Gospel of John, 11:17-27
In John 11, Martha gets equal, if not greater, treatment than Mary. In verse 5 John records, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” It is to Martha that Jesus addresses the wonderful words of life.
It’s Martha who goes out to meet the Lord, while Mary stays sitting back at the house. Martha has learned her lesson well from Luke 10 and now knew that she should go and greet the Lord and spend time with Him.
We might expect Martha to stay back at home, tending to the many homely details that no doubt needed to be tended to concerning Lazarus’ death and the many visitors and mourners. But this time, having learned from the Master, she races to greet her Lord. Her ability to learn and change from her natural inclination is all too rare and an inspiration to us all.
Martha comes, it appears, to question Jesus, for she says, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (verse 21). It might appear as if she is saying this with an accusatorial tone, as if to say, “It’s your fault that Lazarus died.” But her next statement reveals a startling faith on the order of Abraham’s faith by which he reckoned that God could raise Isaac from the dead and that was how he could sacrifice his only son.
After expressing her knowledge that if Jesus were here Lazarus would not have died, she adds, “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You” (verse 22). Even in the midst of grieving, even at the point of Lazarus’ death, Martha demonstrates a remarkable faith in her Lord. Martha believes, but it’s too much to believe that God will raise Lazarus from the dead in this life, and so she expresses her firm hope in the resurrection on the last day.
Martha has learned that she should go and greet the Lord whenever He comes, for that is always the one thing necessary. She has learned faith in the resurrection and trust in Jesus as her Lord. Having been faithful in small things, Jesus shows her even greater things.
Jesus teaches Martha not only that He can resurrect people from the dead but also that He is the Resurrection. He is not only the Giver of Life but is also Life itself. He is the source of life and the reason for life. He is the source of resurrection and the purpose and meaning of resurrection. After all, why be raised from the dead only to die again in this life? And why be resurrected from death in this life into a life that is not more than this life? Why the resurrection? Because Jesus is the Resurrection. Do you believe this?
Martha’s answer should be as wowing to us as Peter’s proffesion of faith “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Martha gets it. She knows who Jesus is. She believes not only that He is the Son of God and the Messiah but also that He is the Resurrection and the Life.
As Jesus has authority to both lay down and take up his own life, so he has authority over all life. This passage teach us that all life is sustained in and through Jesus. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Col 1:15-17)
we learn that those who believe in Jesus will be raised again. Many Jews, including Martha, believed that there would be a resurrection from the dead. However, the resurrection of Lazarus reveals something unexpected; that Jesus has resurrection power right now.
we learn that spiritually, followers of Jesus will never die. The final generation of Christians alive when Jesus returns will not die physically, but everyone else will. Though most people will die physically, no one must die spiritually.
Therefore dear brothers, let us establish a firm relationship with jesus so that we may believe that he is the one to who defeats death. Because Jesus has power over life and death, he has the power of resurrection everywhere, all the time.New life can begin right now, because of Jesus. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[b] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17). When you choose to follow Jesus, eternity starts today.
So dear brothers, 1)Let us ask ourselves that do we firmly believe in the resurrection?
2) Do you believe that Jesus can resurrect your soul after death ?
🙏
Bro. kolakunnel varghese (jins)
Good Shepherd Major Seminary
Kunnoth
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