John 14:19

Main Thoughts: This verse is included in the instructions and teaching of Christ very shortly before His betrayal and crucifixion. He has just told the disciples that He is about to go away, speaking of the events soon to follow, particularly concerning His death. As we know, this was a very disturbing and fearful time for them personally. They all forsook Christ at His trial, then went into hiding for fear of death themselves. They were weak in their faith, not remembering His words concerning His resurrection from the dead (John 20:9). However, Christ’s words here are a promise to them: “You will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” In the immediate context, He was promising them they would see Him following His resurrection from the dead. This He did on the day of His resurrection, in the evening, in the room where the disciples were hiding (John 20:19), then again eight days later when he appeared to them again along with Thomas (John 20:26) and then on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1). But the great promise He makes here to the disciples, and to all who believe in Him by faith, is that because He lives, all of us will live also. When we are saved, it is the very resurrection power of Christ that saves us from our sins, that raises us from spiritual death to spiritual life (Eph. 1:19-20), and the fact of Christ’s victory over the grave and death is our promise and guarantee of our future victory over the grave and our resurrection into our new and glorified bodies. As a reminder of that promise, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” Because of Christ’s resurrection, this corruptible body will raised as an incorruptible body, this body that dies in weakness will be raised in power, and this natural physical body will be raised as a spiritual body that will live forever with Christ (1 Cor. 15:42-44). What a great and wonderful promise Christ has given us here, that takes away our fear of the power of sin and death and gives us a sure and certain hope of everlasting life. May all of us who know Christ rejoice in this promise today and may this promise give us encouragement in a discouraging world.