In the words, "though he die, he shall live," the Savior does not abolish death in the present age. He assigns to it only a temporary power over believers, for He has preserved the grace of resurrection until the proper time.
Thus He says that one "who believes in Me" will not be without a share in bodily death, because of human nature. Yet nothing fearful will happen to him from this.
For God can easily give life to anyone He wills. The one who has believed in Him has, in the age to come, endless life in blessedness and entire incorruption.
Therefore let none of the unbelieving mock. Christ did not say, "from now on he shall not see death." He spoke generally and absolutely: "he shall never see death."
He spoke of the age to come, and referred the fulfillment of the promise to it. When He said to Martha, "Do you believe this?" He required a confession of faith, as mother and cause of life.
She readily agrees and confesses accurately. She does not merely believe that He is Christ and Son of God.
For a prophet may be called Christ because of anointing, and he may also be conceived as a son.
But by saying distinctly, with the article, ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, she thereby confessed the one, only, and true Son.
Therefore faith is in the Son, not in a creature. If the Son, as some think, were a thing made and created, and yet were Resurrection and Life, the Father also would deserve no special wonder for being such.
For what would be greater in Him than in a creature? But if, as far as we can know, He is separated from creatures by the essence of His nature and because He is Life, how can the Son be a creature?
For He Himself is Life by nature, as is the One who begot Him. No creature whatever is life. Rather, it participates in the life that is from the living God.
For "in God we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28), as Paul says.
Perhaps many believers, not possessing firm and unshaken faith, are such that it may be said of them: they believe in Jesus, yet they receive death and have died at some time.
But having died, they will not remain in death. They will live again. If someone reached unshakenness and firmness, and possessed such a degree of faith, he could live and believe and never die.
Such was blessed Paul, who said, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom 8:35), and the rest.
"I am the resurrection and the life." Since Christ saw that she did not clearly understand what He was explaining to her, He says, "I am the life."
This means: "You do not need to ask anything else of Me. Nor must you hope that your brother's resurrection will come after a long time. I am present, calling him to this."
Life by nature is the Son, who calls all things into being and raises all things by His own power. He raises not simply, but unto life. For this reason life is joined to the name of resurrection.
But one must note that the Lord calls Himself "life" (ζωή), not "a living thing" (ζῷον), as some impiously dared to say of Him.
For there is a difference between a living thing and life. A living thing is one that receives life; life is that which grants living.
So it is with "wisdom" and "wise man." He receives, while she gives.
"He who believes in Me, though he die, shall live." Just as the ancient saints have not yet attained the resurrection and rewards, but waited for us, so believers also must await the general resurrection.
This is so that all may rise together with the ancient saints. As they waited because of us, not receiving the rewards due to them, so that all might taste them together, we also do not taste the resurrection alone.
Rather, rising together with the ancient saints, we shall obtain this good together.
If the Son, as some think, were a thing made and created, and yet were resurrection and life, then it would not be remarkable that the Father is also such.
For what advantage would He then have over creatures? But if, according to the logos of nature, He is so far removed from creatures, especially because He is life, how can the Son be a creature?
For the Son also is life by nature, as is the One who begot Him. No created thing whatever is life. Rather, created things are participants in life given from the living God.
For in God we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), as Paul says.
THEOSIS