to the disconsolate sisters his own power and glory. Accordingly, when they intimated their persuasion, that, if he would pray to God for the restoration of their brother to life, God would grant his request, he told them that he needed not beseech God to effect it ; for that he himself was the resurrection and the life ; and was able to impart either bodily or spiritual life to whomsoever he would.
In considering this most remarkable declaration, we shall notice,
I. That part which relates to himself —
Martha having, in conformity with the prevailing- opinion of the Jews, expressed her expectation of a general resurrection at the last day, Jesus says to her,
" I am the resurrection " —
[Our Lord, in his divine nature, possessed omnipotence necessarily, and of himself. In his mediatorial capacity he was invested with it by his Father, agreeably to the plan con- certed in the divine counsels. To him who had undertaken to procure salvation for a fallen world, was delegated all power requisite for the full discharge of that office. The restoring of his people to a new and heavenly life after death, was essential to their complete salvation : this therefore was committed to hima ; and he both declared he would execute this great work b, and gave an earnest of its accomplishment in raising himself from the deadc.]
" I am the life "—
[In this term our Lord proceeds further than in the former, and asserts, that as he is the author and first-fruits of the resurrection, so is he the very principle of life whereby his people live. This might indeed be collected from many figu- rative expressions of Scripture, which represent him as the fountain of life to all his people d: but we are not left to gather such an important truth from mere parables ; it is asserted frequently in the plainest terms : he is a quickening spirite, that liveth in usf, and is our very life g. He is to the soul, what the soul is to the body ; he pervades, animates, and invigorates all our spiritual faculties : by his secret energy our
a John v. 21, 25 — 29. b John vi. 39, 40.
c John x. 18. 1 Cor. xv. 20. a John xv. 1. Eph. iv. 15, 16.
e 1 Cor. xv. 45. ' John xiv. C. and vi. 57. and Gal. ii. 20.
e Col. hi. 4.