BREAKING POINTS & BUILDING POINTS
John 11:25-26 - Jesus said unto 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?
Lazarus was dead. His sisters, Martha and Mary, grieved his death and sent for Jesus, and Jesus traveled with his disciples to Bethany to meet the family (11:1-15). The Father revealed to Jesus that this incident would result in God’s glory despite the immense sadness. Martha, the bolder of the two sisters, met Jesus on his way into town. Her faith in his power was sincere, albeit limited. Truly, Jesus could have prevented the death of her brother, but God’s plan had a great purpose in mind (read about Peter’s limited understanding in Matthew 16:21-23). Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” Such a statement was reflective of his innate nature, not merely his authority (John 1:4; Matthew 28:18). He not only had the blessing of God; Jesus is God incarnate (John 1:14, 18). Life was standing right in front of Martha, and he would soon impart life again to Lazarus. Martha made a great confession of Jesus’s identity (11:27), but did not fully realize the vast expanse of his power.
Martha’s situation placed her at both a breaking point and a building point. Jesus works in the situations in our lives to further reveal the extent of his marvelous power. When we know a little about Jesus, he arranges a circumstance to help us understand him more clearly. Our expanded growth of faith and understanding was the prayer of Paul, and it should be the prayer of everyone who walks with the Lord (Ephesians 1:18-19). What is going on in your life right now that is both breaking and building your understanding of Jesus?
Lazarus was dead. Jesus demonstrated his matchless power when he called to Lazarus to come forth from the tomb (11:43). Lazarus was a believer in Jesus and his close friend. His resurrection shows us that physical death is irrelevant for those who are spiritually alive. Jesus imparts eternal life.
People are spiritually dead. People are spiritually dead because of trespasses against God’s Law and sins against God’s holy character. Spiritually dead people are called to come experience the life-giving power of Jesus (Ephesians 2:1, John 11:42).
Each person has an appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27). The only way to receive the gift of eternal life is to receive it by faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus is Life. His grace alone can pardon your sin. God, who is rich in mercy and love, sent Jesus to impart life to all who come to him in faith (Ephesians 2:5-7; John 17:3). If you have never received the gift of eternal life then you are spiritually “dead,” which means you are separated from God. Just as death is the separation of soul from the body, so spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. I urge you to turn away from your unbelief and put your unreserved confidence in Jesus Christ. He stands ready to give spiritual life to all of us facing physical death (Romans 3:23, 6:23). If you call upon the name of the Lord with sincere believing trust then he will rescue you from the penalty of sin (Romans 10:9-10, 13). If you are not spiritually alive in Christ, will you call upon him today?
Daily Reading: John 11:17-27
Bible Reading Challenge: 14 Days on the Resurrection
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