Jesus the Author of a New Creation
Looking at the story from the life of Jesus which is recorded in John 11. John's gospel invites us to look at the human face of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the Resurrection and the life and the author of a new way of life.
Jesus is the Great "I AM" - the eternal God who has broken the power of death and unleashed a new life-giving force into our world.
By raising Lazarus from the dead Jesus was fulfilling numerous Old Testament prophesies which were associated with the coming of the Messiah. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were among Jesus' closest friends. This gives us a glimpse of the human nature of Jesus.
Can you hear the urgency when Jesus got the message: "Lord, your good friend is sick." What is going on here, anyway? Doesn't Jesus Care? Here's the thing, Lazarus was already dead by the time Jesus got the message.
Jesus' words to Marth are not a promise that believers will never experience death. It is a promise that Jesus is the source of life and resurrection and death is no barrier to the life He offers.
By raising Lazarus from the grave Jesus declared Himself to be the Great I Am, The Eternal One who is the Resurrection and the Life. In conquering death, He fulfilled the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah.
When a person believes in Jesus, the transforming power of the resurrection begins to manifest itself in that person's life. Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.