The Resurrection And The Life

John 11:1-44

I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. (John 11:25)

“IF ONLY YOU HAD BEEN HERE.” Those words, uttered by both Martha and Mary when Jesus arrived after their brother’s death (John 11:21, 32), capture the sentiment many of us have felt toward God in our disappointments. We know God was there, of course; we just don’t understand why he didn’t intervene and why he seems so involved in some aspects of our lives and so aloof in others. If we’re honest, we have to acknowledge that a significant portion of our inward lives is aimed at disappointment management—rationalizing past pains and guarding our hearts against more of them in the future. We long for lives made new.

That’s the Good News of the Kingdom, and its ultimate expression is in Jesus’ emphatic statement that resurrection and life are found in him. He wasn’t just raised from the dead to impress us; he was resurrected on our behalf, as the firstfruits of what God is doing with all of creation, the reversal of an age-old curse that subjected us to futility and decay. We serve a God who makes all things new (Isaiah 43:18-19; 65:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5) and is doing so in our lives even now. You may not notice the renewal in some seasons, but it is carrying on anyway. God is redeeming, restoring, and renovating, even while we wait for the ultimate fulfillment of our resurrection at the end of the age. We have every right—even the responsibility—to live in anticipation of renewal.

Let that anticipation be contagious. Live with wonder, as though all things are fresh and new, inviting and drawing you into an adventure with God. The promise of resurrection is meant to jolt us out of apathy and tedium. Nothing is “the same old thing” anymore. Ask God to fill your heart with anticipation of his goodness—to surprise you with his blessings. A life of expectation is beautifully infectious, and it opens eyes to possibilities and a God who specializes in them. Living in the resurrection awakens others to its life-changing power.

{Jesus, you don’t just give me life; you are my life. I was crucified and raised with you, and I live in constant newness now and forever. May I and many others be drawn into thrilling adventures with you. Amen.