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Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
John 11:25 · World English Bible · underlined terms are tappable
Parallel translations
  • 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:
  • BSB Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
  • NKJV Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
  • NASB Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies,
  • NLT Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus declares, 'I am the resurrection and the life,' locating eternal life in his own person. Death cannot finally hold those who trust him.

Overview

This great 'I am' saying moves resurrection from a distant doctrine to a present Person. Jesus claims that life over death resides in himself, so that the believer who dies will yet live. The statement points forward to his own resurrection, the firstfruits guaranteeing the believer's hope, and grounds the gospel promise that union with Christ conquers the grave.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 39

  • 1 Th 4:14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
  • John 3:36One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
  • 1 Jn 5:11–12The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
  • John 1:4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
  • Rom 8:10–11If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
  • John 5:21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.
  • John 6:39–40This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day.
  • Isa 26:19Your dead shall live. My dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits.
  • John 6:44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.
  • Rom 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
  • Phil 3:20–21For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
  • Job 19:25–27But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.
  • Rom 8:38–39For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
  • John 6:35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
  • Phil 3:10that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;
  • Rev 21:4He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”
  • Col 3:3–4For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
  • 2 Cor 5:1–8For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
  • Rev 20:5The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
  • John 14:6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
  • Acts 3:15and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.
  • John 5:26For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.
  • John 14:19Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.
  • Heb 11:13–16These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
  • Isa 38:16Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them: you restore me, and cause me to live.
  • Ps 36:9For with you is the spring of life. In your light shall we see light.
  • Phil 1:23But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
  • Rom 5:17–19For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.
  • 1 Cor 15:20–26But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep.
  • Rev 22:17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” He who hears, let him say, “Come!” He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.
  • 1 Jn 1:1–2That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life
  • 1 Cor 15:29Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?
  • 1 Cor 15:43–57It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
  • Luke 23:43Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
  • 2 Cor 4:14knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.
  • Rev 20:10–15The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
  • 1 Cor 15:18Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
  • Rom 4:17As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.
  • Rev 22:1He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (8)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 11:25YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 11:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.