“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE”
D. A. Burr
The period since our sister has been taken has provided an opportunity for reflection over the word, and this scripture, to which our brother referred in prayer, has been in my mind. What has affected me about it is that, when the Lord comes into any matter. He does so in a way that is perfectly suited to the circumstances into which He comes—and when He comes, He comes in fully. He comes in personally. Like our sister, Lazarus was taken ill and his sisters, as we, assured of the Lord’s interest and concern, took the matter to Him. What a wonderful thing that is, that in this matter that came amongst them they were ready to bring the Lord in—not that the Lord responded by coming in immediately, but no doubt His interest was very fully aroused by what happened. He allowed it to go further, as He has done amongst us; and then He came in. I think the Lord would give us an experience in this occasion of His coming in, and in a way that is wholly suited to the circumstances which He enters.
Martha was found with a measure of faith, and He came where Martha was—think of that!
What a wonderful thing! Martha, you might say, had a lot to learn, but Jesus came where Martha was. And we, no doubt, have a lot to learn, but the Lord has come where we are and He has it in mind that we should gain some fresh experience of Himself. The Lord in conversation with Martha brings out from her how far she was in her understanding. She had apprehended that there was to be a resurrection in the last day, and we have apprehended it; we are assured of it
and it is a source of comfort to us. But the Lord says that there is something that is greater than the resurrection in the last day; there is a glorious Person who is “the resurrection and the life”. Not ‘will be’; not exactly that He assumes the office of One who brings in the resurrection in the last day, but He is the resurrection and the life.
We may think of other circumstances—think of how when He speaks about food—spiritual food in chapter 6. He says, “I am the living bread which has come down out of heaven” (John 6: 51). And now think of Him in this chapter. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life”.
Not simply that there will be a resurrection and there will be life; but “I am the resurrection and the life”. What a blessed thing that is, what an assurance to all our hearts that there is a way in which we may apprehend the Lord in any circumstances in which we may be; He has a glorious title and a moral glory which is suited to the circumstances in which we may be found. And He brings it in not simply that we might apprehend it as a fact, but that we might believe. That is why He stayed away—that these disciples might believe—and then He came in and His end is secured. What a blessed thing that is! It says at the end of this section that
“Many therefore ... believed on him”; they “saw what he had done, and believed on him”.
How blessed it is!
When He comes in He does not come and stand in the background; He comes right into the centre of the circumstances where we may be. He did not join the crowd that was there, but He joined the mourners. What a word of comfort that is! Furthermore, He did not simply come and stand alongside them, but He was with them in the sorrow in the deepest and fullest way. We had in ministry amongst us that there is something about sympathy that goes further
even than compassion, and sympathy was found with Jesus when He came into this matter.
Well, I thought we might be assured by these things that the Lord knows every circumstance in which we may be and He knows how to come into it; and He does it that we might see some glory of His and that we might believe. May this be our experience, and as believing may we know what it is to have joy in believing, as the scripture says. May He be glorified in this occasion and in this experience, for His name’s sake.
Word at the burial of Mrs. J. S. Pugh, London
11 January 1980