I Am, The Resurrection & the Life: Part 5
In I Am Part 5: The Resurrection and the Life, Pastor Gareth Gilpin from Abundant Life Church continues Joy Church’s I Am: Life in His Name series through the story of Lazarus in John 11.
This powerful message speaks directly to disappointment, delayed answers, unmet expectations, grief, and the moments when life no longer makes sense. Mary and Martha both carried the same heartbreak: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32). Jesus was their friend. He loved their family. They believed He could heal Lazarus, yet He did not arrive when they expected.
John 11:5 says Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. The next verse begins with a surprising word: “So.” Because He loved them, Jesus stayed where He was for 2 more days (John 11:6). That challenges one of our deepest assumptions: If Jesus really loved me, He would do what I think is best.
But God’s delays are never evidence of God’s absence. Jesus wasn't careless, distant, or unaware. He was working from a greater perspective and preparing to reveal something they could not yet see. When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. Every human solution had expired.
The funeral was over, the tomb was sealed, and the situation appeared irreversible. Yet what looked like the end became the setting for Jesus to reveal more of who He is. Before changing the circumstance, Jesus entered their situation and their pain. John 11:33 to 35 shows Jesus deeply moved and weeping with those who were grieving. He doesn't dismiss our sorrow or shame us for our questions. He sees us, loves us, and sits with us in suffering.
But Jesus does more than comfort us in death and darkness. He brings life. In John 11:25 to 26, Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying.” Resurrection is not only something Jesus will do someday. Resurrection is who He is right now.
There may be areas of your life that feel dead: A relationship, a dream, a marriage, a family situation, a calling, your hope, or even your faith. Jesus can meet you there. His resurrection life is present in the places where you have reached the end of yourself. Jesus then asks Martha the question at the center of the message: “Do you believe this?” John 11:26 Biblical belief is more than agreeing with facts about Jesus. It means placing the full weight of your life on Him. It's trusting Him with your questions, disappointments, delays, pain, and future even when you cannot explain what He is doing.
Faith is dependence. You may know the right things about Jesus and still be carrying your life in your own strength. The invitation is not simply to believe that Jesus exists, but to believe on Him: To surrender, rely on Him, and trust His character when the circumstances do not make sense.
When Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb in John 11:43 to 44, He demonstrated that death doesn't have the final word. Jesus does! That same resurrection life is offered to us through the Gospel. Ephesians 2 teaches that although we were dead in sin, God made us alive with Christ because of His great love and mercy. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can be forgiven, made new, and adopted into God’s family.
Key Takeaway: God’s delay is not proof of His absence. Jesus meets us in disappointment, carries us through suffering, and brings resurrection life into places that appear hopeless.
Call to Action: What disappointment, unanswered prayer, or “if only” moment are you carrying? Bring it honestly to Jesus. Stop trying to hold everything together in your own strength, and place the full weight of your life on Him. Ask yourself: Do I only believe things about Jesus, or am I fully depending on Him?
