May 18, 2018
I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:
TO BE RIGHT ON TIME (part 4)
John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Now we are getting to the lesson. Martha was looking past Jesus to the resurrection at the last day. The problem was, Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. She was looking at “the Resurrection” right in front her, but she didn’t realize it. She was waiting for “a” Resurrection, but she should have seen “the” Resurrection. This story teaches us a great lesson. Jesus said, “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” That means although it may look like a person is dead, when they believe in Christ, they are not dead.
I preached a funeral today of a wonderful Christian lady that has been faithful to God, and God’s House, for years. There was a casket, there were flowers, there were songs, there was a eulogy, and there was a graveside service. But there was not a dead person. This precious lady was in the presence of Jesus. You see, when you are a believer in Christ, though it may appear that you are dead, you are alive and well. Why is that? Because Jesus is “the Resurrection and the life”. It is not what He does, it is who He is. So, Jesus teaches His lesson:
* John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
There it is. Jesus just wants us to acknowledge and believe that He is “the Christ, the Son of God”. That principle right there is what creates so much religious, social, and political division. This world has a problem acknowledging that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of God”. People do not like being told that there is only one way to salvation, one way to God, one way to Heaven, and only one way to redemption. But when a person believes and receives Jesus, “yet shall He live”. Once she believed exactly who Jesus was, she had no trouble trusting what Jesus did. I encourage you today to reflect about who Jesus is. He is “the Resurrection and the Life”. If you will “reflect” upon who Jesus is, then you should be able to “rest” upon what Jesus does.