John 11:25-26

    - Popular Bible Verse Series

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die,  yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”    - John 11:25-26

A couple of months ago, my wife and I traveled to China and visited her hometown, where we spent time with her mother. As we always do, we went to the cemetery where my father-in-law is buried, one of the largest in the area. The hillside is dotted with thousands of tombstones, each inscribed with the deceased’s name and a dash marking their life’s span.

In front of many tombstones, families leave desserts, fruits, and other offerings. A sign warns, “Do not burn paper money or other items,” as burning paper replicas of money, furniture, or goods is a common practice to send provisions to the deceased. To prevent fire hazards, the cemetery prohibits such burning.

Some claim modern China is an atheist society ruled by the Communist Party. While the Party governs, China is far from atheistic. Most Chinese believe in an afterlife, as evidenced by tombs and cemetery practices. God has placed eternity in every heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11). No one is truly an atheist; those who deny God suppress the truth within them. As Romans 1:19–20 states, God reveals His attributes through creation, leaving humanity without excuse.

Many assume Buddhism is China’s dominant religion. Though influential since its introduction centuries ago, Buddhism has never been the primary faith. Instead, Chinese civil religion—ancestor worship—prevails. Visible in cemeteries and homes, it involves offerings like food and paper money, reflecting hopes for blessings from ancestors. This practice assumes the deceased need provisions in the afterlife.

Among hundreds of tombstones, a few bear crosses and Bible verses. My father-in-law, who became a Christian several years before his death, has one such tombstone, inscribed with a cross and John 11:25: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.’”

Unlike Chinese civil religion, which offers wishful thinking, Christianity provides certainty of eternal destiny. Jesus assures His followers of eternal life with resurrected bodies, as stated in John 11:25. Christianity’s uniqueness also lies in its historical foundation. The Bible records verifiable events—from creation, humanity’s fall, and God’s redemption to Jesus’ life, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. One can visit the places where these events occurred.

Christians are commissioned to share the Gospel with family, friends, and others. Paul defines the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive… Last of all, he appeared also to me.”

The Gospel rests on historical facts: Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose on the third day, and appeared to over 500 witnesses, many still alive when Paul wrote. The resurrection is central to the Christian faith, grounded in evidence, not wishful thinking.

While Chinese civil religion offers good luck and other faiths point to paradise, their founders died and remained dead. Only Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and proved it by rising from the dead. By believing in and following Christ, Christians receive resurrected bodies and eternal life with Him in Heaven.

He is risen indeed! Happy Easter!