Jesus did not merely have the power to resurrect, his statement, “I am the resurrection and the life” makes Him the very source of resurrection and all life.
John 11:25 (NIV) “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die”
Psalm 21:4 (NIV) “He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—length of days, for ever and ever.”
1 John 5:11-13 (NIV) “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Out of the seven “I am” statements in John, three contain the word “life”. “I am the Bread of Life.” (John 6:35). “I am the Light of the World.” (John 8:12). “I am the Gate.” (John 10:7). “I am the Good Shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14). “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” (John 11:25). “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6). “I am the True Vine.” (John 15:1).
All of God’s sovereignty is mediated through Christ, and it hinges on his power over death in his resurrection. Jesus is the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
John 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
Life is Christ’s gift – John 10:28 (NLT) “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me”
Jesus, in fact, is ‘the life’ – John 14:6 (NLT) “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Jesus not only gives resurrection and life, He is Resurrection and Life.
John 11:25-26 (MSG) “You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?”
Job 19:25-26 (NKJV) “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God”
The power and fear of death that grips so many has been destroyed. Our bodies still age and die but, as Jesus said, ‘he who believes in Me will live even if he dies’.