I Am the Resurrection and the Life - 6-Day Devotional
Text: John 11:25
John 11:25 NLT — “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.’”
Day 1 — When Jesus Shows Up Late
Scripture:
John 11:21 NLT — “Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”
Devotional Thought:
Martha’s words are honest. She believes in Jesus, but she is hurting. She knows Jesus has power, but she does not understand His timing.
Many of us have prayed prayers like Martha’s: “Lord, if only You had stepped in sooner.” “Lord, if only You had answered differently.” “Lord, if only You had come when I called.”
But Jesus’ delay was not denial. His timing was working toward a greater revelation of His glory. Martha wanted Jesus to prevent death, but Jesus came to prove He had power over death.
Sometimes Jesus does not move when we expect Him to, but His delay does not mean He is absent. His timing may be different from ours, but His love is still present.
Reflection Question:
Where have you struggled with God’s timing?
Prayer:
Lord, help me trust You when I do not understand Your timing. Teach me to believe that Your delay is not abandonment. Strengthen my faith while I wait. Amen.
Today’s Declaration:
Jesus may not come when I expect Him, but He always comes with purpose.
Day 2 — Resurrection Is a Person
Scripture:
John 11:25 NLT — “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’”
Devotional Thought:
Martha believed in resurrection as a future event. She believed Lazarus would rise again at the last day. Her theology was correct, but Jesus wanted to deepen her faith.
Jesus did not say, “I will show you resurrection.”
He said, “I am the resurrection.”
That means resurrection is not merely a doctrine to believe. Resurrection is a Person to trust.
Jesus is the One who has authority over life and death. He does not just bring hope; He is hope. He does not just give life; He is life.
When we face dead places in our lives, our greatest need is not simply for circumstances to change. Our greatest need is to encounter Christ more deeply.
Reflection Question:
Have you been trusting Jesus only for what He can do, or are you trusting Him for who He is?
Prayer:
Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life. Help me not to reduce You to a solution for my problems. Help me trust You as Lord, Savior, and Life itself. Amen.
Today’s Declaration:
Resurrection is not just something Jesus does; resurrection is who Jesus is.
Day 3 — What Looks Final Is Not Final
Scripture:
John 11:39 NLT — “‘Roll the stone aside,’ Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, ‘Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.’”
Devotional Thought:
By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead four days. The stone was in place. The mourners had gathered. The situation looked completely final.
But Jesus stood in front of a tomb and gave a command: “Roll the stone aside.”
That command reminds us that what people call finished, Jesus can still confront with power.
Martha saw decay. Jesus saw opportunity for glory.
Martha saw a sealed tomb. Jesus saw a miracle waiting to happen.
Martha saw the end. Jesus saw resurrection.
There are some places in our lives where we have already rolled the stone over the entrance. We have stopped praying, stopped believing, stopped expecting, and stopped hoping.
But Jesus is not intimidated by what looks dead.
Reflection Question:
What area of your life have you been tempted to call final?
Prayer:
Lord, give me faith to roll away the stone. Help me surrender the places I have buried, hidden, or given up on. Show Your power in the places I thought were beyond hope. Amen.
Today’s Declaration:
What looks final to me is not final to Christ.
Day 4 — Life in the Middle of Loss
Scripture:
John 11:25 NLT — “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’”
Devotional Thought:
Jesus did not only say, “I am the resurrection.” He also said, “I am the life.”
That matters because Jesus is not only our hope after death; He is our source of life right now.
Some people are physically alive but spiritually empty. They are working, moving, serving, and smiling, but inwardly they feel dry, tired, and disconnected.
Jesus does not merely offer survival. He offers life.
He gives peace where anxiety has been loud.
He gives strength where weakness has been heavy.
He gives purpose where pain has been confusing.
He gives joy where grief has settled in.
Jesus can bring life even when loss is still present.
Reflection Question:
Where do you need Jesus to breathe life into you again?
Prayer:
Jesus, I need Your life within me. Revive my heart, renew my faith, restore my joy, and awaken anything in me that has become weary or stagnant. Amen.
Today’s Declaration:
Jesus gives life, even in the middle of loss.
Day 5 — Believe in Me
Scripture:
John 11:25 NLT — “Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”
Devotional Thought:
Jesus makes the promise personal: “Anyone who believes in me...”
The promise of life is connected to faith in Christ.
Not faith in religion.
Not faith in church attendance.
Not faith in family tradition.
Not faith in personal goodness.
Faith must be placed in Jesus.
To believe in Jesus means to trust Him with your life, your sin, your future, your death, and your eternity.
This kind of faith does not mean we never grieve. It means grief does not get the final word. It does not mean we never face death. It means death cannot hold those who belong to Christ.
For the believer, death is not the end of the story. Because Jesus lives, we shall live also.
Reflection Question:
Is your faith resting fully in Jesus, or have you been leaning on something else?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I believe in You. Help my unbelief. Teach me to trust You more fully with every part of my life, including the things I cannot control. Amen.
Today’s Declaration:
My hope is in Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life.
Day 6 — Do You Believe This?
Scripture:
John 11:26 NLT — “Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
Devotional Thought:
After Jesus declared who He was, He asked Martha a question: “Do you believe this?”
That question still speaks to us today.
Not, “Have you heard this before?”
Not, “Can you quote this verse?”
Not, “Do you understand everything that is happening?”
Jesus asks, “Do you believe this?”
Faith is not proven only when everything makes sense. Faith is often revealed when we still trust Jesus with tears in our eyes.
Martha did not understand the delay.
She did not understand why Lazarus had died.
She did not understand what Jesus was about to do.
But she still believed in who Jesus was.
There will be moments when you do not understand God’s timing, His methods, or His silence. But even then, you can anchor your soul in the truth of who Jesus is.
He is the resurrection.
He is the life.
He is Lord.
He is Savior.
He is present.
He is able.
Reflection Question:
How would you answer Jesus’ question today: “Do you believe this?”
Prayer:
Jesus, I believe You are the resurrection and the life. Help me trust You in grief, in waiting, in uncertainty, and in hope. Let my faith rest in who You are. Amen.
Today’s Declaration:
I believe Jesus is the resurrection and the life.