
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;’ John 11:25 (NIV)
Those who would encourage others to look to the Lord already have a big job. It is not easy and not natural for mankind to accept ideas and concepts that they do not come up with themselves. It is even more difficult when the Object of our praise is Something or Someone Who is not visible to touch, test and examine. Even so, there are many people on our planet who claim to have some form of religion. Claim, we can say because most of these people would use their professed belief to cover all those unexplainable grey areas of our existence and hope for a future. Thus, they make their beliefs into a mental calculation which helps them deal with their version of reality. The Christian takes this process one step further. We not only have a mighty Intelligence to worship, but we have His Son Who is documented through the Scriptures to have come to visit us and instruct us. Should this be sufficient to set every Christian off in the right direction? Is this what it does?
Jesus makes a bold statement. He says He Is the Resurrection and the Life. We say that we get His point. We say that we know where He is going with it. We say, “All right, Jesus is God´s Son and we believe it´s true.” We hold this belief. It is ours, right? But what if it is not? What if our declaration is only brain deep? What if we have taken someone´s written word or spoken work and weighed up the information? What if we took in all we could gleam on the subject and came to the conclusion that this is right? What if we say that this is what we believe because we convinced ourselves and think that the matter is settled once-and-for-all? What if we go on the rest of our lives racking up a set of these truths that we are so convicted about? What if they make us form habits of living and of worshipping? Have they then done their trick? Or could Jesus be urging us just a little further?
Could Jesus have pointed out that He is important so that we would be moved to come to Him? Could He have said that He was the Resurrection because if we start to walk together with Him each day, we will start to see life in a new Way? Could He have said that He is Life because when we are in His Presence our soul is quickened within us? Could being right where Jesus is, trigger a thrilling new awakening deep within us? Will the soaring believer who is experiencing this nearness to their Saviour see that any fine notion they had before pales in comparison? Does the person who actually meets Jesus and is swept away with their encounter ever wish they had stopped short with a good and correct doctrine? Which person is the one who can say he or she truly believes? Is it the one who states that He believes? Or is it those who have pressed earnestly forward until they were allowed into the actual Presence of the Resurrection and the Life?
Dear Jesus, we can speculate all day on our beliefs. We can argue heatedly on what You may mean to us. But there are some who would draw humbly before You. We bow our heads and ask You to show us Something more. Be pleased to open our eyes and our hearts. Let us experience You! Let our spirits soar as we are allowed to walk with You! Come to us in personal living experience now! We cannot settle for anything less! Be our Everything right here and right now! Let our time with You be the judge. Let our closeness to God define for us whether we have found resurrection! Let You Presence with us tell us if we have found Life!
Amen

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