MEM

I Am the Resurrection, and the Life

(John 11:25)

What does this “I Am” statement of Yeshua (Jesus) mean? You might ask:

               -   What is this Life to which Yeshua is referring?

               -   Why a Resurrection anyway?

               -   Will the dead live again?

               -   Why should we be concerned about the Resurrection?

               -   Who will be in this Resurrection?

               -   When will the Resurrection take place?

               -   What will be different about those Resurrected?

               -   What will the Resurrected do?

               -   Where will all of this take place?

               -   What must we do to be a part of the Resurrection?

All of these questions and more will be answered in this article – check it out.

Last time we looked at Yeshua’s pronouncement of being the Light of the world; it was He that separated us from the darkness; opening our spiritually blind eyes to see the Light – which is a new life in Him.

John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

In the following text Yeshua makes His I Am statement followed by an act displaying His authority over death. In doing this He was proving we could trust (believe) Him about a future resurrection. The Father validated Yeshua’s claim by resurrecting Him from the dead; that we might believe and so we shall ever be like Him.

That we might believe.

Messiah raises Lazarus

^{John 11:1} Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  ² And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick… ^{(NAS unless noted)}

¹¹ This He said… "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awaken him out of sleep."
  
¹⁴ Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,  ¹⁵ and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him."
  
²¹ Martha therefore said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  

^{The resurrection was understood at that time.}

²³ Jesus said to her, "Your brother shall rise again."
²⁴ Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."

²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies,  ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" ²⁷ She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."

⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"
⁴¹ And so they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me.  ⁴² "And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people standing around I said it, that they may believe that Thou didst send Me."
 ⁴³ And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."  ⁴⁴ He who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings; and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Many believe (written that we may believe)

⁴⁵ Many therefore of the Jews, who had come to Mary and beheld what He had done, believed in Him.  

A council against Christ

⁴⁷ Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.  ⁴⁸ "If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

Caiaphas prophesies

⁴⁹ But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,  ⁵⁰ nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish."  ⁵¹ Now this he did not say on his own initiative; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,  ⁵² and not for the nation only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

Blessed be YHVH; believers shall be resurrected to life everlasting.

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies,  ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Poole :

I am the resurrection,  is no more than, I am, and shall be, the principal cause of the resurrection: the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, John 5:28. He also adds, and the life;  that is, the cause of life; both that life which the dead shall in the resurrection recover, and also that eternal life which shall follow

John 5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

RWP (Robertson’s Word Pictures of the NT):

 I am the resurrection and the life. This reply is startling enough. They are not mere doctrines about future events, but present realities in Jesus himself. "The Resurrection is one manifestation of the Life: it is involved in the Life" (Westcott). Jesus had taught the future resurrection often, but here he means more, even that Lazarus is now alive. (John 6:39 "…that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.)

The Resurrection and the Life:

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life...ESV

Acts 3:15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ESV

The Witnesses:

1John 1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life- the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- ESV

Messiah Yeshua our source of life:

1John 5:11-12 … God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life... ESV

The promise:

John 14:19 ...Because I live, you also will live. ESV

2Cor 4:14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also … ESV

John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”  ESV

We may die physically but:

2Corinthians 5: ¹ For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

⁴ … so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ESV

Job understood:

Job 19:25-27  ²⁵ ​​​​​​​​For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  ²⁶ ​​​​​​​​And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,  ²⁷ ​​​​​​​​whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!  ESV

Resurrection was Prophesied:

Isaiah 26:19 ​​​​​​​​Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.  ESV

Need for the Spirit of Life:

Romans 8:10-11 … If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.  ESV

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ESV

What we shall be like in the Resurrection:

Col 3:4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  ESV

Philippians 3:21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body… ESV

1Corinthians 15: ⁴³ It (our natural body) is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. … ESV

What shall we do after the Resurrection?

Rev 20:4-5 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (see Rev 20:10-15⁾ NAS

Conclusion:

2Timothy 1:10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

12 … but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

Resurrection:

G386 (Strong) - Definition:

1. a raising up, rising (e.g. from a seat)

2. a rising from the dead

a. that of Christ

b. that of all men at the end of this present age

         c. the resurrection of certain ones throughout history who were restored to life

(Heb 11:35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection;)

Life:

G2222 (Strong)

- Strong's: From G2198; life (literally or figuratively): - life (-time).

Believe:

G4100 (Strong) - Definition:

- Strong's: From G4102; to have faith - that is credit; to entrust: - believe, commit, to trust.

Believe the Great I Am for He is the Resurrection and the Life. To Him be all honor.

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life,

Proverbs 10:16 The wages of the righteous is life…

Proverbs 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

Reading thru the Proverbs is instruction about life. Not just the good life now but instruction that leads to life eternal. (19:23; 10:16; 12:28; etc)

“People with goals succeed because they know where they are going”

Earl Nightingale

This saying encapsulates the topic of the “Message”. Do you know where you are going? Man in his natural state is dead in trespasses and sins. Therefore he needs the life that is in Yeshua; which is the light of men (John 1:4) so that man may see where he is going. This light reveals the path to the Kingdom of God. Once we have the Light we are told "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

We will succeed because we are on His path; our goal being the resurrection.

1. Which book states that Yeshua is “heir of all things”?
2. During Israel’s age of peace, prosperity and prominence, who was king?
3. Where did the Midianites sell Joseph?
4. Who was stoned after defending himself before the Sanhedrin?
5. What kind of trees did Solomon obtain to build the temple?
6. Who offered to draw water for Abraham’s servant and his camels?
7. Who said, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”?

In our pursuit of humility: (Lesson from humility in daily life.)

 “Allow each failure and shortcoming to only the more quickly turn us to the meek and lowly Lamb of God in the assurance that where He is enthroned in the heart, His humility and gentleness will be the streams of living water that flow from within us.”   Andrew Murray

When we stumble and enter a dark period because we have strayed from the light let us quickly repent and draw upon the power that not only cleanses but revives us. Living water is what should be flowing out of us:

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'"

Bless the Son of God who gives living water.

Understanding the precepts of prayer.

Are we sensitive to the needs of others?

Numbers 11:1-2 Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. The people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died out.

It would seem Moses might grow tired of the complaining Israelites; but when the people cried out there was no mention of any hesitation on Moses’ part to intercede on their behalf.

YHVH not only opens our blind eyes (that we may see the Light of life) He also opens our deaf ears. Now that we can see the true Light we need to hear the true needs of others so we can pray (intercede) for them; that they may also see the one that brings true life.

How does God feel about issues we face today?

Our witness

Matt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Is our life, walk, and attitude noticed by those around us?  Is it remarkable and a blessing to others to convict and draw others to God?  Are we different or just another lukewarm mediocre Christian in the midst of mediocrity and coasters, blending in, trying not to be noticed and just going along with the crowd?  God wants us to be different, to stand out from the crowd so people notice.  To be holy and righteous, as He is.  To let His light shine in and through us to others. That light drives darkness away.  This does not mean you need to yell to be noticed. Actions speak louder than words.  Live loudly, speak gently.

Rev 3:16 So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.

Material in this section will be based on various prayer diaries.

WD-40
Well, Who Knew?

I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup.
I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw
that someone had spray painted red all around the
sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason).
I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news.
He was very upset and was trying to figure out
what to do -- probably nothing until Monday morning,
since nothing was open.
Another neighbor came out and told him to get his
WD-40 and clean it off.
It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did
not harm his paint job that was on the truck.
I'm impressed!
WD-40 -- who knew?

Water Displacement #40.
The product began from a search for a rust
preventive solvent and degreaser
to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the
San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to
find a "Water Displacement" compound.
They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus
WD-40.
The Corvair Company bought it in bulk
to protect their Atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says
there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.

Some unusual uses:

It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door.

Try it on your stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been.
 

P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL. Keep a can of WD-40 in kitchen cabinet over the stove. It is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned feeling away and heals with NO scarring.

Some of the material contained in this section is for informational purposes only and has not been verified by us.

A lawyer runs a stop sign and gets pulled over by a sheriff's deputy.   He thinks that he is smarter than the deputy because he is a lawyer from New York and is certain that he has a better education then any cop from Kentucky.  He decides to prove this to himself and have some fun at the deputy's expense.
 
The deputy says,' License and registration, please.'
 
'What for?' says the lawyer.
 
The deputy says, 'You didn't come to a complete stop at the stop sign.'
 
Then the lawyer says, 'I slowed down, and no one was coming.'
 
'You still didn't come to a complete stop, Says the deputy. License and registration, please.'
 
The lawyer says, 'What's the difference?' 

'The difference is you have to come to complete stop, that's the law.  License and registration, please!' the Deputy says.
 
Lawyer says, 'If you can show me the legal difference between slow down and stop, I'll give you my license and registration; and you give me the ticket. If not, you let me go and don't give me the ticket.'
 
'That sounds fair.  Please exit your vehicle, sir,' the deputy says.
 
At this point, the deputy takes out his nightstick and starts beating the daylights out of the lawyer and says, 'Do you want me to stop, or just slow down?'       

Have a good day!

What measure of tragedy must befall this nation, what cataclysmic catastrophe must we be witness to, that we may be compelled to repent?

We cannot be in one accord with God and with the world… with scripture and traditions that have no scriptural basis.

 (Michael Boldea Jr.)

Don’t think about the cost of doing something; think about the cost of doing nothing.

Trouble knocked on the door, heard a laugh and turned away.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the extra you put into it.

Life is no better if we worry; life is no better is we hurry.

When there is friction between two people, a smile is a good lubricant!

Courtesy is the shortest distance between two people.

Follow the Leader

I was waiting at a stop light on a busy intersection of two - 5 lane roads when an oncoming black SUV caught my attention. After turning onto my street she came abruptly to a stop and was craning her neck to see in front of her car while talking on a cell phone. Looking down in front of her car I saw a mother wild mallard with eleven ducklings crossing the road. The girl in the car couldn’t see them anymore and proceeded to drive away quickly, her front driver tire aimed squarely into the center of the flock of ducklings.

I watched in horror from 3 lanes away as ducklings were bowled over every which way as if a giant unseen hand pushed them out of the path of the wheel. Before I could even register that none of them had been hit, the ducklings were back in pairs lined up behind mom who was quacking the entire time. Miraculously there were no ducklings left behind. Mom mallard continued her deliberate pace – agonizingly slow across the next two lanes while those little ducklings stayed right on her tail in two lines, scampering as fast as their very short legs could carry them. When the light turned green I reluctantly turned onto my street and pulled into a parking lot to see if the ducks made it. Up over the cement curb popped the mother duck followed by all eleven ducklings. I was so happy I started to cry.

As the ducks filed past me on the way to a nearby river I started to think about the ducklings. They followed mom single mindedly with purpose – even when the truck scattered them they immediately got back in line and followed. They weren’t worried about the situation. They didn’t say, “Mom this is too scary!” or “Where are we going, are you sure?” they just trusted and followed. In my relationship with God I need to be like a little duckling.

Psalm 34

David praises YHVH, and exhorts others by his experience

Ps 34:1 I Will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear it and rejoice.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.

They are blessed that trust in YHVH

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

9 O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him, there is no want.

He exhorts to the fear of YHVH

11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves length of days that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.

The privileges of the righteous (promises)

15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.

17 The righteous cry and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants; And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

The Psalmist begins by praising YHVH, gives instruction for life and ends listing His blessing of redemption. Joy, peace and blessing; along with the promise of life from our Creator. How many blessings did you count in these verses? Depending on how you count it could be 15 or more.

Blessed be YHVH (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High…)

1. Hebrews                                                              Hebrews 1:2

2  King Solomon                                                   

3. In Egypt                                                              Genesis 37:36

4. Stephen                                                               Acts 7:58-59

5. Cedar Trees                                                        1 Kings 5:6

6. Rebekah                                                              Genesis 24:15-19

7. Bartimeaeus                                                        Mark 10:47