Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying."
-John 11:25
OUR RESPONSE TO JESUS
We cannot deal with Jesus at a distance, impersonally. We are not the judge or the jury "examining" Jesus Who is on the witness stand. Christianity is not merely a religious philosophy, it is a personal relationship with God. Faith has 'dealings' with God; it 'wagers' on God. A married man cannot just decide on his way home to buy a new Corvette without talking it over first with his wife. So also true Christians always first look to God for guidance and to determine His will before they act. God is the Initiator in this relationship. He makes the proposal and we must answer, 'yes,' or 'no' to our Heavenly Suitor. And this is not a one-time thing, it is a daily looking to God, a daily listening to His word, a dally rendering to Him of the sincere, undivided trust, devotion, and obedience of our hearts.
If Jesus is a SHEPHERD (JOHN 10),
then I must listen to His voice, allow Him to determine my path, and follow Him.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish..." (John 10:27-28)
If Jesus Is a KING (john 18),
then my will must bow in submission before Him; to deny Him is treason; refusal to heed His Word is defiance; and disobedience is rebellion against His rule.
(Pilate to Jesus) "You Are A King Then!" (John 18:37a)
(Jesus to Pilate) "My kingship is not of this world..." "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice." (John 18:36-37b)
If Jesus Is a Savior (John 3),
then I must entrust my whole person to His care and allow Him to Rescue and Save me.
"'No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.' For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:13-16)
If Jesus LOVES ME
enough to die the death that I deserved (II Cor. 5:21) then I must offer Him the love and devotion of my heart, and the service of my life.
"For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (II Cor. 5:21) "And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." (II Cor. 5:15)
"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (I John 3:16)
If Jesus Is a TEACHER SENT FROM GOD (John 3:2),
then I must sit at His feet and humbly open my mind and heart to all He has to teach me, and I must prefer His thoughts to my own.
"And a voice came out of the cloud, saying. 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!'" (Luke 9:35) (Luke 10:38-42)
If Jesus GIVES ME ETERNAL LIFE (John 17),
then He shall have my undying love and devotion through out all the ages of eternity.
"When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee, since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent."' (John 17:1-3)