THE RESURRECTION IN ABRAHAM AND SARAH
(week 16/17)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Firstly, we pray that all our readers will experience resurrection life and its attendant blessings in their spirits, souls, bodies and circumstances as we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus in this Easter season.
John 11:23-27 KJV: Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. (24) Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. (25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (27) She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Here, we have the account of the Lord Jesus talking to Martha before He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead.
Observe that Martha, like most of us, believed that the Lord Jesus was the Christ and that her brother would rise again ON THE LAST DAY, BUT she DID NOT BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus could raise her brother from the dead on that day. She was very nervous when the Lord told them to roll away the stone: she said ‘Lord by this time his body would be stinking’: she did not believe the Lord could raise a man who had been dead and buried for 4 days.
However, just before Lazarus was raised from the dead the Lord Jesus alluded to her initial unbelief in:
John 11:40 KJV: Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, IF thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Implying that she did not believe initially.
She, like most of us, did not believe that the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus could be made manifest BEFORE the last day!
The Lord Jesus in effect said ‘I AM presently the resurrection and the life’ not going to be!
It is amazing to see that the Lord Jesus called Himself the resurrection BEFORE HE WAS RESURRECTED: in faith calling the things, which are not as though they are (Romans 4.17)!
This is the same thing He said to Moses at the burning bush ‘I AM THAT I AM’ (Exodus 3.14).
The resurrection power that can raise the dead is available in Christ NOW and not just on the resurrection day in the future.
Now, this does not mean we can be resurrected and glorified now, no; but it does mean a pre-glorification resurrection experience is available NOW in this life time BEFORE the EVENT of the resurrection and glorification of our physical bodies.
Paul confirms this in
Philippians 3:10-11 AMP: [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] (11) That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
And also in
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 KJV: Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. (11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
The practical way we are to experience this is exemplified by the experience of Abraham and Sarah who experienced resurrection life in their bodies in order to give birth to Isaac.
Hence the scripture says we should look to Abraham and Sarah the rock from which we were hewn:
Isaiah 51:1-2 KJV: Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. (2) Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
Galatians 3:29 KJV: And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Now HOW did Abraham experience this resurrection in his body?
By faith in God’s promise!
Romans 4:18-21 NIV: Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (19) Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. (20) Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, (21) being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Notice that God gave life to Abraham’s body and Sarah’s womb which were as good as dead: so in this sense they experienced a resurrection while still alive in their mortal bodies!
We are to do the same TODAY!
We face the fact (we do not live in denial) that our bodies are getting older and weaker BUT we do not waver in unbelief regarding God’s promise:
That the life of God can and will be made manifest in our mortal bodies!
So, like our Father Abraham, we are to be strong in faith giving glory to God being fully persuaded that God can and will do what He has promised and in due season God will do this for us like He did for Abraham and Sarah. Selah!
In our article next week, we will see HOW to be strong in faith, giving glory to God and so experience resurrection life in our mortal bodies.
