In the verse above, John 11:25, Jesus makes the fifth of his seven “I am” statements.

1. “I am the bread of life.” – John 6:35
2. “I am the light of the world.” – John 8:12
3. “I am the gate.” – John 10:9
4. “I am the good shepherd.” – John 10:11
5. “I am the resurrection and the life.” – John 11:25
6. “I am the way, and the truth and the life.” – John 14:6
7. “I am the vine.” – John 15:5

Jesus is speaking to Martha (Mary and Lazarus’ sister). He has just told her:

“Your brother will rise again.” (John 11:24)

To this Martha expressed her faith in the coming day in the distant eschatological future when, according to Jewish belief, the righteous dead Jews would be resurrected into the Kingdom of God.  She said:

            “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

For this apparently great confession of faith and expression of trust in God based on a correct, orthodox doctrinal understanding Martha is corrected by the Lord.  Jesus says:

            “I am the resurrection and the life!”

The resurrection and the life is not a day, nor are we waiting for it to be available in the future as if it were some computer update or a new upgrade released by Apple. Jesus corrects the focus of her doctrinal understanding by saying: “The resurrection is not a day or a time or a place or an event, because, like life itself, the resurrection is a person, a God, a divine essence. The resurrection is
me, Jesus!”

This is a radical insertion of thought to most people’s theology, because we tend to like systems, dates, tensions, contrasts and organization. Independent of time, days, places, systems or
doctrinal statements is Jesus Christ. He is the essence of life. He is the resurrection.
So, where Jesus goes, so goes the resurrection.

Fortunately, for Martha and Mary, the Resurrection was standing in front of their brother’s tomb.
Jesus doesn’t have the power of life. Jesus is life! Jesus doesn’t merely have power to raise the
dead. Jesus is the resurrection. If you have Jesus, you have life. If you have Jesus, you have resurrection. We are not waiting for a day. Instead, we are waiting for Jesus!

Suffering overcomes the mind's inertia, develops
the thinking powers, opens
up a new world, and drives
the soul to action.”
– Antony Harrison Evans

The Bible refers to 18 books that no longer exist as far as we know, including:

- “Records of Nathan”
- "Records of Gad”
- “Prophecy of Ahijah”
- "Book of Wars of the Lord”
- “Visions of Iddo the Seer”
- "Annotations on the
Book of the Kings.”