John 11:25,26 – TPT – “Martha,” Jesus said, “You don’t have to wait until then. I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. And the one who lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The raising of Lazarus from the dead was the greatest of all of the miracles of Jesus. Several strong prophetic announcements were being made by this miracle. First, it was a prophetic declaration announcing the death of death. Death would soon be finally defeated at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death would no longer reign over fallen man. Secondly, it pointed definitively to the resurrection of Jesus Himself. Unlike Lazarus, Jesus never returned to the tomb or grave after His death. He was a picture of the coming resurrection of all who believe on Him. He was buried as a mortal and He was raised in immortality. He was the first fruits of the coming resurrection of all of us. The third message in this miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead was the message of the new birth. We were all dead in our sins until we were made alive through the new birth pictured by the raising up of Lazarus. We were in our tomb of death without any hope until we were made alive through the new birth. Here is how Brian Simmons describes this passage.
“The Aramaic uses a word that is related linguistically to the name Noah, who was symbolically “resurrected” from the flood as the life-giver to those who repopulated the earth. Resurrection is superior to life, for life can be defeated and ended. But resurrection overcomes. Life is the power to exist, but resurrection is the power to conquer all, even death itself. Believers must learn to live in Christ our Life, but also, Christ our Resurrection to conquer all things.”
So the life that we receive in the new birth is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Our new birth through faith in Christ is a guarantee that the final resurrection is certain. We were once dead but now we are alive never to die again. Peter described this very miracle in his opening comments in his first letter, 1 Peter 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”. So we have all tasted the power of the resurrection, this is the Spirit that will raise us all from the dead and give us immortal bodies.
