If you'd like to follow along,
I'm gonna be in John chapter 11, John chapter 11. I'm gonna read verses 25 through
27. Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith
unto him, yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the
Son of God, which should come into the world. Oh man, that's some good stuff
right there. This is another one of the double titles given
in the scripture of our Lord Jesus Christ. This one I believe is particularly
wonderful in this particular point. These are the words of
Christ himself. This is something he said. This is a double title that Jesus
told us of personally. He proclaimed this himself. He said this and he meant it. He meant it. Jesus Christ is
the resurrection and the life. Period. You can stop right there because
that's where he stopped. Sometimes you don't know where
to stop, but you can stop wherever Christ stopped. This is what
he said, now what's it mean? Jesus said unto her, this is
where this verse starts. Just as an aside, Jesus is speaking
to Martha, the sister of Mary and the sister of Lazarus. This
is at the time of Lazarus' death. This is a great, powerful statement
made by Jesus Christ himself to a woman, to a woman. Now this shouldn't surprise us
if we know the scripture. The gospels especially show that
our Lord Jesus Christ preached to women the same as men. Now
I know there are different sects around that are still around
that try to place a great separation between men and women in religion
is wrong. It's wrong. There are certain
things that have been told us. But listen, Christ spoke to women. Christ preached to women. And he spoke to them just the
same as he spoke to men. He spoke to them as believers.
when they were believers. Oh my. I'm not gonna go into
that, but here it is. Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks
these words to Martha personally, himself, this is the Lord of
glory, speaking forth the truth of God. And he says these two words to
start with. I am. I am. I'm gonna tell you something.
This is the name that the Lord gave to Moses. He said, tell
them that I am has sent thee. I am. And Jesus used this several
times. You can look in the gospels.
He told, I am the bread of life. I am the living bread. The living bread came down from
heaven. I am the light of the world. I am from above. the door of the sheep. Oh, he's not the door of the
world, folks. He's the door of the sheep. And
twice he said, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd.
Then at one time he said, I am the way, the truth, what? And the life. And no man cometh unto God but
by me. He said, I am the living vine,
the true vine. And one time he said, I am not
of the world. Not of the world. And one last
one, before Abraham was, I am. I am. And those Jews knew exactly
what he was saying. And they hated it. They hated
it. Oh my. But here today, he starts
off telling Martha, I am the resurrection. Now the first thing
I want to point out is the word the, singular, singular. Now there may be many people
resurrected in that day, but he is the resurrection, the resurrection. Oh, I like that too. Cause you
know what that word means? It means standing up. again, again, standing up. It literally means a resurrection
from the dead. That's what the word means. Excuse
me. Now, understand and pay very
close attention to this. This is before Jesus Christ himself
rose from the dead. While he was walking around with
his ministry, Coming to see about Lazarus. I'm not gonna get into
Lazarus, but we know what happened with Lazarus. Lazarus rose from
the dead at the command of Jesus Christ. Why? I am the resurrection. The resurrection. I am the resurrection. Even before his own resurrection,
he was the resurrection. And Jesus Christ has this, the
power of life over death. Oh my. Matter of fact, he told
us in John chapter 17, I believe it was, thou hast given me power
over all flesh. Why? To give eternal life. To give eternal life. But he's
got the power to resurrect. He is the resurrection. Today when he's talking to Martha
right here 2,000 years ago, before he ever died, before he rose
from the dead, Jesus Christ was the resurrection. And there is
no resurrection without Jesus Christ. Of any kind. Of any kind. He is the resurrection,
there is no other. He has the power, the power to
stand his people up and to resurrect them. Matthew 28 verse 18 says
this, and Jesus came and spake unto them saying, all power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth, and in earth. And he didn't
say all power's going to be given to me. No, all power is given
unto me. Right here, 2,000 years ago,
all power is given unto him. He has all power. And I'm gonna
tell you something, folks, resurrection takes power. It takes power. It takes the power of God himself
manifest in the flesh. He's still God. That's the thing,
people think Jesus was just some Some guy, I've heard him say
it. Jesus was just a man. Oh, he
was inhabited and powered up by the Holy Spirit. No, Jesus
Christ is God. Jesus Christ was God, Jesus Christ
is God, and Jesus Christ still is God and shall ever be God. And he is the resurrection. Oh my, he has all power. in heaven and in earth. And understand,
this is the thing, folks. This is not what a man needs. This is who a man needs. He's the resurrection. People
wanna talk about resurrection power like it's a thing. No,
no, no. Resurrection is a person. I am
the resurrection. Oh, now think about that for
just a minute. You understand, people wanna
talk about raising from the dead or God said, no, no, no. None
of that happens without Christ. He's the resurrection. You understand? No man can come to the Father
except by me. No man is ever raised except
by me. Oh my. Jesus Christ is the raising
from the dead, and I'm gonna tell you something right now.
The natural man is dead spiritually. He cannot receive the things
of God. Neither can he know them, for they're spiritually discerned.
Why? He's spiritually dead. That's the way we were all born. What? Without hope, without Christ,
at the end of the world. We were ignorant. We were ignorant. Charles Spurgeon put it this
way. Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die. I risked my whole eternity on
the resurrection. And I am the resurrection. I am the resurrection. Oh, I
like that. He is the standing up again. Jesus said it to Martha, I am
the resurrection, but not only that, I am the life, the life. Now in John 5, 21, just a few
verses before, a few chapters before, excuse me. John 5 and
verse 21 says this, well, I'll go back one more page. Well, let's back up to verse
19. Then answered Jesus and said
unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing
of himself, but what he seeth the Father do. For what things
soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father
loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth,
and he will show him greater works than these that ye may
marvel. Here we go, folks. For as the father raiseth up
the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the son quickeneth, who? Whom he will. Whom he will. For the father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment unto the son. Unto the son. Oh my. You understand. The Son quickens. The Son makes
alive whom he will. How is that possible? Well, he's
the life. He's the life. Not only is he
the resurrection, he's the life. The life, oh my. Jesus gives
life to all those that the Father gave to him. Matter of fact,
they were chosen in him. And they're his. They're his.
Let's see. Christ said it, they are mine. All mine are thine and all thine
are mine. Understand folks, there's no
better place to be than in the hands of God. Because that puts
you in the hands of the Father and that puts you in the hands
of the Son. And I am the resurrection and the life, the life. Because there is no true life
without Jesus Christ because he is the life, the life. There is no other. He lives and
he is life. Without him there's only darkness
and death. That's all there is. And as the
life, he commands the life. We'll get back in that thing
about power. I've got power. He said it. You gave me the power. Where is it? John 17. As thou
hast given him, that's Jesus Christ, power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him. No flat statement. No qualifier. No if you believe. No if you
come forward and pray the prayer. No accepting Jesus as your personal
savior. Doesn't say any of that here.
Doesn't say any of that in the scripture period, but that's
not the point. Here's where it says, I give life. I am the life. I am the resurrection and the
life. Oh my. Jesus Christ is the power of
life. Because I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. When Jesus Christ says live, you live. It's not up to you. Thank God
it's not up to me. It's up to him. It's up to him. He's the resurrection and the
life. Oh my. John 10 and 28 says this,
and I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish. That's life, folks. They shall
never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. And he says, you ain't gonna
pluck them out of God's hand either, my Father's hand. Oh
my. I am the life and I give eternal
life. Oh my. To all those that the
Father but gave to me. What are you, are you saying
God has a people? Yes I am. You know why? Because Christ said it. Christ
said it. Oh my. Oh. Let me see. I'm in the wrong
place. No man can come to me except
the Father which has sent me draw him. And, this and is a
really good and. I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. And I will raise him up at the last day. I am the resurrection
and the life. Oh my. And you know that? He said that twice. This is the
will, and this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone
which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life,
and I will raise him up at the last day. I am the resurrection
and the life, oh my. I need both. What's that mean? It means that I need him. It
means that you need him. Because you don't have the resurrection
or the life unless Christ has you. He's the source. He's the source. He's the power, he's the source,
and he's the giver of resurrection and life. Oh my, oh goodness. I am the resurrection, and I
am the life, the life. Oh, I like that, I do. Then he
says, he that believes in me, directly referenced after life,
is what? Faith, faith. Faith is the gift
of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. Not that we would boast. Wait a minute, yeah, we do all
the time. We would all the time. But faith is the gift of God.
You're saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God. He that believeth. He that believes
in me. And the faith of God's elect
is in Jesus Christ. We talked about it the other
day. Faith given by God. He's the
author of it, he's the finisher of it, another double title.
He's the giver of faith. It's his faith. Oh, and he gives
it. Because understand this, the
resurrection and the life is also the author and finisher
of faith. I already talked about it, but
here, John 14, six says this. Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father
but by me. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is. You're not gonna come until the
resurrection and the life get lay hold of you. You're not gonna
come until he gives faith, and you believe. You'll hear somebody
preach the gospel, and all of a sudden, you'll believe it.
Now, doesn't that sound, ooh, spooky supernatural? No, that's
spiritual. Understand, you've heard testimonies from other
people that they had heard, maybe even born and raised in a church
that preached the truth, that preached the grace of the sovereign
God. But one day, they started hearing it. and it wouldn't go
away. I'm gonna tell you something,
when the resurrection and the life lay hold of you, it won't
go away. Because he won't go away. Oh
my. What is it? He that believeth
in me. You understand, we believe, it's
in Ephesians, according to the working of his mighty power. The power of the resurrection
and the life and the faith of God's elect given to him. Oh,
I like that. What does it say? He that believes
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Now understand,
he's still talking to Martha. Lazarus is still dead in the
tomb at this time. But it says, though he were dead,
yet shall he live. I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. The resurrection, there's no resurrection without the gift
of eternal life. I'm the resurrection and the
life. You understand? These two go together. And they are together in Jesus
Christ. He don't give a resurrection
without giving the life. They are conjoined. You understand? And here's the
thing. You can't have the resurrection
and the life without the author and finisher of faith. And you
can't have the author and finisher of faith without having the shepherd
and bishop of your souls. Because you understand, it's
all the same person. We just can't handle all this in one
lump. Christ is all. But in order to
know what that means, you have to have a grasp on this, on his
word. You may not have the best grasp,
you may not know it all. Lord, I don't know anybody that
knows it all and anybody that says they know it all is lying.
But this is the thing, you're gonna have a grasp of him. You
know why? Because he's gonna lay a hold
of you. I am found of them, and I still
love this, that sought me not. I am made known to those who
ask not after me. That was me. And I believed it
was you, and you, and you, and you. This is the truth of God. No one finds Christ until Christ
finds them. Oh, that's why we're called lost
sheep. Why? Because the first part,
lost. The shepherd has to find his
sheep. And the shepherd will find his sheep. And that shepherd
is the resurrection and the life. Though he were dead, yet shall
he live. And of the life that he gives,
just like the kingdom that he had, of his kingdom there is
no end, of the life he gives there's no end. There's no end
to the resurrection and the life. No end. Oh my. I read one of them, here's the
other one. And this is, well I did it. And this is the will
of him that sent me that everyone would see at the sun and believeth
on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the
last day. Said it twice in John chapter
six. What'd he say here in John chapter 10? Though he were dead. you shall he live. What's that
mean? Though you die, and we're gonna
die unless he comes back first, you're gonna be raised at the
last day. If the resurrection and the life has laid hold of
you, you're gonna be raised up at the last day. Oh my. And you're gonna see him as he
is. Well, that's good. Oh, wow. That's what he said. And whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. And then he asked
a question. Believest thou this? Do you believe
me in what I just said? You understand, you and I cannot give ourselves
faith. You and I cannot give any other
faith, or life, or resurrection. Everything comes from him. And the question is, do you believe
him? Oh my. And I'm gonna tell you
something folks, that's the question of questions. Down deep inside
where you live, where your being is, Do you believe him? Do you believe him? I understand
this is very personal. I can't believe for you. I can't
give you a belief. All I can do is preach what he
said. And he said, I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe
him? Do you believe him? Oh my. Oh. What's the answer? Martha had it. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. I believe that thou
art the Christ, the Son of God. Oh, my, that's a good answer.
That's a good answer. This is the answer of the believer,
and I'm gonna tell you something, folks, no other answer will do.
When Christ preached that message, and said, no man can come unto
me except the Father sent me. Give it to him. 5,000 people left. And he looked
at his disciples and said, will you also go away? Peter answered. And it's a good answer. To whom
shall we go? That's the whole thing. To whom
shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. Life. Because he's the resurrection
and the life. And there is no one else to go
to. Yes, Lord, I believe. This is
the answer of the believer. This is the answer of the son
and daughter of God. Christ is the object of our faith
that he gives. This is that, and I love this,
yes, Lord. Lord, Lord, not savior, although
he is. Not my elder brother, though
he is. Yes, Lord, Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall call upon the name of the Lord, the same shall be
saved. Mm, mm, mm, mm. I believe thou art the Christ,
the son of the living God. And if you want to, you can add
on to the end of that, help thou my unbelief. Because that's still
here, even when we believe. Even when we believe him. There
are doubts and there are fears. But, but, what does it say? The song we just sang, excuse
me, abide with me, from morn to eve. For without thee I cannot
live. Abide with me when night is nigh,
for without thee I dare not die. This is what we need. We need
the resurrection and the life to abide within us. Abide within us. So in conclusion, Jesus Christ
said this. Jesus said this. Pay attention,
behold. Jesus Christ said this. I am
the resurrection and the life. And by that, the deeper meaning
is this. I am the resurrection and the
life. Mm, I am. And yes, sir, he is,
he is. Oh. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
this is John five and verse 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting
life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from
death unto life. The life, the resurrection and
the life. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and here it is, and now is. when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear, what? Shall live. Why? I am the resurrection
and I am the life. For as the Father hath life in
himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. We have the resurrection and
the life in a person. our Lord Jesus Christ. Because
Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life to the dead alien
sinner. Jesus Christ is the resurrection
and the life to those who are dead in trespasses and in sins. And if they hear his voice, which
if he speaks to you, you will hear his voice, you shall live. You know why? Because he's the
one that stands you up again. And he's the one that gives life.
And he is that life. And he is that resurrection.
Oh my. John Newton wrote this verse.
The sinner sleeping in his grave shall at my voice awake. And when I once begin to save,
my work I ne'er forsake. I like that. You understand?
I am the resurrection and the life. That life never ends. That life is eternal. It's everlasting. In Christ it is perpetual life. And I am that life. That's what
he said. I am the resurrection and the
life. Whosoever, what? He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. And then he went out and raised
Lazarus from the dead. A lot of people get wrapped up
in the Lazarus part. It's the guy who spoke the words. Oh, there's all kind of debate.
Did Lazarus ever die again? What does it matter? That's what Christ told Peter
about John. What's it to you if I say he's
gonna be here when I come? Nothing. You worry about your
own self. Do you know the resurrection
and the life? Do you believe it's him? Do you believe him? Lazarus was raised from the dead
by the resurrection and the life. Mm, my. And I'm reminded of that
other Lazarus who was in hell and lift up his eyes, a rich
man did, while Lazarus was being comforted I'm not saying it's
the same Lazarus, but maybe it was, I don't know. Doesn't matter
to me, what's it to you? But here's the thing, that rich
man was told, your brothers won't hear the
law and the prophets, right? They won't hear the one raised
from the dead. Jesus Christ is the resurrection
and the life, and the world still will not hear it. They won't
have it. They want proof, they want miracles,
and then they want more. They don't want Him is the problem. If they wanted Him, I got something
I can tell them. If they wanna know Him, we got
a whole book full of stories. and accounts and truth to tell,
but they don't want to look to him. He's the resurrection, and he's
the life, and believest thou this. That's all we got to say. If you believe that, we got more
we can tell you, and we'd be happy to tell you. Our Father,
we're thankful again for this time and this place. We try to worship you in spirit
and in truth. We try to proclaim the truth
of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in all his glory and his beauty
and his power and his might, and we fail. We're just clay
pots. Yours is the message and yours
is the application to the heart. Do it. Do it, oh Lord. Help us to see and to hear and
to understand your word, your will, and be with us as we go
about in this world. In Christ's name we pray, amen.