David Diga Hernandez - It's Time to Stop Limiting God: I AM the Resurrection and the Life

So, I am going to conclude my series on «I Am» by exploring the declaration «I am the resurrection and the life.» This is found in John chapter 11, verse 25. Jesus told her, «I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even after dying.» Now, the context surrounding this powerful declaration of the Lord was actually a terrifying situation. This is what the scripture says in John chapter 11. I am going to begin reading at verse 1: A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick, so the two sisters sent a message to Jesus, telling him, «Lord, your dear friend is very sick.» But when Jesus heard about it, he said, «Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.» So, although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said this to his disciples: «Let’s go back to Judea.» But his disciples objected, «Rabbi,» they said, «only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?» Jesus replied, «There are 12 hours of daylight every day. During the day, people can walk safely; they can see because they have the light of this world. But at night, there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.» Verse 11 says, «Then he said, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.'» So, this is a terrifying life-or-death situation; yet Jesus addresses the situation very calmly and very confidently. Even in death, God would get the glory from the power demonstrated by the Lord in this particular situation. Now, I asked myself when reading this: Why didn’t Jesus just send forth the word like he did with the centurion’s servant? I believe it was because he wanted to demonstrate his ultimate power over even death, his ultimate authority over even the grave. Verse 11 says, «Then Jesus said, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.'» Jesus knew that Lazarus would die, and he knew the very moment that Lazarus had died. He was all-knowing; he is all-knowing. This is a demonstration to us that we can trust him, even in those situations that seem impossible, even in those situations that seem so dark. Jesus knew that Lazarus would die, but he was confident that that sickness would not ultimately end in death. Jesus connected with the heavenly Father and knew the very moment that Lazarus, as he put it, fell asleep. In this story, we see the demonstration of the power of the I Am. Continuing to read at verse 12, the Bible says, «The disciples said, 'Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better.'» They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, «Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.» Thomas, nicknamed the twin, said to his fellow disciples, «Let’s go too and die with Jesus.» Remember, this was an area that had threatened to stone the Lord only a few days prior. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, «Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask.» Jesus told her, «Your brother will rise again.» «Yes,» Martha said, «he will rise when everyone else rises at the last day.» Jesus told her, «I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this, Martha?» Martha had a very limited view of the Lord’s power. She was depending on a certain day when they knew that the dead would rise, but Jesus says to her, «I am the resurrection and the life.» A powerful two-fold reality is revealed in that statement in this instance because Jesus was telling her that it’s not the day of resurrection that has power; it’s me. Jesus demonstrated his authority, his power over both time and death. Time and death cannot even stop the will of God. He did not say, «I give life» or «I cause resurrection.» He said, «I am the resurrection and the life.» In those words, «I Am,» we see something familiar, something we saw in Exodus chapter 3. Moses protested to God, «Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?» God answered, «I will be with you, and this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.» But Moses protested, «If I go to the people of Israel and tell them the God of your ancestors has sent me to you, they will ask me, 'What is his name? ' and what should I tell them?» God replied to Moses, «I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel: 'I Am has sent me to you.'»