Transcript

He is risen. He is risen, indeed! Do you really believe that? Do you believe this? This is something that falls a little strange to modern ears, that there would be a people that believe that there's someone who defeated the grave, who came back from the dead, but this is the basis for Christianity.

There's no other religion like this, that is based on a historical fact that even according to the Apostle Paul, if you do away with the resurrection, there is no Christianity. We serve a risen Lord. Do you believe this? You know, because people believe some pretty funny things. I asked Google about this.

There's a lot of things that aren't true that people still believe. I learned this one. I didn't even know about this one. Some people believe that birds aren't real. They think they're government drones and that they're recharging on those electric wires that you see them roosting on.

I didn't know about that.

People believe that you swallow eight spiders a year in your sleep. That’s not true. It was first printed in a magazine just to test people's believability. It went viral.

People believed it. I was told this by my grandmother, “Gary, spit out those watermelon seeds, because if you swallow them, a watermelon will grow in your stomach.” That worried me. Talking about childhood trauma, right? It’s not true.

It’s not true. I've swallowed them and never grew a watermelon. Well, maybe I don't know what this is,(pointing to his stomach) but it came on as I got older. Cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis, so stop that.

Not true. Medically, it's just the gas bubbles between your joints that just kind of burst. Yeah, but it is kind of irritating, so don't do it while I'm preaching, okay? Some people believe that the Earth is flat and regardless of what we've seen from camera shots and photos from outer space, they believe it's flat.

If you touch a toad, you'll get warts. Not true. Go ahead, ladies. Go ahead and try to find your prince.

You'll be okay.

Don't cross your eyes or they'll get stuck that way. I was also told this one. Actually, that's not the truth. Your muscles will be able to bring them back to normal. I wouldn't do it during a job interview, but it's okay.

Here's one more. This is the final one: The Easter bunny lays colored eggs.

Not true. The myth of the magical.

The myth of a magical bunny who lays colored eggs to well behaved children. This first originated in Germany as

something to celebrate at this time of the year. Now, look, I would not recommend what rabbits do lay, regardless of the color, okay? I wouldn't recommend that. Well, we believe in some funny things, don't we?

We believe in some strange things. But here's the thing I want you to consider. No matter how strong your belief, it doesn't make it true. You can believe something with all your heart, but that doesn't make it true. It's either true or false.

If it's true, it doesn't even matter if you believe it or not. It's still true. Belief is just saying, I'm persuaded that this is true. I have confidence that this is true.

Now, you might not believe in the law of gravity. You might say, I can't see gravity, I can't smell gravity, but if you miss a step on a ladder on your way down, gravity will still come true, whether you believe it or not, and you'll feel its impact. That's what I want to tell you about Jesus today. He said, “I'm the resurrection and the life,” and He backed it up by leaving that tomb and getting up.

It's a historical fact that you have to decide what to do with. Do you believe this? Do you believe this? Well, we're here today saying that we believe. We believe in this.

Now, why does this matter? Why does it matter that we believe in this resurrected life that we find in Jesus? Well, because we all face a certain reality called death. Death is not just something that we see in our loved ones that may have passed away or a friend. It's encouraging; it's hopeful to help us at those times.

But we all experience “little deaths” along the way. Maybe it's the “death” of a marriage. Maybe your marriage is in trouble and you're experiencing “little deaths” because you know what death really is.

What death really is, is separation. You know, death is separation from the body; the soul lives on, but the body dies. It's separation. So, when you have a break in marriage, when you have an unreconciled marriage, you could say, Well, that was a death of a marriage, a death of a friendship.

You could have the death of a dream. I had this dream. I wanted to do this, I wanted to accomplish this. But it looks like that dream has died.

We experienced little deaths along the way. This is why the fact that Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life” is so important, because we need life today, so that we have overcoming resurrection life that helps us overcome those little deaths along the way. Do you believe this? This is why it matters. In the book of John, chapter 11, two weeks before Easter Sunday, two weeks before Jesus was raised from the grave, He raised a man from the dead named Lazarus.

Before Lazarus died, He talked to Lazuris’ sister, Martha; He asked her if she believed this, that He's the resurrection and the life. As we look at the text today, I think we're called to answer that question too. I think as we look, we'll see three truths that Jesus proclaims that we can believe. Let's look at it. This is in the book of John, chapter 11,

starting in verse 25, John 11:25-26 (ESV) 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” This is God's word.

Amen. Three truths on how to experience resurrection life in Jesus. This is what we're talking about this morning. This is the first truth:

1. Look to the PERSON: True life is in Christ alone!

Look to the Person: True life is found in Christ alone! Look to the Person. Jesus doesn't say, Hey, I can give you life. I can give you resurrection.

He says something very unusual. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” This is very unique language. He doesn't offer Martha a doctrine. He doesn't try to explain resurrection to her.

He says, hey, look at Me. Look. Look at Me. Martha, I know you're grieving. I know you're hurting.

I know you've lost your brother. I know you're a little bit mad at Me. You're mad at God for letting it happen, because the first thing she says to Him when He approaches is, Lord, if you would have been here, if you hadn't been late, my brother would not have died.

Do you hear the accusation? He says, look at Me. It doesn't matter. I am the resurrection and the life. If you know Me, I am.

He doesn't give her a doctrine. He says, I'm the doctor. I am the resurrection. He doesn't offer her a program. He doesn't offer her a principal.

He offers her His person. He says, I am. This is very important. John loves the number seven. He has seven “I am” statements in his gospel.

This is important because in Exodus 3:14, at the burning bush Moses said, God, what's your name? We've been calling you the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But what's Your name? He says, “I am who I am.” (Ex. 3:14). My name is Yahweh, which in Hebrew means, I am the self existent, one ever present.

That's My name, so make no mistake, Jesus is claiming divinity here. He's claiming to be God, of very God. He says, in fact, in the Greek, if you could read it in the New Testament, it's written in Greek. It uses the emphatic use of “I.”

He says, “I, I am the resurrection.” “I, I am” seven times. It's in there. “I, I am the bread of life.” “I, I am the light of the world.”

”I, I am the door.” “I am the good shepherd.” “I am the true vine.” “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

”I am the resurrection and the life.” Seven times. He's making it clear to Martha, Hey, you're looking at the resurrection right here. But Martha says, “If you'd have been here, Lord…” But Jesus says that I'm here. I'm here, right here.

Tim Keller says, “When Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life, He isn’t offering an abstract idea—He’s offering Himself.”

He is life. He is the resurrection and the life. We see this in the opening of the Gospel of John. He says, John 1:1-4 (ESV) 1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

He is life. He is the resurrection and the life. Notice what John writes in his first epistle. He says, 1 John 5:11-12 (ESV) 11 “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” It reminds me of that old American Dairy association commercial where they would have famous people with a white mustache and then it would say, “Got milk?” off to the side, “Got milk?” They were obviously sloppy milk drinkers, right? But I feel like we ought to have a billboard that says, “Got Jesus, got life!”

It's not good English, but it's true. John says that if you have Jesus, you have life. If you don't have Jesus, you're dead already,

because we're all born spiritually dead. We're all born apart from God.

This weekend, I was getting ready for Spring. It's Easter. I have a lot of family coming over after church today and I was trying to get everything ready. I wanted to take the cover off of our screen porch. During the wintertime, I put a plastic covering up to keep some of that yellow pollen out and also have a place where we can keep our plants during the winter.

It was time to take it down. I was taking one section down over the top of our rose bush, the one I bought for Robin years ago on Mother's Day. It got loose from my hands and it broke off a couple of the branches. I looked at them. I wondered if I could stand them back up maybe. No, it's gone.

I just had to take some clippers and cut it down at the next leaf and it'll be okay. It'll grow back. But that section is dead. You know why it's not connected to the root anymore? It’s because life is in the root. Jesus is the source of life.

Apart from Christ, we have no life. This is why, in His statement, He says, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” Apart from Jesus, there is no life. Do you know Jesus today? Do you know the Person?

He's not called you to a religion of do's and don'ts. He's called you to a relationship with Christ, to the Person of Jesus. This leads us to the second truth that we see in the scripture:

2. Recognize the PENALTY: Death wins without Jesus.

There's only one way to find true life and that's in Christ, but recognize the penalty. Death wins without Jesus. Death wins without Jesus. Where do you see this, Gary?

Well, let's keep reading. 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, “

How many “whoever’s” do we have in the room? Are you included? Some of you aren't sure if you're a “whoever.” Surely “whoever” includes everybody, right?

Whoever believes in what? Me. Believes in Me. Jesus. Though he die, yet shall he live. These bodies will die. They're not going to make it. Some of us are ready to turn them in anyway.

Why is there death? Our very souls rebel against death because there's something inside of us. It says in the book of Ecclesiastes that God set eternity in our hearts,

so, we have a longing for things to last, but they never do. Things run down, things break down, things lose their “new car smell.”

There's something about death; we hate it and so did Jesus, because He's life and wherever life steps in, death loses.

But death's winning, apart from Jesus. He says, “whoever believes.” In other words, whoever places their confidence in Me, whoever is fully persuaded that I died for you and I'm risen today. Whoever's fully persuaded in that even though you die, you'll live. You know, these bodies, they're not built for heaven.

They will pass away or if we're here when He returns, they'll be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. But, make no mistake, these bodies must pass.

There's a penalty for sin. It says in Romans 6:23 (ESV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We've all earned death.

We've all sinned. That's what Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned…” Remember the “whoever’s;” we're the “whoever’s.” We're also the “all” in

“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” The truth is, sin and death will win without Christ. Look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:53-57 (NLT) 53 “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 For sin is the sting that results in death,

and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Death wins apart from Christ. But in Christ, death, death loses. Death, death loses its sting.

C.S. Lewis wrote this; he says, "Either Jesus bore your death, or you will. There is no neutral ground." He not only took my death, He not only took your death.

If you're a believer in Him, He took your death, and He offers you His eternal life. He took your sin, and He offers your righteousness. All the sins of the world were placed upon Him as the Lamb of God and He offers His Sonship, His relationship with the Father and He takes our separation.

Either Jesus bore your death or you will. In the 1800s, there was a famous American evangelist. He was known around the world. His name was D.L. Moody.

He famously said, “Someday you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now.”He was also famous for this saying, “Born once, die twice. Born twice, die once.”

Now, you might have to think about that for a minute, but if you're born once and you haven't been born again, you haven't been born twice, you will die twice. These bodies will die, and then you'll face the judgment and then there's eternal death in a place called hell, which is called the second death. Born once, die twice, but if you're born again, you're born twice.

Yeah, these old bodies have to die, but then there's life eternal. I like what he said. D.L. Moody's last words in 1899, when he lay on his deathbed, all of his children gathered around, his spouse and a couple of other people that were there taking notes because everyone wanted to know and hear what D.L. Moody would say as he passed.

These are some of the words he says, "Earth recedes, heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.”

Then, after a pause, he reportedly said: "This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! I have been looking forward to it for years.” And finally, to his children standing near: "If this is death, it is not bad... it is glorious!"

You know, as Jesus said to the thief on the cross who said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, this day, you will be with me in paradise.” I believe we close our eyes in this world as believers and open our eyes in the next. It's like waking up from sleep. Yes, death is the penalty of sin.

But Jesus says, “whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” That leads us to the third truth that He teaches us here. He says it's about knowing Him personally and being aware that death has a penalty. Then He gives a promise to believe.

3. Believe the PROMISE: Whoever believes in Jesus never dies.

Believe the promise: Whoever believes in Jesus never dies. These are the final words He says, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? “and everyone,” well, how about this? Now, are the “whoever's” still in the room?

What about the “everyones?” Are the “everyones” in the room? Okay, so everyone who lives and believes in Me, not in a doctrine, not in a philosophy or a religion. Believes in Jesus. Everyone who believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?

Do you believe this? He asked Martha. This is His promise. Everyone who lives and believes in Jesus, everyone who has the spirit of Christ, the spirit of the resurrection living in them. If you live in that, if that's

how you have your being, that's who you are. I'm a Jesus follower. Then you'll never really die. Oh, you'll go to sleep from this world and you'll open your eyes to the next, but you'll never truly die because the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you.

You have nothing to fear. You're filled with hope, knowing that you will never die. Do you believe this? This is the moment of decision for Martha. “Martha, do you believe this?”

Does she? Does she believe it? Does she believe it? We'll find out in a moment how she replies. Here's what Jesus says about this in John, chapter six.

He says, John 6:40 (ESV) “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Everyone. Everyone who believes, He will raise up. There comes a day when every grave will burst open and every believer will have a new body.

He's the firstborn from among the dead. The scripture said “firstborn;” in the Greek, it is “prototakos.” That's the Greek word. It's where we get the word, “prototype.”

He's the “prototype” of the body. He could eat; He could drink. He didn't necessarily need to use doors. He appeared before His disciples and believers for forty days after His resurrection, before His ascension.

Paul reports that over five hundred saw Him at one time. We get a body like His; a resurrection body. He's the firstborn from among the dead. He says to Martha, “Do you believe this?” and she says, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who is coming into the world.”

She's got good doctrine. This is a good theological answer. Yes, Lord, I believe. She begins to list her doxology.

Basically, she says, I believe You're the Christ. I believe You're the Messiah. Good. I believe You're the Son of God.

Oh, wow. That's great, Martha. That's good. I believe You're the one who we've been waiting for that was coming into the world to bring Your kingdom. So she has this Jewish expectation that's being fulfilled in Him, but that's not what He was asking.

It's like they're talking past each other. You have to give Martha a break, though. She just lost her brother. He's been laying in the tomb for four days. She's still a little mad at God about that.

Do you believe that I'm the resurrection and the life? Do you believe in Me, because if you do, you will never die. She replies, I believe You're the Christ. I believe You're the Son of God.

Gary, aren't you being tough on Martha? Let's just check out how it goes. Now, here's how the story goes. So, here comes Mary.

She comes running up to where Jesus and Martha are and she's crying. Then, Jesus sees her. In the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” He begins to cry with her. Not because He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but I think He's crying because she's crying, because that's how Jesus is.

He's tenderhearted towards us. He asks, “Where have you laid him?” with a reply, “Come and see.” They take Him to the tomb. Here's where we find out where Martha's belief really was.

This is how far she was believing. He says, “Roll away the stone.” She says to Jesus, “But, Lord, he's been in the tomb for four days.” The King James version says it like this, “He stinketh.”

I don't want to. I don't want to experience that. I've lost my brother. I'm not rolling away the stone. He says, “Roll away the stone.”

Then He says, “Lazarus, come forth,” and here Lazarus comes. He comes out with those grave clothes on him. Jesus turns to the people around Him and He says, “Take off his grave clothes and let him go.” Now, Martha believes.

Now, she gets it. Only a little less than two weeks later, Easter Sunday comes. Because of what happened was such a bold amount of news, it went viral.

Did you hear about this Jesus of Nazareth? He's probably the Son of God. He's probably the Messiah. He raised this man, Lazarus, from the grave. The scripture reports that everyone started to believe and they reported it to the Pharisees and they reported it to the high priest.

They said, if we keep letting this go, everyone's going to believe in Him and Caiaphas says, wouldn't it be better for one man to die so that all could be rescued? He was the high priest. Even though he's rejecting Jesus, the Gospel reports he really kind of prophesied there. So, they kill Him.

That thing with raising Lazarus actually pushed Him over the edge and they killed Him. Guess what He said, once again, He's saying this to us, “I am the resurrection.

and the life.” Death couldn't hold Him down. He burst forth from the grave.

Do you believe this? Do you believe this? Today, Jesus is still asking that question. Do you believe this? Maybe, you've made a confession of faith.

Maybe, you've got some good doctrine. You might have your theology all ordered up, but have you ever placed your trust in Jesus? Here's how Paul describes it to the church, to the believers in Rome. He says, Romans 10:9 (NIV) “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” In other words, you say, Jesus, You're king. You're the master of my life.

I turn my whole life over to You. Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Do you believe this? If you believe it, you will be saved. Have you ever done that?

Have you answered the question? Do you believe this? Let's pray.

Lord, I first of all pray for that one that's listening right now. The Lord's talking to you. The spirit is moving in your life right now. I don't know why you came today. Maybe, someone invited you.

Maybe, it's because it's Easter. But you hear the Lord speaking. He's asking you, Do you believe this and you're ready to say, Yes, Lord, I believe it.

I believe You died on the cross for my sins. You were raised from the grave and that You live today. Come and live in me. Forgive me of my sin. Make me a child of God.

I want to follow You as my Lord and as my Savior. If you're praying that prayer of faith, believing, it's not so much the words as it is the attitude of your heart. He will save you. Do you believe this? Others are here and you believe it with all your heart. You're a born again Christ follower,

but there's “little deaths” in your life today. Maybe it's trouble in your marriage, an unreconciled relationship with your kids, with your parents or with a friend. Maybe it's something that's not turning out the way you planned. Talk to the Resurrection and the Life; talk to Jesus.

He's the answer. Say, Lord, help me. Maybe you're grieving a loss. Lord, I need Your life afresh in me today and I trust you.

I live in You. I draw on the spirit of Christ today. We pray all these things in Your wonderful name, the name of Jesus. Amen.