I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Month 7: The Miracle Worker · Memory Verse
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 11:21-27
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.” 23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. 24 Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. 26 And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
Memory Verse
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?””— John 11:25-26 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Proverbs 31; Ecclesiastes 1-3
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Proverbs ends with the woman of strength; Ecclesiastes begins to ask what life is really for.)The Heart of It
Martha met Jesus on the road outside Bethany. It was four days after her brother Lazarus had died. Her words are raw and honest: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." She still believed in Jesus. She even added, "whatever You ask of God, God will give You." But her hope was set far off in the future: "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Then Jesus said the sentence we're memorizing this week. And it changed everything about where she should look. "I am the resurrection and the life." He didn't say I will provide a resurrection someday. He said I am it. Resurrection isn't only a future event. It is a Person, standing right in front of her.
Look closely at what Jesus promises in this verse. To the one who believes in Him, death is not the end: "though he may die, he shall live." And the life He gives is so real and so lasting that it reaches right past the grave: "whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." Then He asks the question that lands on every one of us: "Do you believe this?" He doesn't ask Martha to understand it all. He doesn't ask her to stop hurting. He asks her to believe. He asks her to trust Him, the living Lord, with the very thing she fears most. And Martha answers beautifully: "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God." That's the whole point of this week's verse for your family. It isn't just to recite the words. It is to let Jesus gently ask each of us, "Do you believe this?"
Around the Table
Jesus is so strong and so alive that even death can't keep His friends away from Him forever! He gives us life that never, ever runs out.
Let's do it: Say the big words together: "Jesus is the resurrection and the LIFE!" Then jump up tall on the word "life."
Martha thought help was far away in the future. But Jesus said He is here, right now. Why is it good news that Jesus doesn't just give life, but is life Himself?
Let's talk: When you're sad or scared about something, where do you usually look for comfort? How could you look to Jesus first?
Jesus ends with a direct question: "Do you believe this?" Faith isn't just agreeing that something is true in general. It is trusting Jesus personally, with your own life and your own death.
Let's go deeper: If Jesus asked you tonight, "Do you believe this?", what would you honestly answer? And why?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's the hardest thing to wait for? Now imagine the One you were waiting for was already standing right next to you. How would that change everything?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "Believing in life after death is just wishful thinking," you can answer kindly. Every culture longs for life beyond death, that's true. But Jesus didn't just promise it. He proved it. He rose bodily from the grave Himself, and hundreds of people saw Him (). Our hope isn't a wish. It rests on something that really happened in history. As says, we "give a defense" with "gentleness and respect." We can be confident, but never harsh.
For Dad · Go Deeper
There's a deep comfort in the wording of this verse, and it's worth pressing into for yourself. Notice that Jesus doesn't say "I have the resurrection," or "I bring resurrection." He says "I am the resurrection and the life." Resurrection life is not something He hands over from a distance. It is bound up in Him. To have Christ is to already have the life that outlasts death at work in you. This matters for how you carry the weight of mortality. Your parents are aging. Your own years are passing. The health of those you love is fragile. The Christian's hope is not that we stop grieving. Jesus Himself weeps two days later. It is a settled confidence that the living Lord holds the keys. Let your children see a father who grieves and hopes. A father who can stand at a graveside one day and still mean every word of this verse. That kind of hope is caught more than it is taught.
Draws on: N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope.
Let's Pray Together
"Lord Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life. Help us not just to say these words, but to believe them. Help us trust You with our fears, and with our sadness. Help us trust You even with death itself. When You ask, 'Do you believe this?', help our family answer, 'Yes, Lord.' In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus doesn't just give life. He IS the life. And He's asking me, "Do you believe this?"