“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’“ John 11:25-26 (NIV)
The value of life seems to go up when you come face to face with death. If you have ever had someone close to you die, you know what I mean. We tend to take life for granted until we brush up against the reality of death. Maybe you have leaned on the door of death personally through tragedy or health issues.
When I almost died in a Jet Ski accident on February 23, 1986, at 2:20pm at Buhlow Lake in Alexandria, Louisiana, the value I placed on life elevated exponentially. When I held my daughter, Tori, for the first time, the value I had placed on life catapulted again. Five years later when I held my son, Austin, for the first time, the value I had placed on life skyrocketed yet again.
Martha expressed her faith in Jesus and acknowledged that her brother, Lazarus, would not have died had Jesus been there. Jesus, the One who establishes the value of a life, declared, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Martha understood that her brother would rise again on the last day. She was looking to the distant future. Jesus reminded her of the immediate reality.
Do you believe that Jesus is who He says He is? Do you believe that whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die? Have you come to that place of trusting in Jesus personally for the forgiveness of your sins and the provision of your salvation?
The value of your life has already been established by the saving work Jesus did for you on the cross. Jesus took your place. Jesus took the full wrath of God for your sin. Your sin debt has been paid in full. You can know Jesus, the resurrection and the life, personally and eternally.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor