Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 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.” John 11:21-27 (ESV) 

This passage is an interesting study in our propensity to misunderstand God. Having the advantage of hindsight, today we realize that Jesus was leading Martha to believe that he would raise Lazarus from the dead right in front of her eyes. Even though she had a good theology of who Jesus was (and is), she did not make the leap into applying that great truth to her present need. When Jesus asked her if she believed that he embodied the resurrection, all Martha could muster was a declaration that he was the promised Messiah. She spoke truth while completely missing the point of Jesus’ question. She had faith in his being the Messiah, but none for his being willing and able to raise her dead brother. Why could she not properly hear what Jesus was saying or believe?

Her faith was for the future but was useless for her present situation. It is relatively easy to believe when there is nothing before us to test our faith. We seem to more easily believe in what will happen in the far off future than to apply our faith to the here and now.

Mental assent to truth does not necessarily engage the heart, where faith resides. (Romans 10:9-10) If what we believe about the past and the future does not translate into faith for the present, it might be mere mental assent, which cannot help us much.

According to Hebrews 11:6, God is pleased and honored by our faith. Real faith produces acts of obedience, which is faith in action. (Romans 1:5)

Martha and Mary gently chided our Lord for not showing up sooner to prevent Lazarus’ death. They viewed his failure to immediately respond to their request as a lack of caring for them. They did not understand that Jesus had bigger things in mind. He deliberately delayed until after Lazarus died to provide an opportunity for God to be glorified through his resurrection. Martha and Mary underestimated God’s love for them and his sovereignty over our lives. If we truly believe that Jesus is the resurrected Lord of lords, we will learn to see everything in life as an opportunity for God’s glory to shine as we apply our faith and keep our focus on him and his love for us.

One of the big lessons of the resurrection is that we cannot properly evaluate our circumstances without factoring in God’s love, sovereign rule, and power.

Real Faith in Jesus’ Resurrection Will Greatly Impact Our Lives

Jesus’ death and resurrection profoundly affected the early disciples, morphing them from being fearful followers into dynamic disciples. Following his ascension into heaven, Jesus poured out his Spirit on his disciples, which greatly enhanced this transformation, empowering them to boldly proclaim the Good News. Today we do not have the privilege of physically viewing the risen Christ, but we can see him with the “eyes” of faith. In addition, the same baptism in the Spirit is available to us today.

Jesus does not want us to wallow in unbelief regarding his resurrection. Instead of casting aside his most dubious disciple, Jesus confronted Thomas’ lack of faith as described below.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” 28  “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29  Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John 20:27-29 (NLT) 

Believing without seeing requires us to have another kind of sight called revelation.

Now we depend on the Holy Spirit’s ability to reveal Christ to us, and he is very good at it. With his help, our faith can be just as strong as that of the early disciples. Some people in Jesus’ day saw miracles with their physical eyes but did not believe. Today we are able to believe without physical sight, thanks to the inner revelatory work of God’s Spirit.

Paul wrote about the Spirit’s ability in the passage below.

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16  do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:15-18 (NASB) 

In my own case, the Holy Spirit “opened my eyes” to understand and believe that Jesus is truly the risen one described in the Bible. Before he did this for me, I did not believe because my spiritual eyes had been blinded by Satan, according to 2 Corinthians 4:4. But I asked Jesus, if he were real, to come into my life and show me the truth about himself. Amazingly, God used the slightly open door to set up residence in my life and open my spiritual understanding to Jesus’ identity as the risen Savior and Lord. In an instant of revelation, the Spirit moved me from unbelief to faith by an inner miracle of healing my blinded mind. I came to understand and believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead, and that changed everything in my life.

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NLT) 

His resurrection, if true, is easily the most world altering event in history, and God requires us to face it squarely. Do we really believe it or not?

Christ’s resurrection proved that he was not a delusional martyr with a tragic God complex. Instead it showed that God the Father accepted his sacrifice for our sins as the Lamb of God and vindicated him as the Lord. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that our sins have been forgiven and we have been made right with God. Those who put their faith and allegiance in Jesus are now God’s beloved children with all the associated rights, privileges, and authority.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 (NASB) 

If we truly believe that Jesus rose from the dead, here are some ways our lives in the here and now ought to be affected every single day.

1. We should be the happiest people on earth because the threat of condemnation and death for our sins has been removed.
2. Through the new birth, as God’s beloved children we now have continual access into God’s loving presence where we are always welcome.
3. We can be bold and fearless because death no longer has power over us.
4. We are free because the power of sin, the “flesh,” and the Law have been nullified.
5. Having been released from bondage and oppression, we are free to serve the Lord.
6. Because Jesus is Lord over all, we can live in the confidence that he is working all things out for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28)
7. Because Jesus was raised from the dead and has all authority, as his representatives we can operate in his name and authority to preach the gospel and set the captives free through the power of the Spirit of God. We are authorized to heal, cast out demons, raise the dead, and otherwise represent him to the world.
8. Because we know God is real, his love for us is proven, and his power limitless, we pray with confident perseverance.

If these things are not yet true in our lives, most likely our understanding of the Bible and our faith need to grow. People without a proper revelation of Christ’s victory through the resurrection…

1. Will live as if we are still under condemnation and are not beloved children of God.
2. Will be inhibited in their obedience because of the fear of death. (Hebrews 2:15)
3. Will not believe we are free from the power of sin, the “flesh,” and the Law and so will live as if we are not.
4. Will simply acquiesce to sickness and and other forms of oppression. (Acts 10:38)
5. Will doubt that Jesus is truly Lord over all things and will have difficulty trusting him when things appear to go wrong.
6. Will not be bold to preach the gospel and operate in his authority and the power of the Spirit.

How Faith in Jesus’ Second Coming (the Second Resurrection) Should Shape Our Lives

The first resurrection happened some two thousand years ago when Jesus came out of the tomb.

Every time a person is born again, he or she participates in that first resurrection by coming alive spiritually and being joined to Christ.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5  that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT) 

The second resurrection will take place at the return of Christ. That is when our dead physical bodies will be raised and transformed into glorious spiritual ones, thus completing the salvation of our spirits, souls, and bodies.

And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40  For it is my Father’s will that all who see (by revelation) his Son and believe (in their hearts) in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:39-40 (NLT) 

Many people today give “lip service” to their belief in Christ’s return as the glorious Son of Man and King of Kings, but I suspect there will be a high level of astonishment when he actually returns, even among those who profess faith.

Here is how Jesus described the coming “Day of the Lord.”

Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 30  And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see (revealed to all people) the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31  And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Matthew 24:29-31 (NLT) 

When Jesus returns as the glorious Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14), he will come as God’s judge of everyone who has ever lived. (John 5:27) All people will be gathered before him to be judged and, for his elect, to receive their reward. It will be at this time that all wrongs will be set right. That which was hidden will be brought to light. Those acts of faith and love which went unnoticed will be fully rewarded. God’s people will be vindicated and the wicked judged. Jesus will be acknowledged by all as the Lord of Lords. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess it.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT) 

This will be the culmination of God’s plan to redeem his people and his creation. It will be the grand finale when everything will be made right. But do we really believe that it will happen?

People who truly believe and look forward to Jesus’ return will be like Paul.

And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 (NLT) 

They will…

1. Joyfully and eagerly look forward to (love) his coming.
2. Distance themselves from that which defiles or hinders their fellowship with  and obedience to the Lord. (1 John 3:2-3)
3. Set themselves apart for the Lord’s work and prioritize the Lord over everything else.
4. Be willing to make sacrifices to advance God’s kingdom, knowing that their eternal reward will be far greater than anything they might give up in the present.

Those who only give “lip service” to the Second Coming will…

1. Not care too much about his second coming or even dread it.
2. Live like those in the world.
3. Be distracted from or uninterested in the Lord and his work.
4. Be unwilling to sacrifice temporary pleasures or wealth for the sake of the kingdom of God, since they lack confidence that God’s eternal reward will be better.

Conclusion

The Easter season is a good time for us to take another look at our lives to see if our behavior reflects faith in the resurrection and the Second Coming or not. If not, here is a prayer we can use.

Holy Spirit, I come to you because the Bible says it is your ministry to reveal Christ and his truth to us. I ask you to give me a deeper and clearer revelation of Christ and his resurrection and lordship so that I will live as I should, full of joy and commitment to Jesus and his kingdom. Deliver me from unbelief and carnality. Let me live in a way that is worthy of our Lord and the sacrifice he made for me. Amen.