Names and Titles of Jesus

Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life

Standing at the grave of his friend Lazarus, Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life’ (John 11:25). He did not say he knows about resurrection or teaches it; he said he is it. Life beyond death is not a doctrine he offers but a person he embodies, and he promises that those who believe in him will live, even though they die.

What the Bible says

What it reveals

Martha believed in a resurrection someday, far off. Jesus pulled the hope out of the distant future and into the present tense: ‘I am.’ Then he proved it by raising Lazarus, a preview of his own rising days later. Because Jesus himself rose from the dead, death for his people is not a wall but a doorway. He does not merely delay death; he defeats it.

What it means for you

Jesus ends this promise with a question aimed straight at you: ‘Believest thou this?’ It means you can grieve with hope. Death is real, and Jesus wept at that grave; but it does not get the final word. To belong to him is to know that the last thing that happens to you is not death, but life.

Frequently asked questions

What does 'I am the resurrection and the life' mean?

In John 11:25 Jesus claims to be the source of resurrection and life himself, promising that those who believe in him will live beyond death. He is not just teaching about eternal life; he embodies it.

Where did Jesus say 'I am the resurrection and the life'?

At the tomb of his friend Lazarus, to Lazarus' grieving sister Martha (John 11:25-26). Jesus then raised Lazarus from the dead, a sign pointing to his own resurrection.