I am the resurrection, and the life

 

I am the resurrection, and the life

 

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, 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. Believest thou this?』

When Martha's brother Lazarus died, Martha said that if Jesus had been at her house, he would not have died. In chapter 11, verse 22, Martha answered, "I believe that whatever we ask of God, he will give us." That is why Jesus said, "He will live again," but Martha was thinking of "living again" not as something present, but as a resurrection on the last day in the future after the death of the flesh.

What Jesus says to Martha in chapter 11 verses 23-26 is, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he was dead in spirit, will live, and when the spirit lives, he will receive the gift of faith from heaven and never die." If we look at these words from the perspective of the flesh, they mean, "He who believes in me, though his flesh dies, will live someday, and whoever lives in faith will never die."

Even if you know a lot about the Bible, faith now is important. What the Lord is saying now is important. In John 5:24-25, it says, “Very truly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has passed from death to life. Very truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” This word is not something that will happen in the future, but the present word of resurrection. It means, “When you hear the voice of the Son of God now, the spirit that was dead will come to life.”

Salvation is not waking up and being judged by hearing the voice of the Son of God in order to receive future judgment, but the one who hears (the spirit) comes alive now. It means hearing the word of the Son of God in the present and repenting and coming alive in the spirit. In chapter 5, verse 26, it says, “He gives life.” If this does not happen, no matter how much you read the Bible or how diligently you live in church, you will not be saved unless “the spirit comes alive.” This is done through the faith of repentance. The Lord gives the gift of faith to those who repent. This faith means “the spirit comes alive now.”

When we hear the voice of God, our spirit comes alive. No matter how well we memorize the Bible, if we do not hear the voice of God, our spirit will not come alive. Hebrews 4:12-13 says, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And nothing created is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid bare to the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

In John 6:53, Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." In verse 60, "When many of his disciples heard it, they said, 'This is a hard saying. Who can listen to it?'" While the people were murmuring, Jesus said again in verse 63, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life."

In Matthew 27:52-53, "The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. Coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many." Those who were in Hades and not in Christ will appear in the resurrection of judgment. Those who are outside of Christ will have a resurrection of judgment.

The words Jesus spoke in John 5:24-25 are words of present resurrection, and what Martha spoke is the future resurrection spoken of in 5:28-29. The words in John 5:24-25 are, "Very truly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Very truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."

If the spirit is not alive, it is not the word of life. Only those who repent are alive in spirit. The Lord is the present resurrection. The power of God will come to those who repent at this moment. Repentance is not reflecting on sin, but dying to sin, and 'denying oneself' full of sin. 'The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.'

This is rebirth into resurrection life. In other words, rebirth is a present resurrection. Those who are reborn believe that although they have a physical body, they are resurrected with a spiritual body (spiritual body) like Jesus’ resurrection. Those who do not believe in the present resurrection (first resurrection) will eventually be resurrected from the second death (second resurrection). In order to avoid the second resurrection from the second death, believers must believe in the present resurrection. In other words, they must be united with Jesus Christ who died on the cross (first death) to participate in the first resurrection (present resurrection).