Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life
Scripture Reading — John 11:17-27; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
— John 11:25
This quotation is a brief summary of the good news of Jesus. He says that anyone who believes in him will live, even after death. He says that life comes only through him. And he does not merely say that he knows how to find the resurrection and the life; he says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” This occurs amid the dramatic story of the raising of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, Jesus’ close friends. Lazarus became ill and died while Jesus was away. Jesus even waited to come so that everyone would know Lazarus was surely dead by the time Jesus arrived. Jesus did this so that his followers would believe, learning that he had the power to raise someone from the dead. Then Jesus went to Lazarus’s tomb and brought his friend back to life, so that everyone would believe and see the glory of God (John 11:1-44). Soon after that, resurrected life became available to all—through Jesus’ own death and resurrection. As the apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15, Jesus became “the firstfruits” of resurrection life for all who “belong to him”—that is, for all who believe in him as Savior and Lord. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, all can rise with him. All that God requires is that we believe Jesus is indeed the resurrection and the life.
Day 1
The Victorious Lamb
Scripture Reading — Revelation 1:9-20
“I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!”
— Revelation 1:18
The apostle John may well have been the last surviving apostle when he was exiled to the island of Patmos. He was sent there to live as a prisoner because he had been preaching “the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Though all the doors on earth were now closed to John, the Lord opened a door in heaven for him. John received a series of amazing visions of the glorified Christ, whose hair was “as white as snow” and whose face was “like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”
Jesus’ eyes were “like blazing fire” and his feet were “like bronze glowing in a furnace.” His voice was “like the sound of rushing waters,” and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. The apostle fell at the Lord’s feet as though he was dead, but he heard, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!”
The conquering Christ is the Lamb who was slain but rose again. He triumphed over death in his resurrection. The victorious Lamb sits on the throne of the universe and rules the heavens and the earth.
Day 2
Heavenly Body
Scripture Reading — Luke 24:50-53
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. . . .
— Revelation 21:2
Heaven. The home of God and the angels. By God’s grace, we hope to go there when we die. But heaven is not where we belong. Earth is. And in the end, we will have resurrected bodies for a new life on the new earth. Because earth and bodies go together.
For now, though, we go to heaven to be with Jesus when we die. We leave our bodies in the ground or maybe in ashes. And we go to heaven without them.
With Jesus it is different, though. After Jesus died and rose again, he went to be with his Father in heaven—and he went there in his body. By his resurrection, Jesus began a new life in a resurrected body. And that’s how he went to heaven. He lifted up his hands to bless his disciples, and in the next moment he was lifted up to heaven—all of him.
Think about that. A complete human being, in heaven, with arms and legs and all the rest. Apparently the resurrection body is suitable for life on earth and in heaven. That’s amazing, and it’s a good thing. Because in the end, heaven and earth will be united. And that’s where our new life will be, in resurrected bodies, with Jesus.
Day 3
Resurrection of the Body
Scripture Reading — John 20:19-20
He showed them his hands and side.
— John 20:20
Christians believe in the resurrection of the body. In the end, we will live a new life in resurrected bodies as part of a new creation. Our bodies will be different from our original ones. But they will also have much in common with them.
Believing in our own resurrection is based on the resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection begins with him. New life begins with him.
Resurrection involves more than a dead person coming back to life. In resurrection a dead person begins a new kind of life. And it’s a new kind of life in the body. That’s the key point. The New Testament emphasizes that Jesus rose in his body. He is the same person who died. And now he lives a new life.
After his resurrection, Jesus wants to assure his disciples that it’s him they see, and that he is the same person. So he holds out his hands and uncovers his side to reveal his wounds. Then they know it’s him. It’s the same Jesus, the one and only Jesus, who died to save the world.
There are differences in Jesus’ body from before his death to after his resurrection. But it’s still him. He is still God in the flesh. And one day we will be like him.
Day 4
Reversing the Curse
Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:1-19
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.”
— Genesis 3:17
As we noted yesterday, God placed human beings in a garden sanctuary where God could live and work with them to bring about the flourishing of his world.
But through the deceit of the serpent, humans were tempted to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. They desired to be “like God, knowing good and evil.” But the hidden reality was that, unlike God, human beings could only know good and evil by becoming a mingled mess of good and evil. As they ingested the fruit, brokenness moved into every part of their being.
Genesis describes the brokenness that followed as a “curse,” especially in relationships. Humans’ relationships with themselves, with one another, with nature, and with God became damaged. At the same time, though, God pronounced that someday the serpent, along with the curse of sin and death, would be defeated.
And in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and by his resurrection, all of that became true. Now the curse is being undone. And when we eat the Jesus-meal, the Lord’s Supper, our damaged relationships can begin to mend. We receive God’s restoring nourishment in our own lives, and we share the meal with one another. In addition, from the cursed ground we can still grow good food by which God communicates his love and care for us.
Day 5
On the Third Day He Rose
Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:12-23
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
— 1 Corinthians 15:20
Why do we say that Jesus rose “on the third day”? Some people might argue that the number of days he lay in the grave would confirm that he had died. Others point out that this fulfills a prophecy about Jesus’ death (Matthew 16:21; 1 Corinthians 15:4). But the mention of “the third day” isn’t the main point of the creed’s declaration saying, “The third day he rose again from the dead.”
The main point is that at a specific moment in time Jesus rose again from the dead!
Jesus’ resurrection not only stands at the center of the Apostles’ Creed; it stands firmly at the center of the Bible’s teaching. Indeed, Christ’s resurrection is the foundation on which our Christian faith rests. For, as the apostle Paul emphasizes, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, all who hope in him should be the most pitied of all people. For if Jesus didn’t rise, we are all still shackled by the chains of sin and doomed to death forever.
But by his resurrection, Jesus has conquered death, washed away our sins, and covered us with his own righteousness. By his resurrection, Jesus has made us his own and raised us to a new life of walking with him. By his resurrection, Jesus also assures us that one day we too will be raised from the dead.
Day 6
Breaking the Barrier
Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
Since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
— 1 Corinthians 15:21
Barriers such as walls, fences, and locked doors can serve to protect us. Or, on the other hand, they can also exclude us or keep us out. Maybe you know what it feels like to be “locked out.” We can be locked out of a room, prevented from access to education or career advancement, or banned from a social group. Being locked out can be hurtful.
When people sinned, that broke their relationship with God, creating a huge barrier that could not be crossed. So instead of being able to enjoy life forever with God, they were cut off. Sin brought struggle, toil, sorrow, disease, and death. Through Adam, the first man representing the whole human race, sin and death came into the world, and no one could break through the barrier.
So God sent his Son, Jesus, to become human and to live among us without sin. He succeeded where Adam had failed, and Jesus gave his own life to pay the debt of all our sin. By doing this, he broke through the barrier of death for us, and by his resurrection he opened for us the path to new life. Because of Jesus, we can now have full life with God forever.
When we feel hopeless and left out of God’s love, and when we realize we cannot gain eternal life because our sin is a barrier separating us from God, Jesus breaks through that barrier and changes everything.
Day 7
At the Resurrection of the Righteous
Scripture Reading — Luke 14:12-14
“You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
— Luke 14:14
Most everyone enjoys having their back scratched. There is also an expectation that if I scratch your back, then you’ll scratch mine. This describes any type of trade-off when someone does you a favor. You’re expected to do a favor in return.
Jesus points out that sharing meals with people who are already our friends or family is really just a lot like swapping favors. We can anticipate that what we do for others will usually return to us. This can be a nice feature of enjoying food and spending time with family and friends in community.
But Jesus teaches that if we understand the nature of the resurrection, our hospitality will include something more. Instead of just a mutual exchange with relatives and friends, we will also show gracious generosity that does not expect anything in return. Following God’s example to us, we will freely offer food and other resources to people who are not able to repay.
This is a natural result of God’s gift of new life for us. We can gladly and freely mirror God’s way with us in all the ways we interact with others. We don’t need or expect to be repaid now, for we already know we are guaranteed life forever at “the resurrection of the righteous.”
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