This Article: (6 Pages)
1) Lazarus and Resurrection
At funerals they quote Jesus, saying, 'I am the resurrection and the life'. This comes from an incident where Jesus raises a man named Lazarus to life after he was dead 4 days. Jesus speaks to Martha who is Lazarus' sister before this,
Jesus said unto her, “Your brother shall rise again”.
Martha said to him, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day”.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”: (John 11:23-25)
Jesus stands at Lazarus' grave, prays to God and says, “Lazarus come forth”. Lazarus lives again. This is so remarkable an event that the leaders in Judea want to kill Lazarus to remove the evidence of Jesus' ability. Everyone knew Lazarus was very dead and yet he walks again. This is like the resurrection, except that Lazarus still eventually died. Jesus says in the resurrection people do not die anymore.
They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.(Luke 20:35-36) (cp Matthew 22:30)
Both Jesus and Martha believed at some point in time in the future that the dead would be raised to live forever. Jesus says,
“Truly, truly, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live...
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation”. (John 5:25-29)
They both have this idea because it is a significant Old Testament doctrine.
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