to His disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
The disciples did not really agree that it was wise to return to Judea. They told Jesus that recently the Jews had tried to stone Him there, and they questioned whether He should go there again. Jesus informed the disciples that Lazarus had died, and that He was going to meet with the family.
When Jesus and the disciples arrived, they were informed that Lazarus had already been buried in a tomb for four days. When Martha learned that Jesus was arriving, she went to meet Him and said, “Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died,” John 11:21. Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again,” to which Martha responded, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day,” John 11:24.
Then Jesus told her the words on which this devotion is based: “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” To Jesus’ question, Martha replied, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Martha confessed her faith in Jesus as the Christ – that is, as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, true God with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the one whom the Father sent into the world to redeem all people.
This is one of the chief articles of our Christian faith, which we regularly confess in the words of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the resurrection of the body.” Jesus is our risen Redeemer, who rose from the grave on Easter morning and showed Himself as the Conqueror over sin, death, and the devil.
We who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior from sin, death, and the devil will face physical death at the end of this life on earth, but we shall still live eternally in heaven. Jesus says, “Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” – that is, eternally. When a Christian dies, the soul immediately ascends into heaven. On Judgment Day, the body will be raised from the grave and be reunited with the soul, and then the person with both body and soul will dwell in heaven. We will be with Jesus, our resurrected Lord.
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and revealed Himself as the Lord of life and death! Christians need not fear death!
“Help me now set my house in order, That always ready I may be,
To say in meekness on death’s border: ‘Lord, as Thou wilt, deal Thou with me.’
My God, for Jesus’ sake I pray, Thy peace may bless my dying day.
Then may death come today, tomorrow, I know in Christ I perish not;
He grants the peace that stills all sorrow, Gives me a robe without a spot.
My God, for Jesus’ sake I pray: Thy peace may bless my dying day.” Amen.