Jesus said to herThis statement is directed to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, in the context of Lazarus's death. Jesus's conversation with Martha occurs in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem. This setting is significant as it is close to the site of Jesus's own death and resurrection. The personal nature of Jesus's address highlights His relational approach to ministry and His deep compassion for individuals.
I am the resurrection and the life.
This declaration is one of the seven "I am" statements in the Gospel of John, which connect Jesus to the divine name revealed to Moses inExodus 3:14. By claiming to be the resurrection and the life, Jesus asserts His authority over life and death, a central theme in Christian theology. This statement foreshadows His own resurrection and underscores His role as the source of both physical and spiritual life. It also fulfills Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah bringing life, such asIsaiah 25:8 andDaniel 12:2.
Whoever believes in Me
The emphasis on belief is a recurring theme in John's Gospel, where faith in Jesus is presented as the means to eternal life. This phrase underscores the personal decision required to accept Jesus's offer of salvation. It connects toJohn 3:16, which emphasizes belief in Jesus as the pathway to eternal life, and highlights the inclusive nature of the Gospel message, available to all who believe.
will live, even though he dies.
This promise of life beyond physical death is central to Christian hope. It reflects the belief in the resurrection of the dead and eternal life, as articulated in1 Corinthians 15:20-22. The assurance of life after death provides comfort and hope to believers, affirming that physical death is not the end but a transition to eternal life with God. This concept is rooted in Jewish eschatological expectations and is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe central figure in this passage, Jesus is making a profound declaration about His identity and power over life and death.
2.
MarthaThe sister of Lazarus, to whom Jesus is speaking. She is a key figure in this account, expressing faith in Jesus even amidst her grief.
3.
LazarusThe brother of Martha and Mary, whose death and subsequent resurrection by Jesus serve as the backdrop for this declaration.
4.
BethanyThe village where this event takes place, located near Jerusalem. It is significant as the setting for several important events in Jesus' ministry.
5.
The Resurrection of LazarusThis miraculous event demonstrates Jesus' power over death and serves as a precursor to His own resurrection.
Teaching Points
The Identity of ChristJesus' statement "I am the resurrection and the life" is a profound declaration of His divine nature and authority. Believers are called to recognize and trust in His power over life and death.
Faith in ActionMartha's interaction with Jesus demonstrates a faith that persists even in the face of death. Believers are encouraged to maintain their faith in Jesus' promises, even when circumstances seem dire.
Eternal PerspectiveJesus' promise that "whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies" shifts the focus from temporal life to eternal life. Christians are called to live with an eternal perspective, valuing spiritual life over physical existence.
Hope in ResurrectionThe resurrection of Lazarus serves as a tangible sign of the hope believers have in their own resurrection. This hope should inspire confidence and courage in the face of death.
Living in ChristBelievers are invited to experience the abundant life that comes from a relationship with Jesus, who is the source of both physical and spiritual life.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 11:25?
2.How does John 11:25 deepen your understanding of Jesus as "the resurrection"?
3.What does believing in Jesus as "the life" mean for daily living?
4.How does John 11:25 connect with the promise of eternal life in John 3:16?
5.In what ways can you share the hope of resurrection with others today?
6.How can faith in Jesus' promise in John 11:25 transform your perspective on death?
7.What does Jesus mean by "I am the resurrection and the life" in John 11:25?
8.How does John 11:25 challenge the concept of life after death?
9.Why is belief in Jesus essential for eternal life according to John 11:25?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 11?
11.What are the Christian catacombs?
12.Who was Saint Brendan the Navigator?
13.Who is the resurrection and the life?
14.What are common questions about the Catholic Church?What Does John 11:25 Mean
Jesus said to her- In the middle of Martha’s grief, the Lord speaks personally and directly. This personal address shows that He meets each believer right where we are (compareJohn 20:16;Luke 8:54).
- It is also a reminder that the promises that follow are not abstract; they are spoken by the One who always keeps His word (John 14:18).
I am the resurrection- Jesus is not merely claiming power to raise the dead; He is declaring that resurrection itself is embodied in Him (John 5:21, 28-29).
- Because He is the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20), every believer’s future resurrection is anchored in His person and work.
and the life- Life—both physical and spiritual—finds its source in Christ (John 1:4;Colossians 3:4).
- His life is more than existence; it is abundant (John 10:10) and eternal (John 17:3).
- By joining “resurrection” with “life,” Jesus assures us that He not only conquers death but also sustains us now.
Whoever believes in Me- The offer is universal in scope yet exclusive in means: faith in Christ alone (John 3:16;Acts 4:12).
- “Believes” is ongoing trust, not a one-time nod. It is reliance on His finished work (Romans 10:9-10).
- This faith unites the believer with Christ, securing every promise that follows.
will live- Spiritual life begins the moment we believe: “whoever hears My word…has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).
- This life is indestructible; nothing can separate us from it (Romans 8:38-39).
- Even now, the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of that life within us (Ephesians 1:13-14).
even though he dies- Physical death remains a reality (Hebrews 9:27), yet it no longer has the final word.
- For the believer, to be “away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).
- At Christ’s return, the body itself will be raised imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:42-44;1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
- Thus, death becomes a doorway rather than a dead end (Philippians 1:21-23).
summaryJohn 11:25 proclaims that Jesus personally embodies both resurrection and life. To all who place ongoing trust in Him, He guarantees present spiritual vitality and future bodily resurrection. Physical death may touch the believer, but it cannot cancel the life Christ gives. Our hope rests securely in the One who is Himself the resurrection and the life.
(25)
I am the resurrection, and the life.--She has spoken of the resurrection as a truth which she believes, and as an event in the far-off future, so remote from the present life indeed, as to be powerless to comfort her now. The two first words of His answer, expressed in the fulness of emphasis, teach her that the resurrection is to be thought of as His person, and that it is to be thought of as actually present. "
I,"--his words mean--"and none beside Me, am the Resurrection. I
am the Resurrection--a. present life, and not simply a life in the remoteness of the last day." In the same sense in which He has declared Himself to be the Water of Life and the Bread of Life, supplying in Himself every need of spiritual thirst and spiritual hunger, He declares Himself to be the Resurrection, revealing in His own person all that men had ever thought and hoped of a future life, being Himself the power which shall raise them at the last day, and could therefore raise them now. This is because He is also "the Life," and therefore every one in communion
He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.--Better,though he have died . . . She thinks and speaks of Lazarus as dead. He asserts that in the true thought of the spiritual life the fact of physical death does not interrupt that life.
Verses 25, 26. -
Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection. Not merely that God will give me what I ask, but that I am in some sense already his gift to man of
resurrection, inasmuch as
I am that of
Life. (So Luthardt and Godet, but not Meyer, who makes
ζωή the positive result of
ἀνάστασις.) By taking humanity into his Person, Christ reveals the permanence of human individuality, that is, of such individuality as is in union with himself. He associates (
John 14:6) "the Life" which he gives with" the Way" and "the Truth,"
i.
e. with the whole sum of human experience and of human meditation and speculation,
i.
e. with all the conduct of the will and the mind.
He that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live. In these words he identifies the "life" with the transfiguration of the bodily life. The grand method of this blessed
life is faith. The life which is the condition and ground of resurrection is the natural consequence of a faith which accepts Christ, and identifies itself with him. But "there are some who have believed, and have what you call died" -
though they die,
they shall live. In such cases, so-called "death" is veritable "life." The life of faith will survive the shock of death,
and whosoever liveth, and believeth on me, shall never die - shall never taste of death (cf.
John 6:51, 8:51). This is no new teaching for the more thoughtful of his hearers. There are multitudes now believing (and therefore living) in him. They shall
never die in the sense in which death has been hitherto regarded;
they shall by no means die forever. Faith is eternal life: death is only a momentary shadow upon a life which is far better. Whether the corruption of the grave passes over the believer or not, he lives an eternal life, which has no element of death nor proclivity to death in it. So far the Lord is lifting Martha to a higher experience of life and a comparative in difference to death. Before he offers any further consolation, he probes to the quick her faith in him and in the eternal life.
Believest thou this?Τοῦτο; "Is
this thy belief?" not
τουτῷ; "Dost thou believe in my statement?" "Believest thou that the Resurrection which
I am and which
I give can thus transform for thee the whole meaning of death?" The fullness of life after death is assured in virtue of the resurrection which Christ could effect at any moment, and will eventually effect for all. This
life of which Christ speaks may be the life which is the consequence of the resurrection (
ἀνὰστασις) of man effected in the Incarnation, or it may be the condition of "resurrection" and sufficient proof that, if a man receive it by faith, he is free' from all the curse of physical death, and assured of a perfect victory over it. So also the
οὐ μὴεἰς τὸν αἰῶνα may either mean "not forever," and thus the words may be taken to refer to the resurrection. "He will not forever die,"
i.
e. death may supervene, but will be conquered; or
οὐ μὴ may mean "never," "in no wise," and the "never die" may refer to spiritual death, overlooking physical death altogether. The whole narrative is a great parable of life through death.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
JesusἸησοῦς(Iēsous)Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424:Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.saidΕἶπεν(Eipen)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036:Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.to her,αὐτῇ(autē)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.“IἘγώ(Egō)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.amεἰμι(eimi)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.theἡ(hē)Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.resurrectionἀνάστασις(anastasis)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 386:A rising again, resurrection. From anistemi; a standing up again, i.e. a resurrection from death (its author), or a recovery.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.theἡ(hē)Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.life.ζωή(zōē)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222:Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.He whoὁ(ho)Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.believesπιστεύων(pisteuōn)Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4100:From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.inεἰς(eis)Preposition
Strong's 1519:A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.Meἐμὲ(eme)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.will live,ζήσεται(zēsetai)Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2198:To live, be alive. A primary verb; to live.even thoughκἂν(kan)Adverb
Strong's 2579:And if, even if, even, at least. From kai and ean; and if.he dies.ἀποθάνῃ(apothanē)Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 599:To be dying, be about to die, wither, decay. From apo and thnesko; to die off.
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NT Gospels: John 11:25 Jesus said to her I am (Jhn Jo Jn) 
