Jesus: The Resurrection and Our Hope in Sorrow

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Weeps With Us in Our Pain

Even though Jesus knew He would soon raise Lazarus from the dead, He still wept with Mary and Martha in their grief, showing that He deeply feels our pain and stands with us in our moments of sorrow. The tears of Jesus reveal a Savior who is not distant or detached, but One who enters into our suffering, matching our broken hearts with His own compassion. When you are overwhelmed by loss or disappointment, remember that Jesus is present, weeping with you, and that your pain is never ignored or minimized by Him. [18:37]

John 11:32-35 (ESV)
Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.

Reflection: When have you felt alone in your grief or disappointment? Can you picture Jesus sitting beside you, sharing your tears, and how might that change the way you process your pain today?

Day 2: Jesus Conquers Death as Our Mighty Warrior

Jesus does not just comfort us in our suffering—He is indignant at death and suffering, and He enters the battle as our conquering hero, defeating death itself so that it no longer has the final word over our lives. His anger at the grave shows that death is not natural or acceptable, and His victory means that we do not have to accept suffering and loss as the end of our story. Jesus alone has gone into the grave and come out victorious, offering us hope that no other leader or philosophy can provide. [21:43]

John 11:33, 43-44 (ESV)
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled... When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where the fear of death or loss has held you captive? How does knowing Jesus has conquered death empower you to live differently today?

Day 3: Jesus Offers Resurrection, Not Just Consolation

Jesus promises not merely to comfort us in our pain, but to undo the effects of sin and death, making everything sad come untrue through His resurrection—so that for those who believe, death is not the end but a doorway to new life. The hope Jesus gives is not a distant, vague comfort, but a real, tangible resurrection that reverses the curse and restores what was lost, so that even our deepest sorrows will one day seem like a bad dream from which we awake to joy. [27:21]

John 11:25-26 (ESV)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Reflection: What is one sorrow or regret you carry that feels permanent? How might trusting in Jesus’ resurrection help you see that even this can be redeemed and reversed in Him?

Day 4: Grace—Jesus Takes the Sting of Death for Us

In order for us to have eternal life, Jesus willingly took the curse of sin and death upon Himself, dying in our place so that the sting of death would be removed forever for those who trust in Him. Just as a loving father would take the sting of a bee to protect his child, Jesus bore the full weight of our sin so that we could be free from its penalty and live in the hope of resurrection. This grace is not earned by our goodness, but received as a gift from the One who loves us beyond measure. [33:56]

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Reflection: Is there a part of you that still tries to earn God’s love or forgiveness? What would it look like to simply receive His grace today, trusting that Jesus has already taken the sting for you?

Day 5: Faith—Receiving Jesus Personally Changes Everything

The central question Jesus asks is whether we will believe and receive Him personally—not just as a historical figure, but as Savior and Lord in our own lives, trusting Him even when we do not understand His ways. This faith is not about religious performance or rituals, but about opening your heart to Jesus, surrendering control, and letting Him lead you into new life. To as many as receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God, and this changes everything about our present and our future. [42:21]

John 1:12 (ESV)
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Reflection: Have you ever truly received Jesus for yourself, inviting Him to take control of your life? If not, what is holding you back from surrendering to Him today? If you have, how can you renew that surrender and trust in Him right now?

Sermon Summary

The words “I am” carry immense weight, especially when spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of John. Each of his seven “I am” statements reveals not only his divinity but also his deep compassion for our most pressing human needs. Today, we focus on perhaps the most audacious claim: “I am the resurrection and the life.” This is not just a statement about who Jesus is, but a promise that death itself is not the end for those who trust in him. The resurrection is not a distant theological idea; it is the very heart of hope for every person who has ever faced loss, disappointment, or the sting of death.

Death is the ultimate human problem, one that none of us can escape. Yet, Jesus steps into our pain, not as a distant deity, but as one who weeps with us. He is not indifferent to our suffering or our questions. When Mary and Martha grieved the loss of their brother Lazarus, Jesus did not rebuke their disappointment or confusion. Instead, he entered into their sorrow, showing us that God is not absent in our pain, but present and deeply moved by it.

But Jesus does more than weep; he confronts death with holy anger. He is not resigned to the brokenness of this world. He stands as a mighty warrior, determined to defeat the enemy that has haunted humanity since the beginning. In raising Lazarus, Jesus gives us a foretaste of what he would accomplish through his own death and resurrection: the undoing of death’s power and the promise that all who believe in him will one day wake up from the nightmare of loss to a reality where every sorrow is made untrue.

This hope is not mere consolation; it is resurrection. Jesus does not offer us a spiritual bandage, but a new creation. He took the curse of death upon himself so that we could receive the gift of eternal life. The invitation is personal: “Do you believe this?” It is not enough to know about Jesus; we must receive him, trusting him with our lives and our deaths. For all who do, the promise stands—death is not the end, and resurrection life begins now.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus meets us in our deepest pain, not with platitudes, but with his presence. Even when he knows the outcome will be joy, he weeps with us in our sorrow, showing that our suffering matters to him. The tears of Christ are a profound assurance that God is not distant from our grief but intimately acquainted with it. This is a Savior who feels what we feel and walks with us through every valley. [18:37]
2. Righteous anger at death and suffering is not only permitted but modeled by Jesus. He does not accept death as a natural part of life but confronts it as an enemy to be defeated. Our own anger at loss and injustice is a reflection of God’s heart, a sign that we were made for a world without death. Jesus’ holy indignation assures us that God is not passive in the face of evil but is actively working to destroy it. [20:55]
3. The resurrection is not a consolation prize for enduring pain, but the reversal of all that is wrong. Jesus promises that for those who believe, death is not the final word; it is a bad dream from which we will awaken to a reality where every sorrow is undone. This is not escapism, but the deepest hope—that God will make all things new, and every loss will be restored beyond our imagining. [27:21]
4. The cross is the place where Jesus took the full curse of death upon himself, breaking its power for all who trust in him. Our separation from God, the weight of our failures, and the inevitability of death were all borne by Christ. In his resurrection, he offers us not just forgiveness, but a share in his victory over the grave. Grace means that even our self-inflicted wounds do not disqualify us from God’s love or his promise of life. [31:15]
5. Faith is not merely intellectual assent or religious activity, but a personal reception of Jesus as Lord and Savior. The invitation is to receive him as one would receive a gift or a beloved spouse—fully, personally, and without reservation. Only those who receive him in this way experience the fullness of his promises: forgiveness, new life, and the assurance that death is not the end. The question remains for each of us: “Do you believe this?” [42:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - The Outrageous Claim of Resurrection
[01:13] - You’re Not a Guest, You’re Future Family
[02:16] - Why the Resurrection Changes Everything
[03:44] - Is the Empty Tomb Relevant Today?
[05:22] - Jesus’ “I Am” Statements and Our Deepest Needs
[06:45] - Facing Death and Disappointment with God
[10:03] - The Story of Lazarus: When God Delays
[12:17] - Why Jesus Let Lazarus Die
[15:04] - Four Things Jesus Shows Us: Tears, Anger, Truth, Grace
[15:21] - Jesus Weeps: God’s Compassion in Our Pain
[19:28] - Jesus’ Anger at Death: The Mighty Warrior
[23:54] - The Promise: Resurrection and Life
[27:21] - Resurrection: Not Consolation, But Reversal
[30:43] - Grace: Jesus Takes Our Curse
[34:27] - The Ultimate Question: Do You Believe?
[41:06] - Receiving Jesus Personally
[44:00] - Invitation to Respond and Next Steps
[45:41] - Closing Prayer and Celebration

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 11:17–44 (ESV) — (You may want to read the whole story, but especially focus on verses 21–27 and 32–44.)

> 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
> 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Observation Questions

What was Martha’s reaction when Jesus finally arrived after Lazarus had died? How did Jesus respond to her disappointment? ([14:05])
According to the passage, what did Jesus do when he saw Mary, Martha, and the others weeping? Why is this detail significant? ([15:21])
What does Jesus mean when he says, “I am the resurrection and the life”? How does he explain this to Martha? ([23:54])
What did Jesus do at Lazarus’s tomb, and how did the people around him react? ([28:28])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to delay coming to Lazarus, even though he loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus? What does this reveal about his priorities and his understanding of our pain? ([11:33])
The sermon says Jesus wept even though he knew he would raise Lazarus. What does this teach us about how God relates to our suffering? ([18:37])
The sermon describes Jesus as both a weeping friend and a mighty warrior who is angry at death. Why is it important to see both sides of Jesus in this story? ([20:40])
Jesus asks Martha, “Do you believe this?” Why is this question so central to the story, and what does it mean for us today? ([23:54])

Application Questions

The sermon says Jesus meets us in our deepest pain, not with easy answers, but with his presence. Can you think of a time when you felt God’s presence in your pain, or a time when you wished you had? How did that experience shape your faith? ([18:37])
Jesus shows righteous anger at death and suffering. Have you ever felt angry at loss, injustice, or suffering? How can you bring those feelings honestly to God, knowing that Jesus himself felt them? ([20:55])
The resurrection is described as not just a consolation, but a reversal of all that is wrong. How does this change the way you view your own losses or disappointments? Is there a specific loss in your life that you need to see in light of Jesus’ promise? ([27:21])
The sermon says Jesus took the curse of death upon himself so we could receive eternal life. Are there areas in your life where you feel disqualified from God’s love because of your failures? How does the cross and resurrection speak to those feelings? ([31:15])
Faith is described as personally receiving Jesus, not just knowing about him. Have you ever made a personal decision to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior? If not, what holds you back? If yes, how does that decision affect your daily life? ([42:21])
When Jesus asks, “Do you believe this?” he is inviting a personal response. What would it look like for you to trust Jesus with both your life and your death? Is there an area where you need to take a step of faith right now? ([23:54])
The sermon mentions that resurrection life begins now, not just after we die. What is one way you can live out resurrection hope in your relationships, work, or struggles this week? ([27:21])

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