The Meaning of John 11:25 Explained

John 11:25

KJV: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

YLT: Jesus said to her, 'I am the rising again, and the life; he who is believing in me, even if he may die, shall live;

Darby: Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes on me, though he have died, shall live;

ASV: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Jesus  said  unto her,  I  am  the resurrection,  and  the life:  he that believeth  in  me,  though  he were dead,  yet shall he live: 

What does John 11:25 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus proceeded to make another of His "I am" claims. He meant that He would personally effect resurrection and provide eternal life (cf. John 5:21; John 5:25-29). He wanted Martha to think about the Person who would do the resurrecting rather than the event. Jesus raises people to life just as He satisfies people as bread and Isaiah , therefore, the essential element in resurrection. Without Him there is no resurrection or life. This was really a double claim. Jesus meant that He was the resurrection and He was the life. This is clear because He dealt with the two concepts of resurrection and life separately in the discussion that followed.
Whoever believes in Jesus will live spiritually and eternally even though he or she dies physically (cf. John 5:21). Jesus imparts eternal life to those who believe in Him. He is the life in the sense that He is its source and benefactor. Whereas He will effect resurrection for those who believe and die physically, He bestows eternal life and it begins for the believer before he or she dies physically.
"When you are sick, you want a doctor and not a medical book or a formula. When you are being sued, you want a lawyer and not a law book. Likewise, when you face your last enemy, death, you want the Savior and not a doctrine written in a book. In Jesus Christ, every doctrine is made personal ( 1 Corinthians 1:30)." [1]

Context Summary

John 11:17-27 - Jesus The Resurrection And The Life
His step may linger, but Jesus comes at length. While He seems to tarry, He knows each sigh, pang, and tear that escapes from the sufferer and His friends; and when He arrives He does more than we asked or thought. He raises not the sick, but the dead. He makes the darkness of the tomb the background to set forth the resurrection glory. He turns tears into jewels, as the sun does with dewdrops. In after days the three would not have wished it otherwise. They would review it all, as we shall our life from the hilltops of heavenly glory, with the cry of "Amen, Hallelujah." Amen, the reverent assent of the will. Hallelujah, the glad ascription of praise, John 11:25. If we die before His second advent, we shall still live; if we live to see it, we shall be changed in a moment into His likeness.
Note that majestic consciousness of I AM, John 11:25. None ever spoke like this. It is the crown of the eight I AMs of this Gospel. He is unchangeably the same. All who have lived are living still in Him. When you stand by the grave where your cherished hopes lie buried, still dare to affirm that He is the Christ, the expression of the love of God. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 11

1  Jesus raises Lazarus, four days buried
45  Many Jews believe
47  The high priests and Pharisees gather a council against Jesus
49  Caiaphas prophesies
54  Jesus hides himself
55  At the Passover they enquire after him, and lay wait for him

Greek Commentary for John 11:25

I am the resurrection and the life [Εγω ειμι η αναστασις και η ζωη]
This reply is startling enough. They are not mere doctrines about future events, but present realities in Jesus himself. “The Resurrection is one manifestation of the Life: it is involved in the Life” (Westcott). Note the article with both αναστασις — anastasis and ζωη — zōē Jesus had taught the future resurrection often (John 6:39), but here he means more, even that Lazarus is now alive. Though he die “Even if he die,” condition (concession) of third class with και εαν — kai ean Yet shall he live Future middle of ζαω — zaō (spiritual life, of course). [source]
I am the resurrection and the life []
The words I am are very significant. Martha had stated the resurrection rather as a doctrine, a current tenet: Jesus states it as a fact, identified with His own person. He does not say, I raise the dead; I perform the resurrection, but I am the resurrection, In His own person, representing humanity, He exhibits man as immortal, but immortal only through union with Him. [source]
The life []
The life is the larger and inclusive idea. Resurrection is involved in life as an incident developed by the temporary and apparent triumph of death. All true life is in Christ. In Him is lodged everything that is essential to life, in its origin, its maintenance, and its consummation, and all this is conveyed to the believer in his union with Him. This life is not affected by death. “Every believer is in reality and forever sheltered from death. To die with full light, in the clear certainty of the life which is in Jesus, to die only to continue to live to Him, is no longer that fact which human language designates by the name of death. It is as though Jesus had said: In me death is certain to live, and the living is certain never to die” (Godet). On ζωή , life, see on John 1:4. [source]
He were dead [ἀποθάνῃ]
The aorist denotes an event, not a condition. Hence, much better, Rev., though he die. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 11:25

Luke 9:60 Leave the dead to bury their own dead [απες τους νεκρους ταπσαι τους εαυτων νεκρους]
This paradox occurs so in Matthew 8:22. The explanation is that the spiritually dead can bury the literally dead. For such a quick change in the use of the same words, see John 5:21-29 (on spiritual resurrection from sin in John 5:21-27, on bodily resurrection from the grave, John 5:28-29) and John 11:25. The harshness of this proverb to the scribe probably is due to the fact that he was manifestly using his aged father as an excuse for not giving Christ active service. [source]
John 6:35 I am the bread of life []
A form of expression peculiar to John. See John 6:41, John 6:48, John 6:51; John 8:12; John 10:7, John 10:9, John 10:11, John 10:14; John 11:25; John 14:6; John 15:1, John 15:5. [source]
John 14:6 The life []
Not only life in the future world. He is “the principle and source of life in its temporal development and future consummation, so that whoever has not received Him into himself by faith, has become a prey to spiritual and eternal death” (Meyer). “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” Compare Colossians 3:4; John 6:50, John 6:51; John 11:25, John 11:26. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. Without the way there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing; without the life there is no living. I am the way which thou shouldst pursue; the truth which thou shouldst believe; the life which thou shouldst hope for” (Thomas a Kempis, “Imitation of Christ,” iii., 56). On ζωή , life, see on John 1:4. [source]
John 1:4 In Him was life [ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν]
He was the fountain of life - physical, moral, and eternal - its principle and source. Two words for life are employed in the New Testament: βίος and ζωὴ . The primary distinction is that ζωὴ means existence as contrasted with death, and βίος , the period, means, or manner of existence. Hence βίος is originally the higher word, being used of men, while ζωὴ is used of animals ( ζῶα ). We speak therefore of the discussion of the life and habits of animals as zoo logy; and of accounts of men's lives as bio graphy. Animals have the vital principle in common with men, but men lead lives controlled by intellect and will, and directed to moral and intellectual ends. In the New Testament, βίος means either living, i.e., means of subsistence (Mark 12:44; Luke 8:43), or course of life, life regarded as an economy (Luke 8:14; 1 Timothy 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:4). Ζωὴ occurs in the lower sense of life, considered principally or wholly as existence (1 Peter 3:10; Acts 8:33; Acts 17:25; Hebrews 7:3). There seems to be a significance in the use of the word in Luke 16:25: “Thou in thy lifetime ( ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου ) receivedst thy good things;” the intimation being that the rich man's life had been little better than mere existence, and not life at all in the true sense. But throughout the New Testament ζωὴ is the nobler word, seeming to have changed places with βίος . It expresses the sum of mortal and eternal blessedness (Matthew 25:46; Luke 18:30; John 11:25; Acts 2:28; Romans 5:17; Romans 6:4), and that not only in respect of men, but also of God and Christ. So here. Compare John 5:26; John 14:6; 1 John 1:2. This change is due to the gospel revelation of the essential connection of sin with death, and consequently, of life with holiness. “Whatever truly lives, does so because sin has never found place in it, or, having found place for a time, has since been overcome and expelled” (Trench). Ζωὴ is a favorite word with John. See John 11:25; John 14:6; John 8:12; 1 John 1:2; 1 John 5:20; John 6:35, John 6:48; John 6:63; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:1, Revelation 22:17; Revelation 7:17; John 4:14; Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:2, Revelation 22:14, Revelation 22:19; John 12:50; John 17:3; John 20:31; John 5:26; John 6:53, John 6:54; John 5:40; John 3:15, John 3:16, John 3:36; John 10:10; John 5:24; John 12:25; John 6:27; John 4:36; 1 John 5:12, 1 John 5:16; John 6:51.Was the Light of men ( ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων )Passing from the thought of creation in general to that of mankind, who, in the whole range of created things, had a special capacity for receiving the divine. The Light - the peculiar mode of the divine operation upon men, conformably to their rational and moral nature which alone was fitted to receive the light of divine truth. It is not said that the Word was light, but that the life was the light. The Word becomes light through the medium of life, of spiritual life, just as sight is a function of physical life. Compare John 14:6, where Christ becomes the life through being the truth; and Matthew 5:8, where the pure heart is the medium through which God is beheld. In whatever mode of manifestation the Word is in the world, He is the light of the world; in His works, in the dawn of creation; in the happy conditions of Eden; in the Patriarchs, in the Law and the Prophets, in His incarnation, and in the subsequent history of the Church. Compare John 9:5. Of men, as a class, and not of individuals only. [source]
John 14:6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life [Εγω ειμι η οδος και η αλητεια και η ζωη]
Either of these statements is profound enough to stagger any one, but here all three together overwhelm Thomas. Jesus had called himself “the life” to Martha (John 11:25) and “the door” to the Pharisees (John 10:7) and “the light of the world” (John 8:12). He spoke “the way of God in truth” (Mark 12:14). He is the way to God and the only way (John 14:6), the personification of truth, the centre of life. Except by me There is no use for the Christian to wince at these words of Jesus. If he is really the Incarnate Son of God (John 1:1, John 1:14, John 1:18), they are necessarily true. [source]
John 1:4 In him was life [εν αυτωι ζωη ην]
That which has come into being (John 1:3) in the Logos was life. The power that creates and sustains life in the universe is the Logos. This is what Paul means by the perfect passive verb εκτισται — ektistai (stands created) in Colossians 1:16. This is also the claim of Jesus to Martha (John 11:25). This is the idea in Hebrews 1:3 “bearing (upholding) the all things by the word of his power.” Once this language might have been termed unscientific, but not so now after the spiritual interpretation of the physical world by Eddington and Jeans. Usually in John ζωη — zōē means spiritual life, but here the term is unlimited and includes all life; only it is not βιος — bios (manner of life), but the very principle or essence of life. That is spiritual behind the physical and to this great scientists today agree. It is also personal intelligence and power. Some of the western documents have εστιν — estin here instead of ην — ēn to bring out clearly the timelessness of this phrase of the work of the Λογος — Logos And the life was the light of men Here the article with both ζωη — zōē and πως — phōs makes them interchangeable. “The light was the life of men” is also true. That statement is curiously like the view of some physicists who find in electricity (both light and power) the nearest equivalent to life in its ultimate physical form. Later Jesus will call himself the light of the world (John 8:12). John is fond of these words life and light in Gospel, Epistles, Revelation. He here combines them to picture his conception of the Pre-incarnate Logos in his relation to the race. He was and is the Life of men (των αντρωπον — tōn anthrōpon generic use of the article) and the Light of men. John asserts this relation of the Logos to the race of men in particular before the Incarnation. [source]
John 11:40 Said I not unto thee? [Ουκ ειπον σοι]
Jesus pointedly reminds Martha of his promise to raise Lazarus (John 11:25.). That if thou believedst Indirect discourse with εαν — ean and the first aorist active subjunctive (condition of third class) retained after the secondary tense ειπον — eipon He had not said this very phrase, εαν πιστευσηις — ean pisteusēis to Martha, but he did say to her: Πιστευεις τουτο — Pisteueis touto (Believest thou this?). He meant to test Martha as to her faith already hinted at (John 11:22) on this very point. Jesus had also spoken of increase of faith on the part of the disciples (John 11:15). Thou shouldest see the glory of God Future middle indicative of the old defective verb οραω — horaō retained in the conclusion of this condition in indirect discourse. Jesus means the glory of God as shown in the resurrection of Lazarus as he had already said to the disciples (John 11:4) and as he meant Martha to understand (John 11:25) and may in fact have said to her (the report of the conversation is clearly abridged). Hence Bernard‘s difficulty in seeing how Martha could understand the words of Jesus about the resurrection of Lazarus here and now seems fanciful and far-fetched. [source]
John 6:35 I am the bread of life [Εγω ειμι ο αρτος της ζωης]
This sublime sentence was startling in the extreme to the crowd. Philo does compare the manna to the τειος λογος — theios logos in an allegorical sense, but this language is far removed from Philo‘s vagueness. In the Synoptics (Mark 14:22; Matthew 26:26; Luke 22:19) Jesus uses bread He is the bread of life in two senses: it has life in itself, the living bread (John 6:51), and it gives life to others like the water of life, the tree of life. John often has Jesus saying “I am” As also in John 6:41, John 6:48, John 6:51; John 8:12; John 10:7, John 10:9, John 10:11, John 10:14; John 11:25; John 14:6; John 15:1, John 15:5. He that cometh to me The first act of the soul in approaching Jesus. See also John 6:37. Shall not hunger Strong double negative ου με — ou me with first aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive, “shall not become hungry.” He that believeth on me The continuous relation of trust after coming like πιστευητε — pisteuēte (present tense) in John 6:29. See both verbs used together also in John 7:37. Shall never thirst So the old MSS. the future active indicative instead of the aorist subjunctive as above, an even stronger form of negation with πωποτε — pōpote (John 1:18) added. [source]
John 6:57 The living Father [ο ζων πατηρ]
Nowhere else in the N.T., but see John 5:26 and “the living God” (Matthew 16:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16). The Father is the source of life and so “I live because of the Father” He that eateth me Still bolder putting of the mystical appropriation of Christ (John 6:51, John 6:53, John 6:54, John 6:56). Because of me The same idea appears in John 14:19: “Because I live ye shall live also.” See John 11:25. Jesus Christ is our ground of hope and guarantee of immortality. Life is in Christ. There is no real difficulty in this use of δια — dia with the accusative as with δια τον πατερα — dia ton patera just before. It occurs also in John 15:3. As the Father is the fount of life to Christ, so Christ is the fount of life to us. See 1 John 4:9 where δια — dia is used with the genitive (δι αυτου — di' autou) as the intermediate agent, not the ground or reason as here. [source]
1 Corinthians 15:45 Quickening spirit [πνεῦμα ζωοποιοῦν]
Rev., life-giving. Not merely living, but imparting life. Compare John 1:4; John 3:36; John 5:26, John 5:40; John 6:33, John 6:35; John 10:10; John 11:25; John 14:6. The period at which Christ became a quickening Spirit is the resurrection, after which His body began to take on the characteristics of a spiritual body. See Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 1:21. [source]
1 John 1:1 That which [ο]
Strictly speaking, the neuter relative here is not personal, but the message “concerning the Word of life” For discussion of the Λογος — Logos see notes on John 1:1-18. Here the Λογος — Logos is described by της ζωης — tēs zōēs (of life), while in John 1:4 he is called η ζωη — hē zōē (the Life) as here in 1 John 1:2 and as Jesus calls himself (John 11:25; John 14:6), an advance on the phrase here, and in Revelation 19:14 he is termed ο λογος του τεου — ho logos tou theou (the Word of God), though in John 1:1 the Λογος — Logos is flatly named ο τεος — ho theos (God). John does use ο — ho in a collective personal sense in John 6:37, John 6:39. See also παν ο — pan ho in 1 John 5:4. [source]

What do the individual words in John 11:25 mean?

Said to her - Jesus I am the resurrection and life the [one] believing in Me even if he should die he will live
Εἶπεν αὐτῇ Ἰησοῦς Ἐγώ εἰμι ἀνάστασις καὶ ζωή πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ κἂν ἀποθάνῃ ζήσεται

Εἶπεν  Said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῇ  to  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
ἀνάστασις  resurrection 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀνάστασις  
Sense: a raising up, rising (e.
ζωή  life 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ζωή  
Sense: life.
  the  [one] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πιστεύων  believing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
ἐμὲ  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
κἂν  even  if 
Parse: Adverb
Root: κἄν  
Sense: and if.
ἀποθάνῃ  he  should  die 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποθνῄσκω  
Sense: to die.
ζήσεται  he  will  live 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ζάω  
Sense: to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead).