Bootstrap
Tom Harding

Christ Our Resurrection

John 11:15-27
Tom Harding • July, 28 2013 • Audio
0 Comments
John 11:25-27
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
What does the Bible say about Jesus as the resurrection?

Jesus declares in John 11:25, 'I am the resurrection and the life,' emphasizing His role as the source of eternal life.

In John 11:25, Jesus makes a profound statement, saying, 'I am the resurrection and the life.' This assertion signifies that He is not just a part of the resurrection but the very essence of life itself. His statement underscores the belief that those who believe in Him, even if they die, will live again. By identifying Himself as the resurrection, Jesus affirms His divine authority over life and death. This declaration provides profound hope for believers, assuring them that their faith in Christ guarantees eternal life through Him. Without Christ, there is no resurrection to glory.

John 11:25, John 5:27

How do we know Christ's resurrection is essential for salvation?

Christ's resurrection is essential because without it, believers remain in their sins, as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:17.

The necessity of Christ's resurrection for salvation is emphasized in 1 Corinthians 15:17, which states, 'And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.' The resurrection sets Christ apart as the victorious Savior who has triumphed over sin and death. It validates His claims and assures believers of their justification. Without His resurrection, there would be no eternal life for those who believe in Him. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, affirming that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and the source of all spiritual life. As Paul writes, 'If Christ be not raised, we are of all men most miserable,' highlighting that our hope hinges on this pivotal event.

1 Corinthians 15:17, Romans 4:25

Why is Christ's resurrection important for Christians?

Christ's resurrection assures Christians of their own future resurrection and eternal life.

The resurrection of Christ is vital for Christians as it provides the assurance of their future resurrection and eternal life. Jesus states in John 11:26, 'Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.' This promise affirms that death does not have the final say for believers. The resurrection guarantees that those who are united with Christ will also be raised to eternal life, just as He was. Furthermore, the resurrection is the foundation of Christian hope and encourages believers to live with purpose and confidence, knowing that their future is secure in Christ. This hope leads to a transformed life, reflecting the glory of the risen Savior.

John 11:26, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

What did Jesus mean by saying, 'I am the life'?

'I am the life' signifies that Jesus is the source of spiritual and eternal life for all who believe in Him.

'I am the life' is a powerful declaration made by Jesus that establishes Him as the source of both spiritual and eternal life. This statement, found in John 11:25, conveys that life itself flows from Christ. In Him, believers find not only physical existence but a transcendent quality of life that connects them to God. This spiritual life is characterized by a relationship with the Creator, where believers experience peace, joy, and fulfillment. Additionally, Jesus's claim connects to the promise of eternal life; those who believe in Him are assured that death is not the end. They possess a life that continues beyond the grave, anchored in the resurrection of Christ.

John 11:25, John 10:10

How does Jesus raise us from spiritual death?

Jesus raises us from spiritual death through the work of regeneration, giving us new life in Him.

Jesus raises believers from spiritual death through the miraculous work of regeneration, often referred to as being 'born again.' This transformation is entirely the work of God's grace, where He imparts spiritual life to those who were dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1). The Holy Spirit operates in the hearts of God's elect, enabling them to respond to the gospel in faith. This new birth results in a complete change, where the deceased state of sin gives way to life in Christ. As believers, we experience this spiritual resurrection, confirming that our salvation is solely dependent on the grace of God and the finished work of Jesus Christ. Thus, in Him, we are made alive, empowered to live a life that glorifies God.

Ephesians 2:1, John 3:3

Sermon Transcript

Auto-generated transcript • May contain errors

100%
Now this morning from John chapter
11, I'm taking the title from the message from verse 25. This
is one of those seven or eight statements that the Lord makes
about, I am the bread of life, I am the door, I am the good
shepherd that giveth his life for the sheep, I am the light
of the world, and then he says here unto Martha, I am the resurrection. I am the resurrection and I am. I am life. I am salvation. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. So the title of the message is
from the glorious words our Lord speaks here unto us this morning. Christ our resurrection, Christ
our life. Is he your resurrection? Is He
your life? Is He your all in all? The Lord
Jesus Christ not only purposed all of our salvation, He also
purchased it. He planned it and He bought it.
We're no more our own, we're bought with a price. What a glorious
price. A tremendous price that He paid
for us. His blood, His life. The Lord
Jesus Christ alone then is God our Savior. Now, you remember from last week
how the Lord said to the disciples in verse 11, our friend, Lazareth,
he's sleeping, but I go that I may awake him, awake him. And then down in verse 14, the
Lord plainly says in language that they could understand because
they thought, well, and they say this there in the text, well,
if Lazarus is sleeping, he does well. Let's just let him sleep.
And then the Lord in language that they could understand, you
misunderstood what I said, Lazarus is dead, dead, graveyard dead,
dead. And then he says, I'm glad. Now doesn't that seem strange?
I'm glad. I'm glad for your sake that I
was not there, that I delayed to the intent or to this purpose
that you may believe. Now just in a few moments the
Lord Jesus Christ is going to raise Lazarus from the dead and
these disciples are going to You think about that, standing
there with the Lord, in front of that cave, and the Lord instructs
the disciples to remove the stone, and then he says, Lazarus, come
forth. He that was dead came forth. Oh, they had something to say
They could say we saw him raise This just not something we heard
about we saw him We saw him raise one who we knew was really dead
dead. This must be God's Christ. This must be the Messiah. That's
why he said, I'm glad for your sake that I was not there that
you might really believe. Believe, believe, believe the
gospel. You see, everything the Lord
does and everything the Lord brings to pass For the sake of
the elect, the elect of God, to the intent and the purpose
that we might be brought to Christ in saving faith. Or to have our
faith strengthened in Him. Strengthened in Him. You see,
all these things that he has written, hold your place there,
turn to John chapter 20. Everything the Lord brings to
pass in the life of His people, His covenant, blood-bought, blood-washed
people, is for our good, that we might really, really believe
and trust Him. In John chapter 20, verse 30,
many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples,
which are not written in this book, It says right over there
across the page in verse 25 of John 21, and there are also many
other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written
every one, I suppose that the world itself could not contain
the books that should be written therein. I mean we have just
a tip of the iceberg, but he said these things are written,
verse 31 of John 20, these things are written that you might believe. These things that he did are
recorded that we might believe. Faith comes by hearing, hearing
by the Word of God. Believe that Jesus is the Christ,
that he is the Son of God, and that believing you might have
life, life through his name. God has given him a name which
is above every name, that at that name every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall confess that he is Lord. Now, back to John
chapter 11, verse 16. Then said Thomas, Thomas the Apostle, which is
also known as Didymus. He's also known as the Doubting
Apostle, Thomas. And Thomas said unto his fellow
disciples, unto Peter and John and the rest of them, Andrew,
Philip, let us go, let us go back. The Lord said, he's going
back to Jerusalem, well, let us go with him, that we may die
with him. Now remember, they left town
being threatened with being stoned to death, but Thomas here makes
a rather bold statement, doesn't he? Like that statement of Peter.
Turn back to Matthew chapter 26. Let us go that we may die
with the Lord. Well, that sounds pretty bold,
doesn't it? You see, they were going to stone
the Lord Jesus Christ, and they probably would have stoned His
disciples along with Him. In Matthew chapter 26, look at
verse 31 the Lord's said all you shall
be offended Matthew 26 31 Because of me this night for it is written.
I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall
be scattered Zechariah 13 7 but after that I'm risen again, I
Will go before you into Galilee Peter answered and said in him
Like Thomas, though all men shall be offended because of thee,
I'll never be offended. I'll never, I'll never be ashamed. And the Lord said, Verily I say
unto thee, that this night before the cock crow thou shalt deny
me three times. Peter said, verse 35, unto him,
though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. Okay, bold statement. Thomas
said, we're gonna go. Now look at verse, stay right
here, Matthew 26. Matthew 26. Matthew 26 verse 55 in the same
hour said Jesus to the multitudes are you come out against a thief
with sword and stave to for to take me I set daily with you
in the temple and yet no man laid Hold on me, but all this
was done that the scriptures might be fulfilled then all the
disciples forsook him and fled and Thomas said, boy, we're going
to go back and we're going to die with you. Peter said, we're
going to, oh, these other fellas now, they may cut and run. John, you know, he's a little
bit of a timid fella. But I'll never deny you. I'll
never leave you. And yet when it came right down
to the Lord being arrested, when their life was really threatened,
what really happened? They all cut tail and run like
a bunch of scared rabbits. And we know what happened when
the Lord was arrested. They all forsook him and Peter
Peter said, I'll never be ashamed of you, and Peter denied the
Lord, not twice, three times, he even cussed a little bit and
said, I don't know the man. Surely you're one of those galley,
I don't know him. What does that say of our flesh?
You say, sitting there this morning, well if I'd been there, it'd
have been different if I'd been there. The heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked. You see, our salvation
totally depends on the faithfulness of another, on the doing of another,
on the righteousness of another. Man at his best state, come on,
vanity. Man at his best point, his best
state, all together, all together, vanity. You see, that teaches
us that salvation is not dependent upon us, doesn't it? Salvation
depends on Him, Him. God who has begun a good work
in you, He will perform it, He will perfect it. He has performed
all things for us, Psalm 57. Now look back to the text. When
the Lord Jesus came, verse 17, John 11. When the Lord Jesus
finally came to Bethany, He found that Lazarus had been dead in
the grave, and they had already buried him that he had been in
the grave for four days. Bethany was there very close
unto Jerusalem, just two miles away. Now the Lord on purpose
delayed his coming. You remember they sent word to
the Lord, Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. And the Lord
didn't get upset. He wasn't frustrated. He wasn't
In a big hurry to get down to Bethany, he just delayed for
a couple days on purpose, on purpose. He delayed his coming
on purpose to demonstrate, to further demonstrate his power
in raising Lazarus from the dead who had been dead and I mean,
no one could stand in front of that tomb that day and say, well,
you know, Lazarus really wasn't dead, he just kind of lapped
into a coma. No, he was dead and stinking.
He was dead and rotten. I mean, he was graveyard dead. And the Lord raised him from
the dead. You see how wise the Lord is? Everything he does,
his delay, his timely providence, everything unfolds according
to his eternal purpose and grace. He said, this sickness and death
in verse 4, you remember this? John 11 verse 4, this sickness
is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of
God might be glorified. The Lord knew full well when
He came to Bethany what was going to happen. That's why He tells
Martha, your ladder is going to rise again today. Now look
at verse 19 and 20. Many of the Jews came to comfort. The two sisters of Lazarus, Martha. Martha seems to be the older
sister. She seemed to be in charge of
the household as we read other scripture. We'll see next week
when we talk about Mary. Martha and Mary to comfort them
concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard
that the Lord was coming, Boy, she skedaddled, didn't she? She
skedaddled out of that household. She left, she didn't care about,
she wasn't concerned about being a hostess, a hostess with the
mostess. She cut tail and run. She left
her company, left her friends, left her family. She had one
object. I've got to get to the Lord Jesus
Christ. You see that? Martha, as soon
as she heard that the Lord was coming, went and met Him, but
Mary sat still in the house." Now, there's nothing wrong. It's
good that friends and family would gather in at the time of
sorrow. That's good. That's good, to try to comfort
one another, to weep with those who are weeping, to rejoice with
those who are rejoicing. But when she heard the Lord Jesus
Christ was in town, or on the outskirts of town, she immediately
got up to seek her Lord, to go unto her Lord. That's where true
comfort is really found, isn't it? I mean, it's good that we
comfort one another. And we're gonna do that. We're
gonna, in time of sorrow, in time of heartache, we're gonna
comfort one another. And those things are, that's
good. But isn't this much better? To find our comfort, our peace,
our rejoicing, our hope, our joy in the Lord Jesus Christ
alone. He is our comfort. He is our
peace. Now, what I wanna camp on and
verse 27 down verse 27 back to verse 21 from verse 21 down to
verse 27 this conversation that takes place between Martha and
the Lord Jesus Christ and next week we're going to see the conversation
between Mary Mary and the Lord but here this morning between
Martha and the Lord Jesus Christ then verse 21 look at this then
Martha said unto the Lord Jesus." I like the way she addresses
it here, Lord, Lord, Lord. I always get a little bit annoyed
by people who You notice when I, even I read scripture, I always
usually say the Lord Jesus or Jesus Christ. I get a little
bit annoyed about people who just talk about Jesus this and
Jesus that. You know what? That's His name
of humility. That's His name of humanity.
It's the Lord Jesus Christ. And she addresses him as Lord,
Lord, you're my Lord. She came seeking her Lord to
find comfort. That's a good place, and that's
the only place where comfort is found. So she addressed him
as Lord, Lord. Every knee shall bow, every tongue
shall confess that he is what? Lord, not Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ. But notice something here, and
here again we see the weakness and the frailty of the flesh.
Just like Peter, just like Thomas, just like all the disciples.
She said, and she uses this little word here, it's a pretty big
word, if. If. If you'd been here, if you had
not delayed, it almost as though she questioned why you didn't
come. Don't you see that there? Lord,
why did you delay? You know, if you'd have come,
this wouldn't have happened. It's almost as she, and I hate
to use this word, but I can't come up with any other one, it's
almost as she rebukes the Lord. Why didn't you come? If you'd
been here, my brother had not died. Now notice over in verse
32, I think I pointed this out before, Mary said the exact same
thing. Lord, if you'd been here, my
brother had not died. My brother had not died. Now
Martha at first seemed to complain and even to rebuke the Lord for
not coming when she thought that he should. You know, if I'd have
been in charge, I would have been on the scene
right now. If only you'd been here, my brother
wouldn't have died. Why did you, Lord, why did you
delay? You see, the Lord's healing power is not limited by distance,
is it? Did He have to be there to heal
Lazarus? Did He even have to be there
to raise him out of that tomb that day? No! She seemed to limit
His power by His presence being there. The Lord Jesus only had
to speak a word and it's done. You remember from Psalm 33 verse
9 where it says, He spake, and it was done, He commanded, and
it stood fast? How did this whole universe that
God flung out into outer space that He created, He spake, and
there was light, and there was land, and there was water? But
she seemed to limit his power by his presence. You need to
be here. The Lord only had to speak a
word and it was done. Let me give you an example of
this. When the centurion, Roman centurion, heard that the Lord
Jesus Christ had come to Capernaum, and he said, he approached the
Lord and said, my servant, is grievously sick, would you come
into my house?" Or would you, would you, no, the centurion
servant said, would you have mercy upon my servant and heal
him? And the Lord said, well, I'll come, I'll come to your
house. You remember what the centurion said? No need for that,
just speak a word. I have soldiers under my command,
he says, I just speak a word and they go. And that Roman soldier
understanding with the power and the office and with the command,
it's done. And he said, you just speak a
word and it will be done. And the Lord did. And that servant
was healed. So the Lord is not hindered by
distance. He speaks. He has all power.
Everything he speaks comes to pass. He said, I purposed it,
I've spoken it, I will do it. Now think about this a minute. Think about this. If the Lord
would have been there, Lazarus couldn't have died. Now think
about that a minute. If the Lord would have been there,
Lazarus could not have died. Because I've read this. I've
studied this. No one ever died in the Lord's
presence. I'm talking about His earthly
ministry, when He walked among men. As far as we read in Scripture,
no one ever died in His presence. Even in His dying hour, when
He's nailed on that center cross, and a thief on the right and
a thief on the left. Remember, they didn't want Him
to hang upon the cross on their Sabbath day. They wanted to hasten
His death, so they encouraged Pilate To break their legs. You know why they broke their
legs? So they would suffocate. They would, instead of pushing
themselves up to get a breath, they break their legs and they
would hang and suffocate immediately. They came and break the legs
of the thieves, but when they came to the Lord Jesus Christ,
he was already dead. You see, he died before, no one
ever died. I've read in scripture now, no
one ever died in his presence. And if the Lord Jesus Christ
would have been in that home of Martha and Mary, the Lord
would not have died. You see, he delayed his coming
on purpose. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
is life. He is salvation. Look at verse
22. But I know, she says, I know, I know that even now, even now,
in this late hour, even now, she expresses some doubt, but
yet she believes, doesn't she? It's a mixture, isn't it? Lord,
I believe, help thou my unbelief, but I know that even now, whatsoever
thou will ask of God, God will give it thee. Now, who is she
asking? He is God. Whatever you ask of
God, God will give it unto thee. Martha expresses her faith in
the Lord to heal. She said, but I know even now,
as desperate as this case is, whatsoever you will ask of God,
it shall be done. She doesn't directly ask the
Lord to raise Lazarus from the dead, but certainly that was
on her heart, wasn't it? And the Lord, knowing her heart,
knowing her thoughts, the Lord says to her, in verse 23, you see, here's something else we'll
see about the Lord's omniscience. He knows all things. The Lord
said to her, thy brother, your brother who is dead, Lazarus,
whom you love, I'm gonna raise him from the dead. He'll rise
again. Now the Lord knew exactly what's going to happen. She didn't
know. She thought the Lord was talking
about some future date. About the resurrection, the general
resurrection of all flesh. She doesn't directly ask the
Lord, but the Lord knows. The Lord said in verse 23, Lazarus
will be raised from the dead. And He meant right now, today. Today's the day of salvation.
The Lord directs her attention to the present. not to the past,
if he'd been here. Let's not think about what might
have been, let's think about the reality right now. The Lord
said in verse 11, we go to wake him up, I go to wake him up.
You don't want the dangerous thing to live in a world of if,
if. If, if that would have happened
back, if that wouldn't have happened back then, if that wouldn't have
happened, if I'd have just done this, if I... You go crazy trying
to live in a world of if. Don't live in a world of if,
if, if. You can't, you cannot go back
and change one thing. Can you? Don't live back there. And that's what the Lord is telling
her and us. He says, look to me right now. Let's not think about what it
might have been. Some might say, well, if Adam
just had not sinned, you can't go there. It was all in God's
purpose, wasn't it? That Christ might be glorified.
Martha says in verse 24, Martha said to him, oh, I know, you
know, I know. I know that in the resurrection,
I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last
day. She's thinking about some future
thing that's going to happen. And it will happen. Martha says,
I know that there's going to be a general resurrection of
the just and the unjust, that the dead, all dead everywhere,
who have ever lived will come forth. Remember we had that before. Turn back to John chapter 5.
John chapter 5. Verse 27, John 5, 27. The father, verse 26, hath life
in himself, so hath he given to the son to have life, salvation
in himself. Verse 27, John 5, you got it?
And hath given him authority to execute judgment also because
he is the son of man? Marvel not at this, for the hour
is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear his
voice. and shall come forth. They that
have done good unto the resurrection of life. They that have done
evil to the resurrection of damnation. There is going to be a general
resurrection of all men that ever lived and who have died
and who are buried. There's going to be a resurrection
of the just and the unjust. All believers who have died in
the Lord shall come forth to a blessed glorious resurrection
day. That's every believer's hope.
That was David's hope. David said in Psalm 17, As for
me, I will behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied
when I awake with thy likeness. That was Job's hope. Job said,
I know that my Redeemer liveth, that he shall stand at the latter
day upon the earth, and though after the skin worm destroy this
body, yet in my flesh I shall see God. There is going to be a glorious
resurrection day when the Lord comes back again and the dead
in Christ shall be raised up. But I want you to notice what
the Lord says in verse 25. Martha has her attention fixed
on a last day, on a true doctrine. She knew the true doctrine of
the resurrection, didn't she? She said in the last day there's
going to be a general resurrection. I want you to notice what the
Lord does here. He said, I am the resurrection.
You see that? I am life. He that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. The Lord turned
Martha's attention away from a true doctrine to himself. You see what he does there? To
himself. I am the resurrection. I am life. Without the Lord Jesus
Christ, now listen to me, without the Lord Jesus Christ, there
is no resurrection unto life. Without His resurrection, without
the Lord Jesus Christ dying for our sin according to scripture,
putting away our sin, being raised again, ascending the glory and
seated at the right hand of God, there is no resurrection, there
is no resurrection unto life and to glory. Without the Lord
Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we have no Savior. If Christ be not raised up, we
are yet in our sin. Thank God He was delivered for
our offenses and raised again for our justification. Without
the Lord Jesus Christ being raised up, we have no justifying righteousness,
do we? We have no redemption, no forgiveness
of sin. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself Christ Himself. Get a hold of that now. You see,
any true doctrine apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, there's
no life, there's no power in it apart from Christ. Take the
doctrine of election. Oh, it's a blessed, blessed truth,
isn't it? It is true. There is a Bible doctrine of
election. But what is election apart from Christ who is the
elect? You see what I'm saying? Take
redemption, particular redemption, effectual redemption, how Christ
died for our sin, how He put away the sin of God's covenant
people. But apart from the Redeemer, the one who bought us with His
own blood, do we have any redemption from sin? No. You see, it all gets back and
everything is relative. Resurrection, righteousness,
redemption, regeneration, everything is relative to the Lord Jesus
Christ himself. You see what he's doing here?
I am the resurrection, Martha. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
ground, the source of all spiritual life, the cause of eternal and
spiritual life, and He's a fountain of it. It all flows from Him
because all blessings are found in Him. Now whatever salvation
is, I think I know what it is, but whatever salvation is, it's
in Him. Salvation is in a person, isn't
it? Salvation is in a person, the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's knowing Him. It's being
found in Him. It's being united to the Lord
Jesus Christ alone. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily and in Christ we stand complete. All
scriptural and true doctrine only have life and power as they
are connected to the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified, seated
in glory. It all gives back to His person.
at His work. I am the resurrection and the
life. That is to say, in salvation
the Lord Jesus Christ is not something, He's everything. He that hath the Son hath life. I am the resurrection and the
life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. Now this is exactly what happens
to a sinner Saved by the Lord's mighty grace there is a resurrection. That's what salvation really
is. You see there is that spiritual resurrection. that must take
place before there's a glorious bodily resurrection. And that's
what happens in regenerating grace. That's what happens in
what we call quickening grace. The Lord raises us from the dead,
delivered us out of the kingdom of darkness, translated us into
the kingdom of God's dear Son. You hath he quickened who were
what? Dead. in trespasses and in sin. That's why we insist, as this
Bible does, it teaches us that salvation is His doing. It's
not some kind of cooperative thing that Christ does His part
and we do our part and we put the two parts together and we
have a whole. No, He's everything in salvation. He raises us from
the dead of which we are completely passive. It's a work of grace. It's a work of God. God who has
begun a good work in you. There is a spiritual resurrection
from the dead when the Lord gives us life in Christ Jesus. He prayed
in John 17. We're going to study that in
a few months when we get over there, that priestly prayer.
He said, Father, I thank you, O Father, heaven and earth, you've
glorified me. On the earth now let me glorify
you. You have given me power over
all flesh that I should give eternal life. That's a resurrection
from the dead. Blessed is he who hath part in
the first resurrection. You remember from our study in
Revelation? All sinners who are raised from the spiritual grave
of sin and quickened together with Christ shall never perish,
shall never die, even though we put this old tabernacle, this
tent, this frail tent that we live in, we put it in the ground
for a while, but we shall never perish. He's raised us from the
dead. Revelation 20, here's that verse
I was thinking about a moment ago. Blessed and holy is he that
hath part in the first resurrection, on such a second death hath no
power. But they shall be priests of
God, and of Christ, and shall reign with him for ever a thousand
years." And that means with him forever. While our bodies go
back to the dust, the soul shall never die. To be absent from
this body is to be present with the Lord, united with the Lord
Jesus Christ forever. We read this last week. The Apostle
said, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain, having a desire
to depart. That's our desire, to depart
and to be with Christ, which is far better. It's better. It can't even be compared to
this life. Luke verse 26, and whosoever
liveth and believeth in me will never die. Do you believe this? Believe us now this. Those believers
who have been raised from the dead spiritually and are living
upon the earth when the Lord comes back will be changed in
a moment in a twinkling of an eye as we read in 1 Corinthians
15. He shall change our vile bodies,
Philippians chapter 3, and make us like unto his glorious bodies.
We'll be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and
so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now look at this question, verse
26, the last part. Do you believe this? The Lord
asked Martha this question when He declares that salvation is
all of His doing, that He is life, that He is the resurrection,
that He is salvation. Martha, do you believe this? And I asked myself, do I believe this? Oh yes, I
do. Do you believe this? And she
said, verse 27, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord, I believe. Thou art the Christ, the Son
of God, which should come into the world. Do you believe this?
I ask you and myself. Do you really believe the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is He everything to you? Do you find in the Lord Jesus
Christ alone all your need and interest of salvation fully met? I mean fully, completely met
in Him? Who's able to meet all our need
according and to supply all our need according to His riches
in glory through Christ Jesus? Do you see in the Lord Jesus
Christ all of your salvation accomplished, finished, done? Do you see in the Lord Jesus
Christ, is Christ to you your resurrection from the dead? Is the Lord Jesus Christ to you
all your redemption from sin? The blood of Jesus Christ God
cleanses us from all our sin. Do you see in the Lord Jesus
Christ all of our righteousness before God that justify the ungodly? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God? It is God that justifies. Do you see in the Lord Jesus
Christ your reconciliation? Are you still going about to
establish a righteousness of your own? Are you resting in
Christ who is our righteousness? Do you see in the Lord Jesus
Christ all of our reconciliation? That He made peace for us with
His own blood? Do you see in that? Do you believe
that? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. You see in the Lord Jesus Christ Regeneration by His grace. Regeneration
by His command, by His Spirit. Yes, I do. Christ is the sole
and only cause of all salvation. She said unto him, Yes, Lord,
I believe. I believe. I believe that thou
art with Christ. Remember that's what Peter said
when many walked away from the Lord, and the Lord said, will
you also go away? Peter said unto him, Lord, to
whom shall we go? We believe and we're sure you
are that Christ, the Son of God. On another occasion, when the
Lord said, whom do men say that I am? Well, some say you're a
great prophet, some say you're a great teacher, and the Lord
pointed his finger right in Peter's face and said, whom do you say
that I am? Remember what Peter said? Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And the Lord said,
Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonah. Flesh and blood hath
not revealed this unto you, but my Father hath revealed this
unto you. Yes, you are my Christ, my prophet,
my priest, my king. Yes, you are God my Savior, the
one who has come, the one who was promised to come, the one
who has come and accomplished all of my salvation. Now, Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Is Christ my righteousness? Yes, Lord. Is Christ my redemption? Yes, Lord. Is Christ my resurrection? Yes. Well, maybe. No, yes. He
is my resurrection. Is He my regeneration, my reconciliation? Yes. It reminds me of this scripture. Let's see if we can find it. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. Yes, yes, yes, yes Lord. 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse
18. But as God is true, this is 2nd
Corinthians chapter 1 verse 18. You got it? 2nd Corinthians 1
verse 18. But as God is true, our word toward you was not,
our preaching was not yea and nay. Oh, it could be, but maybe
it's not. It wasn't yea and nay preaching.
Yes and no preaching. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was preached unto you by us, preached among you by us,
even by me and Silas and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in Him
is yes. You see that? Yes, Lord, I believe. All the promises of God in him,
verse 20, all the promises of God in him are what? Maybe, could
be, if, no, all the promises of God in him are yes, and in
him, amen. To the glory of God. To the glory
of God. by us. Amen. Yes, Lord. You are my resurrection. Yes, Lord.
Tom Harding
About Tom Harding
Tom Harding is pastor of Zebulon Grace Church located at 6088 Zebulon Highway, Pikeville, Kentucky 41501. You may also contact him by telephone at (606) 631-9053, or e-mail taharding@mikrotec.com. The website address is www.henrytmahan.com.

Comments

0 / 2000 characters
Comments are moderated before appearing.

Be the first to comment!

Joshua

Joshua

Shall we play a game? Ask me about articles, sermons, or theology from our library. I can also help you navigate the site.

0:00 0:00