Length: 5 Minutes
Just about every Christian believes in immortality and in the resurrection of the dead, but many, if not most, see these things as something that is reserved for Jesus’ second coming, or for heaven someday. Of course, they believe that God has the ability to raise the dead now, but in their mind, this is more the exception to the rule than anything. What they don’t realize is, Martha thought this exact same way, but Jesus corrected her.
John 11:23-26 (NKJV) Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Martha agreed that her brother Lazarus could be physically raised from the dead, but she told Jesus that this was something that would only happen on the last day, when He returned. But you’ll notice that Jesus corrected her saying, “I am (currently) the resurrection and the life.” In other words, “I’m here right now. There’s no need to wait.” Martha said, “He will,” but Jesus said, “I am.” What Martha thought was for the future, Jesus knew was for the present.
So, Jesus encouraged Martha to believe Him, and then raised Lazarus’ physical body from the dead, as is normal and natural for those who understand that death has already been fulfilled through the cross. No need for anyone to be held by death any longer.
When someone dies, the vast majority of preachers are immediately going to tell you things like, “At least they’re in heaven now” and “You’ll see them in heaven one day” or “They will be raised when Jesus comes back.” Notice this: All of these things are about some sweet by-and-by in the future and do not acknowledge at all what Jesus has already finished for their bodies. Just like Martha, we don’t even consider that resurrection is here right now, ready, and available!
It is absolutely true that when a believer’s body dies, their spirit is in heaven with the Lord. Their spirit is doing just fine. But to say, “They are in heaven, and we will see them one day,” shows that we have no idea that God’s will is for people’s bodies to be raised from the dead now (Matthew 10:8).
If we’re being honest, when someone dies, is the first thought in a preacher’s mind, “Oh, I can pray for them to raise them back up again”? I doubt it (it’s probably not in their mind at all). Our first thought is normally about how we will see them again someday in the future, either in heaven or when Jesus comes back. We feel that their death will only be rectified some time in the future. Brothers and sisters, this is wrong. Just like Jesus corrected Martha, we are wrong if we think that resurrection is something that we need to wait for in Jesus’ second coming.
Jesus is not coming back again to die the death of the world (Hebrews 2:9), Jesus is not coming back to become our resurrection and life, and He’s not coming back to finally become our access into this grace (Romans 5:2). He has already done all of these things in His first coming, in which He abolished death and provided life and immortality for all of us, which can be given to our mortal bodies (2 Timothy 1:10 and Romans 8:11).
It is unfortunate to think that Jesus came and died on the cross so long ago, freeing everyone from their graves, and when someone dies, all we can talk about is when we will die also, and see them in heaven. And, as with Martha, we believe their resurrection will only happen when Jesus comes back again. When someone dies, most Christians are left longing for the future, all the while they could be looking to that one beautiful victory over death in the past (Matthew 27:52).
Martha thought the exact same way that most of the church thinks today. She was looking for Lazarus’ death to be rectified sometime in the future, completely missing the Answer that was standing right in front of her at the time. But Jesus is not going to be the resurrection and the life. He IS the resurrection and the life now. He already tasted death for everyone a long time ago, and He’s been waiting for people to receive Him as their Resurrection ever since.
It’s not the exception to the rule, for someone to be raised from the dead now. It would be an exception to the rule if you waited.
Martha thought she had to wait, but Jesus corrected her. And while most Christians wouldn’t want to admit that they would respond like Martha, if it’s hard for someone to receive this truth now, or even in this article, how do we think we would respond any different than Martha?
Jesus isn’t mad at anyone. He’s not condemning anyone. He loves you so much and He simply wants you to believe this wonderful truth, that people can live again. After all, He paid an awfully high price to get it to you.
Jesus told Martha that she did not have to wait until heaven or the resurrection someday, to see her brother again. And the same thing is applicable to you, because Jesus died for everyone. No exceptions. This is not hard and it’s not too good to be true. It’s good and it is true. Family, friends, or anyone else can live again. It may take some time for you to understand what Jesus has given, but it is as simple as can be, because Jesus did the hard part.
None of this is a problem anymore, and you don’t have to wait. Jesus, our Resurrection and Life has come.
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