How To Defeat Death — Andrew Forrest

John 11:17-27

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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.”

Jesus says that:

25b Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die [John 11:25b–26].

In light of His previous remark calling death “sleep” (11:11), Jesus implies that, for those who believe in him, death is not final but temporary: just as you rise again in the morning after sleep, so those who are in Christ will be raised from the dead.

So, Jesus is not here saying that those who believe in Him will never die physically; rather, Jesus is saying that death is not the end for those who believe in Him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Believing in Jesus doesn’t defeat death—Jesus defeats death on His own, and those who trust in Him receive the benefits of what He has achieved.