Embracing the Present Power of Jesus' Promises
Summary
In the passage from John 11:24-26, Jesus declares, "I am the resurrection and the life," a profound statement that challenges us to deepen our faith and understanding of His promises. Martha, like many believers, struggles with anxiety and limits the power of Jesus' words by confining them to a distant future. She acknowledges the resurrection at the last day but fails to grasp the immediate and personal implications of Jesus' promise. This reflects a common tendency among Christians to accept doctrines as true but not to apply them practically in their lives. We often frame God's promises as distant or impersonal, missing the present comfort and power they offer.
Jesus' interaction with Martha teaches us that His promises are not just for the future but are meant to be experienced now. He gently corrects her limited understanding, revealing that He is not just a prophet who can ask God for life but is Himself the source of life and resurrection. This revelation invites us to see Jesus as the immediate answer to our needs, not just a future hope. Our faith should not be a passive acceptance of doctrine but an active, personal trust in Jesus' power and presence in our lives.
Moreover, Jesus' words remind us that death is not the end for believers. Those who have died in Christ are alive with Him, and those who live and believe in Him will never truly die. This transforms our understanding of death from a fearful end to a transition into eternal life with God. The promise of resurrection and life in Jesus is a present reality that should fill us with hope and joy, even in the face of loss and grief.
Key Takeaways:
- Faith Beyond Anxiety: Like Martha, we often limit God's promises by confining them to the future or by doubting their immediate relevance. True faith involves trusting Jesus' words as present realities, allowing them to bring comfort and peace in our current circumstances. [00:42]
- The Personal Nature of Jesus' Promises: Jesus' declaration as the resurrection and the life is not just a general truth but a personal promise to each believer. We must move beyond seeing His words as distant or impersonal and embrace them as directly applicable to our lives. [09:17]
- Death Transformed by Faith: For believers, death is not a fearful end but a transition into eternal life with Christ. Jesus' promise that those who believe in Him will never die should transform our understanding of death and fill us with hope. [25:02]
- The Present Power of Jesus: Jesus' presence means life and resurrection now, not just in the future. We are called to live in the reality of His power today, experiencing the fullness of life He offers. [17:18]
- Faith as the Channel of Life: Faith is the means by which we receive life from Jesus. It is not about our efforts or merits but about trusting in His sufficiency and allowing His life to flow through us. [34:15]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Scripture Reading: John 11:24-26
- [00:42] - Martha's Limited Faith
- [01:26] - Misunderstanding Jesus' Words
- [02:34] - Limiting God's Promises
- [03:46] - The Need for Expanded Faith
- [04:47] - Practical Application of Doctrine
- [06:03] - The Value of God's Promises
- [07:26] - Misplacing the Promise
- [08:26] - Present Blessings in Christ
- [09:17] - Personalizing the Promise
- [11:34] - Jesus' Gentle Correction
- [13:20] - Jesus as Resurrection and Life
- [17:18] - Comfort for the Bereaved
- [25:02] - Death Transformed by Faith
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- John 11:24-26
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#### Observation Questions
1. What was Martha's initial understanding of Jesus' promise about the resurrection? How did she interpret His words? [01:40]
2. How does Jesus describe Himself in John 11:25, and what significance does this have for believers? [13:20]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the common tendency among Christians regarding the promises of God? [05:46]
4. How does the sermon describe the difference between the death of a believer and the death of an unbeliever? [26:33]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Jesus' declaration "I am the resurrection and the life" challenge the way believers view His promises? [13:20]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that believers often limit the power of God's promises in their lives? [02:34]
3. How does the sermon explain the concept of death being transformed by faith for believers? [25:34]
4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of personalizing Jesus' promises in our lives? [09:17]
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you, like Martha, limited God's promises to a distant future. How can you begin to see them as present realities in your life? [01:40]
2. Jesus' words are described as a source of immediate comfort and power. How can you actively trust in His presence and promises in your current circumstances? [17:49]
3. The sermon suggests that death is a transition into eternal life for believers. How does this perspective change the way you view loss and grief? [25:34]
4. Consider how you might be framing God's promises as impersonal or distant. What steps can you take to embrace them as personal and directly applicable to your life? [09:17]
5. The sermon emphasizes faith as the channel through which we receive life from Jesus. How can you strengthen your faith to allow His life to flow more fully through you? [34:15]
6. Identify a specific promise of God that you have not fully embraced. What practical steps can you take this week to apply it in your life?
7. How can you encourage others in your community to see Jesus as the immediate answer to their needs, not just a future hope? [13:20]
Devotional
Day 1: Faith Beyond Anxiety
In John 11:24-26, Jesus challenges us to see His promises as immediate and personal, not just distant hopes. Martha's struggle with anxiety and her tendency to confine Jesus' words to the future is a reflection of a common issue among believers. We often accept doctrines as true but fail to apply them practically in our lives. Jesus' interaction with Martha teaches us that His promises are meant to be experienced now, offering comfort and peace in our current circumstances. True faith involves trusting Jesus' words as present realities, allowing them to transform our lives today. [00:42]
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where anxiety holds you back from fully trusting in Jesus' promises? How can you invite His peace into that area today?
Day 2: The Personal Nature of Jesus' Promises
Jesus' declaration as the resurrection and the life is not just a general truth but a personal promise to each believer. Many Christians, like Martha, struggle to see the immediate relevance of Jesus' words, often viewing them as distant or impersonal. However, Jesus invites us to embrace His promises as directly applicable to our lives, offering us hope and assurance in the present moment. By personalizing His promises, we can experience the fullness of life He offers and deepen our relationship with Him. [09:17]
Psalm 139:1-3 (ESV): "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways."
Reflection: How can you make Jesus' promises more personal in your daily life? What specific promise can you hold onto today as a source of strength and encouragement?
Day 3: Death Transformed by Faith
For believers, death is not a fearful end but a transition into eternal life with Christ. Jesus' promise that those who believe in Him will never die should transform our understanding of death and fill us with hope. This perspective allows us to face loss and grief with the assurance that death is not the end but a gateway to eternal life with God. By embracing this truth, we can find comfort and joy even in the midst of sorrow, knowing that our loved ones who have died in Christ are alive with Him. [25:02]
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (ESV): "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep."
Reflection: How does your understanding of death change when you view it as a transition into eternal life with Christ? How can this perspective bring you comfort in times of loss?
Day 4: The Present Power of Jesus
Jesus' presence means life and resurrection now, not just in the future. He is the source of life and resurrection, offering us the opportunity to experience His power today. By living in the reality of His presence, we can experience the fullness of life He offers and find comfort and strength in our daily struggles. Jesus invites us to see Him as the immediate answer to our needs, not just a future hope, and to trust in His power and presence in our lives. [17:18]
Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV): "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively seek to experience the power of Jesus in your life today? What steps can you take to live in the reality of His presence?
Day 5: Faith as the Channel of Life
Faith is the means by which we receive life from Jesus. It is not about our efforts or merits but about trusting in His sufficiency and allowing His life to flow through us. By placing our trust in Jesus, we can experience the fullness of life He offers and find strength and hope in His promises. This faith is not a passive acceptance of doctrine but an active, personal trust in Jesus' power and presence in our lives. [34:15]
Galatians 2:20 (ESV): "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Reflection: How can you deepen your faith and trust in Jesus' sufficiency today? What specific area of your life can you surrender to Him, allowing His life to flow through you?
Quotes
Martha is a very accurate type of a class of anxious believers they do believe truly but not with such confidence as to lay aside their care they do not distrust the Lord or question the truth of what he says yet they puzzled their brain about how long shall this thing be and so they missed the major part of the present Comfort which the word of the Lord would Minister to their hearts if they received it more simply how and why belong unto the Lord it is his business to arrange matters so as to fulfill his own promises. [00:39:46]
Martha also had another fault in which she was very like ourselves she laid the words of Jesus on the Shelf as things so try to ensure that they were of small practical importance thy brother shall rise again now if she had possessed faith enough she might truthfully have said Lord I Thank thee for that word I expect within a short space to see him sitting at the table with thee I put the best meaning possible upon thy words for I know that thou art always better than I can think thee to be and therefore I expect to see my beloved Lazarus walk home from the Sepulcher before the sun sets again. [00:35:40]
Martha also appears to me to have made the promise unreal and impersonal thy brother shall rise again to have realized that would have been a great comfort to her but she mixes Lazarus up with all the rest of the Dead yes he will rise in the resurrection at the last day when thousands of millions shall be rising from their graves no doubt Lazarus will rise with the rest that is the way with us we take the promise and say this is true to all the children of God if so it is true to us but we miss that point. [00:55:11]
I beg you to observe how the Lord Jesus Christ in great wisdom dealt with Martha in the first place he did not grow angry with her there is not a trace of petulance in his speech he did not say to her Martha I am ashamed of you that you should have such low Thoughts of Me she thought that she was honoring Jesus when she said I know that even now whatsoever thou will task of God God will give it thee her idea of Jesus was that he was a great prophet who would ask of God and obtain answers to his prayers. [00:11:26]
how sweetly fell those words upon her ear I am the resurrection and the life not I can get Resurrection by my prayers but I am myself the resurrection God's people need to know more of what Jesus is more of the fullness which it is pleased the father to place in him some of them know quite enough of what they are themselves and they will break their hearts if they go on reading much longer in that black Letter book they need I say to rest their eyes upon the person of their lord and to spy out all the riches of Grace which lie hidden in him. [00:13:20]
observe in the beginning that the presence of Jesus Christ means life and Resurrection it meant that to Lazarus if Jesus comes to Lazarus Lazarus must live had Martha taken the savior's words literally as she should have done as I have already told you she would have had immediate comfort from them and the Savior intended her to understand them in that sense he virtually says I am to Lazarus the power that can make him live again and I am the power that can keep him in life yea I am the resurrection and the life a statement so understood would have been very comfortable to her nothing could have been more so. [00:17:18]
I answer that our lord Jesus is able at this moment to give us back our departed ones for he is still the resurrection and the life but let me ask you whether you really wish that Jesus would raise your departed ones from the dead you say it first of course I do wish it but I would ask you to reconsider that decision for I believe that upon further thought you will say no I could not wish it do you really desire to see your glorified husband sent back again to this world of Care and Pain would you have your father or mother deprived of the glories which they are now enjoying in order that they might help you in the struggles of this Mortal life. [00:18:39]
furthermore here is Comfort which we may each one safely take namely that when Jesus comes the dead shall live the revised version has it he that believeth on me though he die yet shall he live we do not know when our Lord will descend from heaven but we do know the message of the Angel this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in light manner as ye have seen him go into heaven the Lord will come we may not question the certainty of his appearing when he cometh all his redeemed shall live with him the Trump of the Archangel shall startle the happy sleepers and they shall wake to put on their beauteous array. [00:21:12]
I think our savior meant that even now his dead are alive he that believeth on me though he die yet shall he live those that believe in Jesus Christ appear to die but yet they live they are not in the grave they are forever with the lord they're not unconscious they are with their lord in Paradise death cannot kill a believer it can only Usher him into a Freer form of life because Jesus Lives his people live God is not the god of the dead but of the living those who have departed have not perished we laid the precious body in the cemetery and we set up stones at the head and foot but we might engrave on them the Lord's words she is not dead but sleepeth. [00:25:02]
the life of every Christian is Christ he is the beginning of life being the resurrection when he comes to us we live regeneration is the result of contact with Christ we are begotten again unto a lively Hope by his resurrection from the dead the life of the Christian in its commencement is in Christ alone not a fragment of it is from himself and the continuance of that life is equally the same Jesus is not only the resurrection to begin with but the life to go on with I have life in myself saith one I answer not otherwise than as you are one with Christ your spiritual life in every breath it draws is in Christ. [00:29:34]
faith is the only Channel by which we can draw from Jesus our life I am the resurrection of the life he that believeth in me that is it he does not say he that loves me though love is a bright Grace and very sweet to God he does not say he that serves me though everyone that believes in Christ will endeavor to serve him but it is not put so he does not even say he that imitates me though everyone that believes in Christ must and will imitate him but it is put he that believeth in me why is that why did the Lord so continually make Faith to be the only link between himself and the soul. [00:34:15]
now notice to the reception of Christ by faith there is no limit he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever I'm deeply in love with that word whosoever it is a splendid word a person who kept many animals had some great dogs and some little ones and in his eagerness to let them enter his house freely he had two holes cut in the door one for the big dogs and another for the little dogs you may well laugh for the little dogs could surely have come in wherever there was room for the larger ones this whosoever is the great opening suitable for Sinners of every size whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. [00:36:22]
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