Matthew Poole and continuators on John 11:25

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life : he that beleiveth in me, tho he were dead, yet shall he live .

Martha by her speech seemed not to have a true Notion of Christ; She believed that there should be a general Resurrection from the dead in the last day, by the mighty Power of God, but she did not truly understand, what influence Christ had [illegible: 1 word] this Resurrection, that the raising of the Dead, should be the peculiar Work of Christ, not without the Father, but as he was Ordained by the Father, to be the Judge of the Q[illegible: 1 letter]ick and of the Dead. Christ doth therefore here further instruct her, and tell her, He was the Resurrection; where (as is usual in Scripture) the Effect is put for the Cause: I am the Resurrection, is no more, than I am, and shall be, the Principal Cause of the Resurrection: The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God, Chap. 5.28. He also adds, and the Life; That is, the cause of Life: both that Life which the Dead shall in the Resurrection recover, and also that Eternal Life which shall follow.

And whosoever looketh upon me in that Notion, and committeth himself unto me, tho he doth dye, yet he shall Rise again, and Live Eternally; and this Power being in me, I am not tyed to the last day, but have a Power when I please to Raise the Dead. Our Saviour indeed hath more in his Answer than respected the present case, but there was nothing more usual with him, than in his discourses to raise up the hearts of his People to higher things, as he doth in this place raise Martha beyond the thoughts of a Resurrection of her Brothers Body to a Natural Life, to the thoughts of a Spiritual and Eternal Life.

Marginal references: Chap. 6.3[illegible: 1 letter].; Chap. 3.36. 1 John 5.10.