The Resurrection and the Life

The Great I Am

John 11:21-26

“And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’

Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’

Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’

Jesus said to her, ’I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”

Moments of crisis force us to focus on what is most important.

Jesus’ question to Martha isn’t just for her—it’s for all of us when it feels like all hope is lost:

“Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)

1. Do You Believe This? That Everything is Father-Filtered?

Martha’s disappointment is evident in her words:

“Lord, if you had been here…”

The Five Stages of Grief

1. Denial

2. Anger

3. Bargaining

4. Depression

5. Acceptance

How do we handle disappointment with God when it seems like our prayers have gone unanswered?

“Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. (John 11:3-6, ESV)

Remember:

✅ It’s all for MY GOOD and HIS GLORY.

✅ Never let what is URGENT take priority over what is IMPORTANT.

✅ The LONGER the DELAY, the GREATER the GLORY.

“Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’” (John 11:14–15, ESV)

Can you still trust Jesus even when you’ve laid your hopes and dreams to rest?

2. Do You Believe This? That You Can Have Hope Today?

“Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ’I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’”(John 11:23-24)

It’s easier to push faith into “one day” rather than believe for “today.”

👉 THAT DAY IS TODAY!

But Jesus says: “I AM the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)

The answer you are looking for is not in an event—it is in a person.

Are you postponing your faith? What if your “one day” is today?

3. Do You Believe This? That Death Means Life?

“Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)

Research has shown that near-death experiences (NDEs) often bring about profound, lasting transformations in people:

1. A renewed sense of purpose and priorities

2. Enhanced spiritual awareness

3. Reduced fear of death

4. Increased compassion and empathy

5. A sense of inner peace and calm

“The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ’Unbind him, and let him go.’” (John 11:44, ESV)

Many people are spiritually alive but still bound by their past, fears, or doubts.

You can’t threaten a dead man!

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23, ESV)

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

What “grave clothes” are still binding you?

Fear?

Shame?

Regret?

One Last Thing…

Jesus asks Martha a direct question:

“Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)

• What needs to come alive in your life today?

• What are you still holding onto that you need to let go of?

• Jesus is here, now. He is calling you out of the grave.

👉 Do you believe this?