John 11:25a, 26
Chapter 11
25
Jesus told her:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, will live.
26
Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Commentaries
Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead.
This chapter is a complete episode that focuses on the resurrection and the life made real through Jesus. In the Gospel’s narrative structure, it is crucial because it leads to Jesus’ death. It also creates tense suspense because John presents it as the seventh and final sign of Jesus, which is why he has given it special beauty and significance. The evangelist aims not only to tell about a miracle but also to affirm Jesus’ revelatory words: “I am the resurrection and the life.” The life Jesus gives to Lazarus, in bodily form, points to the actual life he offers to those who believe in him. This miracle provokes two responses: faith and unbelief. Faith opens the way to life, while unbelief closes it.