''Pssst...YOU'LL NEVER DIE IF YOU..."

John 11:25-27; 20:24-29


The resurrection of Jesus makes our own resurrection possible.

"Pssst...I've got something for you.  You'll never die if you just..."

There is always someone offering some new fountain of youth, some new elixir of life that promises newer, bigger, better, life.  Everybody wants to live longer and many scientists these days are convinced that we can unlock secrets that will move our lifespan well beyond 120 years.  But even with our best efforts we will still die.

But Jesus said something that is difficult for those driven solely by the natural world to accept:  We...can...live...forever.  While it sounds like a "street corner promise" we will look at some evidence that makes it easier to believe.

Jesus told us the only way not to die is to believe in and follow him. 

After the death of Lazarus, his sister Martha rebuked Jesus for not being present to prevent her brother's death.  Mary and Martha had sent word to Jesus telling him that Lazarus was sick.  Jesus delayed in returning to Bethany and when he did choose to make the journey he told his disciples that Lazarus was already dead.  But even "doubting Thomas" spoke up and boldly challenged the group to go with Jesus so that they could demonstrate their loyalty by dying with Him.  By the time Jesus arrived Lazarus had been buried for four days.       

Jesus' "I Am" statement carried the great claim of Deity.  Implied in this statement is the truth that Jesus is the one God.  For the believer, death is not the end of life.  The physical body will die, but those who believe Jesus are, and will remain, spiritually alive in Christ.

Jesus challenged Martha to use her faith to go further in her spiritual understanding.  Instead of allowing her to merely think in terms of a "someday" resurrection, Jesus urged her to see the one speaking to her as the only source of eternal life.  As he demonstrated, Jesus clearly possesses the power of resurrection.  Those who place their faith in Jesus experience new life in both this age and the age to come.  They will be able to experience a new quality of life here and now that is free of the guilt of and slavery to sin.  While we still experience the limitations of this physical world while we are in it, we will live in the presence of God at the end of this physical life.  Jesus challenged her to confirm her absolute trust: "Do you believe this?"  Mary's confession of faith must be our confession too:  "Yes, Lord.  I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world."

The second episode that this lesson covers is the "doubting Thomas" passage where Thomas proclaims that he would not believe until he sees the evidence with his own eyes.  Thomas gets a bad rap because of this statement (be careful what you say, it may stay with you forever), but the Gospel accounts demonstrate that Thomas was always ready to follow Jesus, he just wanted to be certain about the way.  He was always ready to follow Jesus, but he just wanted to know that it was JESUS that he was following and that he was clear about "the way" they were going.

Jesus gave Thomas that opportunity to become clear and praised Thomas because he believed in the physical evidence.  He then challenged Thomas to stop being without faith and to start exercising his faith.  He noted that those who believe without physical evidence are even more blessed.  

Evidence is a powerful persuader.  There are evidences of the resurrection of Jesus:  

It is an evidence that the story of the empty tomb is found in all four Gospels and is implicit in the very early church's proclamation of the resurrection and has remained the foundation of the Gospel message since then.

It is an evidence that since women were not considered reliable witnesses in the legal system of the Jewish culture, that for the Apostles to have fabricated the story of the resurrection and then made women the first witnesses to that empty tomb and the resurrection is not likely.

It is an evidence that something incredible took place on that Sunday to cause Jewish believers to begin worshiping on the first day of the week (Sunday) rather than on the last day of the week (Saturday).

It is an evidence that post-resurrection there is a marked transformation of the character and actions of the disciples.  The biblical record indicates that at the time of Jesus' arrest they all ran away.  When the women reported what they had seen the men did not believe and, in effect, continued to hide.  Yet these same frightened and doubting men were later willing to suffer persecution and martyrdom in order to preach Jesus as the resurrected Lord.

There is NO DOUBT that life changing events occurred.  Both Lazarus and Jesus clearly demonstrate that Jesus possesses the power of resurrection. Martha and Thomas provide us the foundation for the lesson that you will never die if you believe that Jesus is the incarnation of God who came to Earth to reconcile himself with those who choose to be reconciled with him.  The choice is yours.  

Psst....if you believe you will never die.