"I am the resurrection"

Jesus said unto her, “I am the resurrection, and the life: 
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 
And whoever liveth and believeth in me 
shall never die.” (John 11:25–26) 

Being the words of Jesus, it is easy to see that the “I” and the “me” refer to Jesus. Who was Jesus? This question can be answered in many ways. So let’s narrow it down to: Who was Jesus referring to when he used the pronoun “I”?

       What do we mean when we use the terms “I” and “me”? It wouldn’t be far from the truth to imagine that our “I” refers to the flesh-and-blood being with a mind, intellect, ego and the rest, which each of us sees as “me.” If Jesus too used “I” in the same way, then he is not really different from us. According to Vedanta, using “I” to refer to the psychophysical part of our personality is not accurate, since Vedanta sees it only as a covering (kośa) under which the real “I” dwells. The real “I” is the Ātman, the non-material part of our being. Or the only spiritual part of our being. When ignorant people say “I”, they refer to the body, mind, ego. When an enlightened person says “I”, what is meant is the Ātman. That is what Jesus meant, according to Vedanta.
       In light of that understanding, Jesus’s teaching that the flesh must be crucified in order to ascend in spirit becomes meaningful to a Vedanta student. There must be the crucifixion of the ego ("the lower self") before the resurrection of the Ātman ("the higher self"). Doing everything possible to bring this about is what spiritual practice means--and this can be done through prayer, worship, meditation, study, selfless service (in short, through any of the "yogas").
       Historically, the manifestation of the divine in the form of Jesus rose from the dead about 2000 years ago. But that event becomes more meaningful and more personal when it is connected with our own lives. In order to do that, every one of us must internalize the event and resurrect the divine in our own hearts. In Philippines it is customary for people to crucify themselves for a few minutes on Good Friday. That may help some people, but the real crucifixion and the real resurrection must take place in the depths of our own being. If we crucify the material part of our personality, the divine within us will be resurrected--and shine in all glory, light and bliss through eternity.
       Is this way of understanding meaningful to you? Feel free to share your thoughts.