John 11:25-26

John 11:25-26 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I was at this visitation last night and kept pondering that the last part of this verse is, in some ways, the only question that really matters.  Life is short -- too short, too precious, and moving quickly.  We fill our years with memories, through hobbies and family and jobs and play.  We find meaning, and we find beauty, and often we lose sight of both for a while, but we find our way back to the mountaintop after spending time in the valleys.
  At the end of it all, though, the question that sits before us is:  Do we believe that Jesus is who he says he is?
  We all answer this question in one way or another.  Some answer in a definitive no, while others opt for no simply by choosing other things along the way.  I have chosen yes, for a number of reasons, but primarily because I believe that the preponderance of evidence points to the basic facts of the Gospel being historically true.  I believe that Jesus Christ was a real person who lived, was put to death by the Romans, and then was raised from the dead, just as he predicted.  For thousands of years, the world has sought to disprove this story, but it still stands true today, and if Jesus Christ was able to predict his own resurrection, then that has implications on my life.  If He was right about that, then he is right about everything else, and I should align myself with his values and principals if I am to take that seriously.
  If I believe that the Gospel story is true, and that I am offered resurrection from the grave because of the sacrifice that he offered, then I should spend some serious time reflecting on what my remaining years on this earth should look like, right?  Shouldn't you do the same?  If we believe that it is true, it shouldn't be possible to be indifferent to the commands and teachings of Jesus, right?  If we believe that he has power over life and death, we should take his words seriously, and we should study them daily, right?  His words, if we believe they are true, should be the single most important thing in our lives, as they are the only words with power over life and death, and ultimately, that's what matters, right?