Do You Believe This?

Do You Believe This?

Scripture:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he died, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25, 26

Reflection:

Tomorrow we celebrate Easter. Easter stands as our yearly celebration of the resurrection of Jesus’ victory over death and the triumph of life, and more specifically, eternal life. This holiday serves as a reminder that Jesus is victorious and that  “Life wins” if we are but found in Christ. Jesus won the ultimate victory over death. 1 Corinthians 15:54 reminds us that, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

Yet death can still loom large in our daily lives. In our world, the harsh statistics are that three people die every second, about 260,000 every day. Death will visit the young and old, the rich and poor, the good and bad, the educated and the foolish. As one ancient philosopher said, “While it is possible to provide security against all other ills, as far as death is concerned, we live as people in a city without walls. Death enters at will.”

It was precisely at this moment of hopelessness that Jesus re-entered the home of his good friend and said to Martha, “Your brother will rise again…Do you believe this?” 

Jesus asked this piercing question to Martha just four days after her brother’s death and interestingly enough, six weeks before his own death. This question Jesus pinpoints the main point. There is a Latin term “ne plus ultra” which means the pinnacle or highest statement, the very crux of the matter, the single absolute defining point. In Jesus’ question, it is the “ne plus ultra” of our faith…Do we truly believe, from the depth of our souls that Jesus is the resurrection and the life?

For Mary and Martha, moments later they had their proof. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead right in front of them, he demonstrated that he was indeed “the resurrection and life.” He reconfirmed it 6 weeks later when he was raised from the tomb on Easter morning. Raising of Lazarus from the dead was just Easter on full display. It was Easter before Easter. Jesus demonstrated his victory over death weeks before the actual Easter event. 

As we celebrate Easter tomorrow with our church and family, may it be a time when we boldly answer Jesus’ question to Martha for ourselves. This is what we celebrate at Easter, the declaration has come true: 

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 

“Where, O death, is your victory?”

“Where, O death, is your sting?”

The amazing reality is that every single person who trusts in Jesus Christ…will live!  Because of Jesus, we will live…we will have a resurrection and we will have the fullness of eternal life all because of the resurrection and life found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you believe this?  I do!

Happy Easter!

David