Verse of the Day 4/6

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"   English Standard Version (ESV)

Following Easter where we celebrate Jesus' resurrection and the eternal life that we have offered to us for acknowledging and believing it and putting our faith and trust in Him, I thought that today's verse would be a good one for us to consider.  The passage in John 11 is within the account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus had heard about his illness but had delayed in coming.  Mary and Martha and friends that had gathered all questioned Jesus as to why He had not come sooner, believing that He could have  done something to prevent it.  The feeling was how could you have allowed this to happen?

Haven't we questioned God at some point in our lives with the same kind of emotion over an illness, accident or possibly the death of a loved one?  If Jesus were to say to us in the same way "I am the resurrection and the life" would we be like Mary and Martha and think of the future resurrection but disregard what He and only He can do here  and now?

John Piper writes, "I will rescue Lazarus, body and soul, from the grave, and when I do it doesn't matter. And you. You live, and believe in me, and so you will never die—there will never be one millisecond when you are out of saving fellowship with me.  And do you know what this means, Martha? It means I love you. And I love your brother. I will not abandon his soul to the pit or let his flesh be destroyed. I will raise him. And I will keep you in everlasting fellowship with me. I am telling you this. I am revealing my power and my glory to you, because I love you."

We may often hear verse 25 quoted without verse 26.  The two should go together, the question should be asked of anyone reading and contemplating verse 25, "do you believe this?"

Piper writes, "O how many of us can testify to this reality with thankfulness and joy. In the days of suffering and loss. In the days of darkness, and when it seemed that all around our souls would give way, Jesus loved us—not first by taking away the suffering or the loss or the darkness, but first by giving us himself in ways that could not have been ours without this painful season. If you demand that God love you the way the world expects to be loved in this life, you won't know what it is to really be loved by God. The love of God is the gift of his glorious self.

Because he loved Lazarus and Mary and Martha, he stayed two days longer and let them walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and then went and showed them his glory."

Jesus says "I am the resurrection and the life", the question for each of us is "do you believe this", not just on the surface, but to the core of our being.  As The Message puts it (below) we "don't have to wait for the end", He is the resurrection and the life "right now".

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

John 11:25-26The Message (MSG)

^25-26 "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?"