John 11:26

"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies."

Key Reflection

In John 11:26, Jesus proclaims his role as both the source of resurrection and eternal life. This statement is profoundly transformative, asserting that belief in him guarantees not just continued existence after death, but a form of life that transcends mortality. For a first-century listener, this would have been groundbreaking, challenging traditional understandings of the afterlife and positioning Jesus as more than a mere mortal prophet—asserting instead his divine authority over life and death itself.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 26. Whosoever liveth. He had just spoken of the prospects of the pious dead. He now says that the same prospects are before the living who have like faith. Greek, "Every one living and believing on me." Shall never die. As the dead, though dead, shall yet live, so the living shall have the same kind of life. They shall never come into eternal death. See Joh 6:50,51,54,58. Greek, "shall by no means die forever." Believest thou this? This question was doubtless asked because it implied that he was then able to raise up Lazarus, and because it was a proper time for her to test her own faith.

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