Do You Believe This? [Devotion]
In my personal Bible reading last week I read an account that I have either heard taught or read for myself probably dozens of times over the course of my life.
John chapter 11 contains the astonishing moment in history where the Son of God raises a man who had been dead for four days. To quote the good old King James, “…Lord, by this time he stinketh”. But, as amazingly miraculous and important as this miracle is, it is not the part of the chapter I want us to look at today.
Instead, we’re going to look at verses 20-27. But before we do, we need… the setup. If you have a minute I’d encourage you to read 1-19 but here’s my summary.
About six days before this we have a message reaching Jesus, from the sisters Mary and Martha, that their brother Lazarus was sick. While they don’t directly ask for Him to heal Lazarus I think we can all safely assume that was the intent behind the message. But, despite Lazarus being a close friend, Jesus doesn’t go. Instead, he says that the illness does not lead to death but is happening to show God’s glory and he waits another two days before making the trip to the town of Bethany.
When he arrives Lazarus is already dead. In fact, he’s been dead for four days and the funeral is taking place. And now we pick up in verse 20.
20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
While I’ve often read this account my focus always tends to be the miracle coming in 23 verses. I’ve always skimmed over these conversations thinking something along the lines of, “they really don’t get it, if they only knew what Jesus was about to do.”
But when you stop and take time to understand the passage I think we see that, though Martha doesn’t know what’s about to happen, her statements express great faith.
The first thing she’s recorded saying in this encounter is, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” I’ve always read this as somewhat reproachful as though, maybe, she’s saying this is His fault. And perhaps there was a corner of her soul that felt that in a very real way. After all, they had known Jesus personally, they had heard of and seen Him perform wonderful miracles for total strangers… yet He had let her brother die.
But if she was tempted with 'such thoughts she does not seem to have taken them to heart. The very next words out of her mouth are, “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Her two statements show a strong faith that I think is often missed because of the bigger story. Martha acknowledges Jesus’ ability to have saved her brother and in spite of her bitter sorrow, she expresses continued belief in who Jesus is. Even in the face of what amount to an unanswered prayer she still believes in the goodness and the authority of Jesus.
Some may be tempted to see this as Martha trying to get Jesus to raise Lazarus but in the next few verses, we see no indication that she thinks of this as a possibility at this point. When Jesus says, “your brother will rise again”, she doesn’t jump on this as the promise of a miracle. Rather she sees this as a promise of the ultimate resurrection on the last day.
But then Jesus tests her understanding, not wanting her just to know that her brother will rise but by whom he will be raised as well. So Jesus says something incredible.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
And her answer expresses the depth of faith that the Lord had grown in her. “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
She doesn’t know that Jesus is about to raise her brother. She’s probably confused that Jesus didn’t heal Lazarus. She is dealing with the bitterness of loss and yet the darkness does not poison her against God or cause her to turn away from Him or blame Him. Her faith is not in Christ’s ability to prevent earthly suffering but in who He is! She knows he’s the Christ whether or not she is in pain.
How do we do with answering that same question? When we face the darkness of this life how do we respond to Jesus’ claim to be the resurrection and the life? Do we truly answer yes that He is the Messiah? And if we do then why do we so often live as though the troubles of this life are permanent? Why do we live as though we have no hope?
I am not seeking to trivialize hardship but rather to put it into perspective. Why did Jesus allow Martha and Mary to go through this? Verse 4 gives us the answer when Jesus says, “It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” God was working in and through this circumstance in order that He would be glorified and that people would see and believe who Jesus was (vs 45).
Whatever we are facing we must all ask the question, “do we believe who Jesus is"?” and if the answer is yes then we must lean on his strength, understanding, and plan. We must know that we don’t have the whole picture but trusting that He does.
So… He is the resurrection and the life… do you believe this?