Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…
I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The LifeEach week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM. The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead. We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them. And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.
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Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.
The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.
Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever.
Do you believe this?”
John 11:25 and 26
Such a powerful question hidden in the story of Lazarus. I’ve missed it many times before. But Jesus gets right to the heart of the matter—DO you believe this?
Jesus wants to know if we believe HIM. Do we believe the power and the promises He made in verse 25?
- The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.
- Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever.
I believe, just as Martha did (verse 27), that Jesus is the Christ, the Beloved Son of God. But do I truly believe (as He told her) He is the ultimate Conqueror of death? John 1:4 (AMP) tells us “In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.” John 3:36 (HCSB) makes it very clear what our choices are: “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” And 1 John 5:12 (HCSB) reminds us, “The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life.”
I do not want to bear the consequences of not believing! For me, Philippians 3:10 (AMP) highlights what it looks like to believe Jesus:
[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]….
I want to know the power that flows from Jesus’ Resurrection. Power that transforms us into His likeness and gives us eternal life.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NLT) states that since we believe “that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.”
Philippians 3:21 (HCSB) states “He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.” Romans 8:10 (NLT) tells us it is that power that makes us right with God: “And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.”
Yes, yes, yes!
I want the power and promises of Jesus’ Resurrection.
I want the eternal Life only He can offer.
Don’t you? So the question remains—
Do you believe this?
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Lord, I believe. I believe You are the Resurrection and the Life. Thank You for the power that flows from Your death on the cross. Thank You for the promises Your Resurrection holds. I truly believe You conquered death so that we might be right with God and have eternal life. Hallelujah! Christ is risen indeed! In Your Mighty Name I pray, Amen – It Is So!
