https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260323ECME.mp3

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

John 11:25-27

The little boy falls on the sidewalk and gashes his chin open… the day before family pictures. Life is rough! A preschool classmate tells a friend that she had to say good-bye to their family dog yesterday. Life is rough! Packing away the family nativity set, one careless move causes a piece to slip out of the daughter’s hand and crash to the floor. Broken memories. Sometimes life is rough.

Our own life might mirror the downhill slide of these sisters. We know full well that being a believer in Jesus does not mean daily life will look like a Pinterest board with everything in place, always sunny and constantly delightful. Life is rough this side of heaven. Jesus does not promise a life that is free of suffering and temptation. Jesus actually says that life will be full of trouble and hardship, conflict and persecution. Yet, Jesus also promises that he will work all of that for our good. He uses the sin-caused hardships and the groaning of creation to shape his people into even more trusting children of God. He uses the rough parts of life to help eyes of faith look to God for daily bread, daily wisdom, and daily strength.

There is an ultimate devastation in this life. It is death. Think about Mary and Martha again. Even with Jesus right there, they experienced death. How sad! Yes, unless Jesus returns before we die, our lives absolutely will end in the same way; they will end in death. There is nothing we can do to “handle” death.

However, we know the same friend, Jesus. Mary and Martha called on Jesus. With eyes of faith, they looked to Jesus as their Savior from their sin—and that means he’s also the Savior from death. Jesus is the only one who can handle death, and he did handle death by living his perfect life, by dying on the cross, and by rising on the third day. The first Easter day, Jesus defeated our eternal death.

So, Jesus says to you and me, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He is our resurrection and life. The life he gives may get rough. But it also has pure joy and has no end. Thanks be to Jesus that our true life will be in heaven with him.

Dear Jesus,