Digging Deeper: I Am the Resurrection
20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will 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. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
John 11:20-26 (ESV)
I AM THE RESURRECTION
Martha believed that Lazarus would rise again on the last day.
Her answer was theologically correct—Lazarus will rise when the Messiah returns.
But that’s not what Jesus was talking about in that moment.
He surprises her with something even more personal and profound:
Jesus doesn’t just bring resurrection—
He is the resurrection.
Not simply that a resurrection will one day happen, or that He has the power to perform one,
but that Jesus Himself is the resurrection and the life.
This changes everything.
Jesus isn’t pointing to an event.
He’s pointing to Himself.
Eternal life isn’t found in a future timeline—it’s found in a present relationship.
And this resurrection life isn’t just available for Lazarus.
Jesus reassures Martha that anyone who believes in Him will never die.
Now, we know that physical death is still a reality.
All around us, we see the evidence—war, sickness, aging.
Death feels inevitable.
But Jesus wasn’t speaking about the physical.
He was speaking about what matters most: the spiritual.
It reminds me of a story my student pastor once told.
At the time, he had a few young sons—probably around 3 to 5 years old.
One day, he offered them a choice:
“Do you want one piece of cake today, or a whole cake next week?”
Without hesitation, they took the slice.
Immediate pleasure won over a better reward later.
Jesus gives us a similar offer.
On this earth, will you settle for a small taste of temporary satisfaction,
or will you trust Him and receive the eternal feast of joy in the Kingdom of Heaven?
Will you choose the fleeting pleasures of now…
or the everlasting promises of forever?
This pattern runs all throughout Scripture.
Think about the Israelites in the wilderness.
God provided them manna from Heaven—daily bread, fresh each morning.
But instead of gratitude, they grumbled.
They longed for Egypt’s food: fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic (Numbers 11:5).
They begged to go back to slavery just to eat what they missed.
But ahead of them was something so much better:
a Promised Land flowing with milk and honey.
They could settle for cucumbers and onions…
or keep walking toward the feast God had prepared.
We face the same decision.
Jesus stands before us, asking the question from John 11:26:
“Do you believe this?”
Not:
-
“Do you believe in Heaven?”
-
“Do you believe Jesus was a good teacher?”
But:
Do you believe that He is the resurrection and the life?
That even when everything around you feels like death, brokenness, heartbreak, and loss—
He can still bring life?
Do you believe that trusting Him is better than anything you could gain on your own?
Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.