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John 11:25-26

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believeth thou this?”

Lazarus had been dead four days and to Martha and Mary and everyone standing around them it was completely over.  After all Lazarus had been embalmed and buried and the stone was place upon the cave where they laid him.  Martha says to Jesus “Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”  In other words, Martha believed that if Jesus was there He would have healed her brother.  She also believed that anything that Jesus asked of God, God would give it to Him.  That’s anything but the life of her brother.  To live again after four days in the grave was too much of a stretch for Martha to believe.   Still, Jesus says to her “thy brother shall rise again.”  Martha thought Jesus was referring to the resurrection at the last day.  Jesus said to her “I AM the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

There was only one thing that Martha had to do and that was believe.  Believe what?  Believe in Jesus.    When Moses asked, who shall I say sent me, God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM” God wanted the children of Israel to believe in the I AM.  Jesus wanted Martha to believe in the I AM for He said “I AM the resurrection and the life.”  Jesus Christ is the I AM. 

At the grave of Lazarus Jesus sees the stone upon the mouth of the grave and tells them to take away the stone.”  Martha says “Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he hath been dead four days.”  Jesus says to her “said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?  What was Jesus saying to Martha?  He was saying “The just shall live by faith” and that faith is Jesus Christ (Romans 1:17).  The stone upon the mouth of the grave represented the law which could never give us life.  But Jesus said “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  Jesus the life-giver caused Lazarus to rise up from the grave and live. 

Now if believing in Jesus Christ can cause a dead man who had been dead four days to live again, what will happen in your life if you only believe in Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God?