Scripture Reading: John 11:1-54, Daniel 12:2-3, 1 Corinthians 15:12-19
If you’ve ever questioned whether this world is under a curse, visit a children’s hospital. We once took our son there because he had terrible stomach pain. He recovered, but other parents couldn’t say the same for their kids. I’ll never forget walking down the hallway and seeing a father collapse into a loved one’s arms, weeping. His child’s suffering was too much to bear.
Jesus arrived in Bethany to find his dear friends, Martha and Mary, mourning the death of their brother Lazarus much like the father I saw in that hallway. When Lazarus became sick, they sent word to Jesus. They had believed he could heal Lazarus, but then, it was “too late.”
Many view death as just a natural part of life. But in John 11, we see that death angered Jesus. To him, death was unnatural because people were created for eternal fellowship with God. Sin put this world under a curse, and Jesus graciously came to reverse it.
Amid the mourning, Jesus makes this audacious claim: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (John 11:25). It’s one thing to say it, another to prove it. So he did. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, everyone was shocked. He had authority over death.
As miraculous as Lazarus’s resurrection was, this was just the beginning. Over a week later, Martha would be running to another cave tomb looking for Jesus’s body, only to find Him gone. Death could not hold Him.
Friends, Jesus is the resurrection—not “sort of” or “maybe,” but truly and fully. His death and resurrection mean our sins have been paid for, the sting of death has been removed, and our future is secured. When we say, “The best is yet to come,” we’re not being optimistic—we’re speaking the truth. And this isn’t just a future hope; it’s a reality we can apply daily.
For example, as Paul suffered horrible trials, he said, “Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead…He will deliver us” (2Corinthians 1:9–10). We can also proactively trust God with our current suffering, persecution, and uncertainties because He is the one who raises the dead. We can also proactively live for God’s glory because the Bible says Jesus’s resurrection power is at work in us!
It’s amazing to think about, but Lazarus was the opening act. And He will raise us too. We all have a beginning, but in Jesus, we will have no end. Take heart, for the risen One will raise His beloved on that final day.
Written by Beverly Berrus
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58 thoughts on "The Resurrection and the Life"
Oh the opening of this devotional made my stomach go tight. I am so familiar with children’s hospitals. I remember hearing a mother crying out in grief as she held her child for the last time. I thought that will be me some day.
BUT GOD
He carried me through a horrific trial. He promised that I could lean into Him. He healed my son in Heaven. The best is yet to come. Being reunited with my son when I go home to my Father.
Traci GENDRON ♥️
I thought of you as I wrote.. with you on spirit, sister..♥️
Two things I learned today…
-When Mary wept, the Greek word used means to wail loudly. In “Jesus wept”, the Greek word indicates a quiet weeping, “Jesus was moved but not out of control.”
-“He was troubled” the meaning is that Jesus was not so much sad as He was angry. Angry at the evil one for all the havoc, destruction and power of the evil one.
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We need to be more angry at Satan, the evil one, and angry over the havoc and destruction he creates…not angry at the sinner, but angry at the one who leads him into sin.
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The one who believes in me will live – hallelujah! Death has lost it’s sting because of Jesus death, burial and resurrection. Because He lives, I too will live and each one of us who have received His saving grace.
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The song that came to mind this morning, Because He Lives by Bill & Gloria Gaither…
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God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he brings;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
And then one day, I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
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Be blessed today dear sisters! ❤️
We need to be angry at Satan not the sinner. That statement helped me! And I love this song.
The fact that God inspired John to add Jesus wept! We get a glimpse of the Father’s heart! So beautiful!
Praying for all!
All the little things we can skip over!
He is the resurrection and the life, indeed! ❤️ (BTW… Thank you for doing that, Jesus!)
I wonder what was weighing so heavily on Thomas’s heart…[John 11:16 Then Thomas (called “Twin”) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go too so that we may die with him.”].
GM My Friends/She’s!
This is such a powerful account today, and the devotional was really good too. To BELIEVE with every fiber is hard, and sometimes it takes seeing to believe. When we see a flat out miracle, no rhyme or reason, no other way but a BUT GOD moment–then we can know. But what if you haven’t seen that? Are we looking? The miracles are in fact all around us, big and small. We just have to get our skeptical minds out of the way.
John is a book of miracles, a book of love, and a story in the whole that is imperative to each and everyone’s daily life and living, and after life! It changes everything! It gives momentum and fire, and eagerness to go…and tell. Our life is fleeting, and could happen any moment. We will be raised from death, and that is a sigh of relief- if you are a believer. But to know that friends and loved ones could die before they come to Christ is devastating, so we must pray for them. God will give them chances, and if the seeds are there, they will grow and bloom. Jesus weeps for them. But he gives us to be the hands and feet, and a voice, a representative for him. Don’t shun that important role off.
We had a huge, double in size group of ladies yesterday at our jail ministry!! The Butterflies are transforming, shining their light! They are making a difference to those around them!! Praise God! When half the pod comes to worship Jesus, it changes the atmosphere of a dark place! Please continue your prayers for me in this ministry that is my heart!! My Joy!
If any of you feel the tug that this would be something for you, reach out to me on FB group of how easy it is to get involved! If you have a county jail then they need you! (they just may not know that yet!lol) YOU can raise people from death to life!! (in the authority of Jesus!)
I think of the song “Rise Up” by Cain!
Come on and rise up, take a breath, you’re alive now
Can’t you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
You’re brand new, the power of death couldn’t hold you
Can’t you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
Rise up, rise up, rise up
Out from the grave like Lazarus
When He said your name, the thing that filled your veins
Was more than blood, it’s the kind of love that washes sin away
Now the door is open wide and the stones been rolled aside
The old is gone, the Light has come, so
I love your heart sweet Rhonda!
I know you love seeing those butterflies come to Christ! ❤️ (Wish I could insert that butterfly emoji!)
Praise God for your jail ministry Rhonda and that it is multiplying!
I found it interesting that Martha, the sister who was too busy fulfilling her hostess duties to sit at Jesus’ feet was the sister who left all those gathered in her home to rush out to meet Jesus. I am pondering that this morning.
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I just love Daniel 12:3-
“Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.”
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RHONDA J – I listened to Fire in My Bones by John Fracker. Is that the song you meant? It is a cool song! There are several with similar names so I am not sure. Thanks! ❤
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Love, hugs, and prayers! ❤
I didn’t make that connection about Martha. Wow!
No, it’s by the Gospel Groove Girls!!
Did you listen to the “Rough Side of the Mountain?” (I might have got the title wrong) Its by a Rev. FC Barnes!
And thank you for sharing the part of Martha…now rushing to Jesus! That’s good!
I just listened to the song by Fracker!! It’s really good too!!!
Got me clapping this morning and praising on the porch!
“We all have a beginning, but in Jesus, we will have no end.”
Praise the Lord for the hope of heaven❤️
I loved this as well and just read it to my daughter.
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Amen
He came so we might have life more abundantly. John 10:10
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Isn’t it wild how even the disciples STILL didn’t get it- after all they witnessed? I had to laugh a bit at v 14-15 in the Lazurus story when Jesus put his metaphors plainly so they WOULD get it. How often are we like that. Not fully listening and processing and pondering what is actually being said because we are moving thru our days so quickly. We think and react to the shallow and are so literal we miss so much.
I know right?
John 11 shows me how Jesus responds personally to different kinds of people:
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To the disciples: with patience and purpose.
To Martha: with truth and revelation.
To Mary: with empathy and shared sorrow.
To the crowd: with power that invites belief.
To His enemies: with quiet sovereignty.
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To each, Jesus reveals both His humanity-He weeps, loves, feels deeply….
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and His divinity-He commands death itself!
Lord Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life. When I cannot see what you are doing, teach me to trust your heart. When I grieve, remind me that you weep with me. And when I stand before things that feel lifeless and hopeless, speak your word of life to me again.
That is good, Kimberly! Thank you!
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So insightful…so true.
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So good.
Thank you Jesus for being the resurrection and life. What peace it brings.
“I am the Resurrection and the Life”…do you believe this?? What we do with this tells us where we are going someday…to eternity with Jesus or eternity in hell. I pray that every one who sees this today does know Jesus as their Resurrector and their Life! Only.He can save us and bring us one day to the Father, where we will live forever!
Amen❤️
For me, I know the power of Jesus over life and death is true, yet it’s complicated, difficult to comprehend and painful to accept. The sisters believed Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and had the power to heal. But even they, good friends of his, had a hard time understanding His power over the grave and after 4 days. There’s a song that says when He’s 4 days late, He’s right on time …. A reminder that we aren’t privy to God’s plan for everything and even when there’s pain, His plan for us is perfect.
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When loss comes, especially I’ve lost someone who was far too young (in my opinion), I’ve asked God, are You sure?? Yet, His word says yes, He’s known our days since always.
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Praying through yesterday’s requests ❤️
Thank you for sharing your thoughts ❤️
“A reminder that we aren’t privy to God’s plan for everything and even when there’s pain, His plan for us is perfect.” ❤
Wise words again, sister! Thank you! ❤
I wasn’t familiar with the song so I listened to it just now. Powerful! I never realized how much Karen Peck sounds like Dolly Parton.
“we aren’t privy to God’s plan for everything and even when there’s pain, His plan for us is perfect.”
Thank you for this Searching. ❤️
The miracle of life that sealed His own death.
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“One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all! You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish’.”
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Caiaphas, you were so close to the truth but your love of this world kept you blind to it.
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Yet Jesus came for even Caiaphas, if he would have just believed.
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KIMBERLY Z – I was glad to see your comment yesterday. Happy belated birthday ❤️
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SANDI – continuing to pray for your husband and you!
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Hope you all have a blessed day
Kelly, how is your husband doing? I felt lead to pray over him last night as I was lifting up SRT requests! Not sure if he has some decision making coming up or not, but I pray he has discernment to know what God is calling him to do if he does.
Caiaphas has had NO idea of the truth in that statement!
I, like Tina love John 11:25 – because He lives, we can also live. We can trust God ‘with our current suffering, persecution and uncertainties because He is the one who raises the dead’! (And isn’t it heart warming that Jesus declared this to a grieving woman!) Let’s live for God’s glory today and everyday because of His resurrection power at work in us!
Brings to mind the hymn “He Lives!” He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me, and talks with me…along life’s narrow way!
My life in Christ, truly began when a couple of weeks after Julee died, God very graciously showed me where she was… running through a meadow, happy and healed, shouting words I never thought I’d hear from her.. ‘I’m okay. I’m happy. I’m alright..’
Julee gave her life to Jesus some days before she died, John 11:25 always warms my heart..
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live..” I raise a Hallelujah as well as an AMEN for that!
Julee was not resurrected this side of heaven, but she was/is with the LORD, this I know to be true with every fibre of my being.. I got to see her one last time, running, smiling, happy, the prayer and hope in my everyday prayer when she was here.
Tears freely fall down my cheeks, not just at the memories, but at the goodness of God, I have an ache, but there is a joy, because I know I will see her again, someday, when I am called home..
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BUT GOD..
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He did not abandon me, in my distress and my awefulness to Him, accusing, and disrespecting Him at the altar in the little church, where I would sit daily, asking the why questions..
My sins, accusations and confrontational disrespect, even those have been covered and paid for by Jesus. In the forgiving, I was allowed to see Julee happy in a vision.
Jesus’ resurrection power was not only for Julee, I also received as I believed, had faith and carried a Hope in my heart..
I still carry that hope..
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Thank you Jesus. Thank you..
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Amen..
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Happy Thursday my dears.. lifting all requests up to Him who hears sees and knows.. He is not sleeping, He is working all things for good..
Much love, hugs and prayers..♥️♥️♥️
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Always such a beautiful testimony to hear sweet Tina!
Such tender, beautiful words you’ve shared ❤️❤️❤️
LOVE you sweet Tina!!
Beautiful, Tina!
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Amen to your beautiful testimony Tina, and for the glory you give to our Father. Much love, hugs and prayers right back to you! ❤️
Oh Tina as I read this the tears fall freely. I so understand. I got to see Tanner about an hour after his death. We were leaving the hotel and I felt Tanner on my right side. He looked at me with a big smile and said, “mom I’m okay.” It was a gift. The best gift God could have given me after so much suffering. I was allowed that gift 3 times. Tanner died at 33. I feel there are so many connections. I pray for you. I love you sweet Tina.
“We all have a beginning, but in Jesus, we will have no end. Take heart, for the risen One will raise His beloved on that final day.”
Amen and amen. ❤️
Thank you for this beautiful devotion today Beverly.