I AM The Resurrection and the Life

Apr 9, 2023 • Trent Casto

Many people have ideas about who Jesus is, and some people define him as they think it is best. But in this new series, we are not going to impose upon Jesus our own ideas about who he is. Instead, we are going to let Jesus define himself through a series of statements in which he tells us definitively who he is. On this Easter Sunday, he tells us the first thing we need to know about him in a world full of death: “I am the resurrection and the life.”

Sermon Outline:

I. Jesus is Confident in the Face of Death.

II. Jesus is Outraged in the Presence of Death.

III. Jesus is Victorious Over the Power of Death.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Jesus’ actions in response to the sisters’ plea to come and help their brother are puzzling. Why does Jesus wait until Lazarus is already dead to come and visit?

2. Have you ever felt puzzled by God’s actions, or his seeming lack of action? How does this story comfort us?

3. Why is it significant that when Jesus stood outside of Lazarus’ tomb, he wept?

4. Do you believe Jesus is the resurrection and the life? If so, what difference does that make for you today? What difference does that make when you die?