I Am, Right Now
“Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.'”
— John 11:25 (NIV)
Martha had just said she knew her brother would rise at the last day. It was correct doctrine and it was cold comfort four days after a funeral. Jesus was not talking about a date. He was talking about Himself: I am, right now, standing in front of you. Two verses later He weeps, which means the comfort He offers does not require anyone to stop grieving.
You do not have to stop being sad. Jesus promised life after death, and in the same conversation He cried with the people standing there. You can believe and cry in the same hour. (Dwa zdania zastąpione jednym: po poprawce zdania wcześniejszego 'minutes apart' jest powtórzeniem, a 'Both' traci odniesienie. Sekcja ma wtedy 3 zdania, średnia 11,3 słowa.)
Bring It Into the Present
- 1Name one thing you have pushed into 'someday' because now is too painful.
- 2Say it to God in the present tense: 'This hurts today, and You are here today.'
- 3Ask someone who is grieving how they are, and do not try to fix it.
Jesus, be here today, not someday. Today is the part that hurts.
I can believe and cry on the same day.
What had Martha just said?
That she knew her brother would rise at the last day. Her theology was right, but it was a distant comfort while standing at a grave.
Why does Jesus say I am rather than I will?
He shifts hope from a future event to His own presence. Resurrection is not only a date; it is a person standing there.
Why does Jesus weep if He knows what He will do?
The text does not explain it away. He grieves with them even knowing the outcome, so comfort and sorrow are not opposites here.