POST OVERVIEW. An exposition of John 11:24-26 for my upcoming book on “The Resurrection: When the church is glorified.”

The death of Jesus’ friend Lazarus provides the context for this very famous quote from our Lord about His identity and about the resurrection of the saints. Martha has complained to the Lord that, if He had come earlier, Lazarus would not have died. Jesus responded by telling her that her brother would rise again.

²⁴ Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:24-26

11:24. Martha states the doctrine of the resurrection; namely, that there will be resurrection of the dead on the last day. But Martha does not connect the resurrection with Jesus or with faith in Jesus. Her understanding of the resurrection is incomplete.

11:25. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus is the central figure in the resurrection on the last day. He is the one who orchestrates the resurrection and who gives eternal life to all who believe in Him.

“He who believes in Me . . .” We pause here to make the critical point that only believers in Jesus will be a part of the resurrection of the righteous. If you believe in Jesus; that is, if you have denied yourself and taken up your cross daily and followed Jesus (Luke 9:23); if you have passed from death to life (John 5:24); if you have been born again (John 3:3, 5); if you have been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1), then Jesus’ words apply to you. If not, then you are heading toward a resurrection of judgment (John 5:29) and a place in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15).

So, Jesus’ words here are good news only for those who believe in Jesus.

Jesus, as the resurrection and the life, says, “He who believes in Me . . . will live . . . even if he dies.” In the Garden, the LORD God had warned Adam about sin: “The day you eat of it, you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Ever since Adam’s first sin, death has reigned over all men because of their sin. “The soul who sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4). My sin guaranteed my death and there was no escape available.

But now Jesus declares, “He who believes in Me will live even if He dies.” To anyone who believes in Him, Jesus makes a promise that renders physical death inconsequential. Our Lord promises that the believer will live. In the garden, God warned Adam that his sin would result in death, but now the Son of God declares that the one who believes in Him will live. Look carefully and you will see that Jesus has taken sin out of the equation. God said that if Adam sinned, he would die, but now Jesus says if the sinner believes, he will live.

Notice that “will live” is in the future tense. When Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, promises that the believer will live, He is speaking about the believer’s eternal life. We see then that Jesus is saying, “He who believes in Me will live forever in heaven.” And we know that in heaven we will be in our eternal glorified state. In other words, based on Jesus’ promise, it is a settled certainty that he who believes in Jesus will live forever in heaven in glory.

“He who believes in Me will live . . . . even if He dies.” Once you have passed from spiritual death to eternal life (John 5:24) as a result of believing in Jesus, your future glorified life in heaven is guaranteed regardless of whether you are physically alive or dead. In other words, physical death does not affect your spiritual life and cannot rob you of your promised glorified body. Jesus has promised that you will live. Because of this, the believer should no longer fear physical death. Because of my faith in Jesus, my physical death has become a non-event. I am awaiting the resurrection when I will receive my glorified body even if my physical body has died.

But there is another aspect to this short phrase, “even if he dies.” We will receive our glorified body even if we physically die, but there is also the possibility that we will not physically die. In other words, the resurrection may occur while my physical body is yet living. What happens then? Jesus does not explain this possibility in this passage, but Paul has clearly explained this in 1 Thess. 4:15-17 and in 1 Cor. 15:51-52. If the resurrection occurs when the believer is yet living, then he will be quickly changed (1 Cor. 15:52) and will receive his glorified body without having to go through death.

Regardless of your physical circumstances, whether you are asleep or you are alive and remain, you will receive your eternal glorified body in the resurrection.

11:26. “and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” The previous verse talked about the physical aspects of the resurrection, but this verse speaks about the eternal spiritual rewards of believing in Jesus as Lord and God. Jesus declares that everyone who believes in Him will live forever. By his faith in Jesus, the believer has received eternal life and cannot die. Everyone who does not believe in Jesus is dead in their sins (Eph. 2:1), but everyone who believes in Him has forever passed from death to life (John 5:24) and therefore will never die. Eternal life is theirs. Once again, physical death poses no threat to the believer because, whether alive or asleep, he possesses eternal life.

SUMMARY

Mary and Martha were saddened because their brother, Lazarus, was dead, and they were confused because Jesus had not prevented their brother’s death. But Jesus’ message to them is one of immense encouragement: “For everyone who believes in Me, physical death is of no consequence. Believe in Me and you will rise in glory in the resurrection and spend eternity in heaven with Me. I am the resurrection and I am the One who gives eternal life.”

Do you believe this?

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 2/26/2024                   #696