John 11:26
“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Jesus speaks these words to Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus, having just declared himself the resurrection and the life. His question calls for her personal response of faith.
What Does John 11:26 Mean?
John 11:26 records the climax of Jesus' promise to Martha at her brother's grave: "whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die," followed by the searching question, "Believest thou this?" Standing in the shadow of death, Jesus speaks a word that reaches beyond it.
This sentence completes the thought begun in the previous verse, where Jesus declared himself the resurrection and the life. Now he applies it: the one who "liveth and believeth" in him "shall never die." Death is real -- Lazarus lies in the tomb, and Martha knows it well -- yet Jesus speaks of a deeper life that physical death cannot end. For the believer, what looks like the final word is not final; the life Christ gives carries through and beyond death. Then comes the question that makes it personal: "Believest thou this?" Jesus does not leave the promise hanging as an abstract truth; he presses it directly to Martha's heart, and through her, to every reader. It is not enough to know about resurrection in general. He asks each person to answer for themselves. The promise is breathtaking, but it calls for a response. In her grief, Martha is invited to trust the one who is himself the life, and so are we.
In the Original Language
The Greek "ou me apothane eis ton aiona" means "shall by no means die unto the age," an emphatic promise. "Pisteueis touto" is the direct question, "Do you believe this?"
Cross References
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”
- John 11:25
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
- John 5:24
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:54
Application
Jesus presses his promise of life directly to you: Do you believe this? Bring your grief and fear to him and answer with trust, for he is the life that death cannot end.
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