Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
12/21 Reading Portions: 2 Chronicles 25; Revelation 12; Zechariah 8; John 11
John 11:27
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ,
the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
MARTHA
After Lazarus had been dead four days, Martha ran to meet the Lord Jesus at the outskirts of Bethany. “Had you been here, Lord, my brother would not have died,” she told Him (John 11:21). Jesus assured her that Lazarus would rise again (John 11:23), and Martha understood His words to mean that He was talking about the final resurrection at the consummation of all things (John 11:24). The Lord Jesus then told her:
“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?” John 11:25-26
As many years as I’ve studied the words of our Lord from this passage, and the topic of the resurrection in particular; and although I feel I understand it, I still feel inadequate to fully explain it, preach it, or teach it. There are aspects and dimensions of our Lord’s words concerning His being the Resurrection and the Life, in devotion, in doctrine, and in practical application, whereas we will never fully fathom its depths or scale its heights. This truth is as infinite as the Lord Himself. I love Martha’s response to the Lord’s words, however!
“Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God,
which should come into the world.” KJV
She didn’t realize the Lord was planning on raising her brother. When Jesus commanded the stone to be taken away, our dear, practical Martha complained,
“Lord, by this time there will be an odor!” John 11:39
And though she believed in the final resurrection (John 11:24), the vast scope of the Lord’s words were certainly far beyond her reach. Nevertheless, simple faith prevails. She believed who Jesus was, the Christ of God. Often, we will read passages that give us difficulty, troubling our understanding. Yet the simple confession of faith, that Jesus is the Son of God, will ease our minds, comfort are hearts, and soothe our souls. Martha’s answer was in many ways much like Ezekiel’s, when the Lord asked,
“Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel 37:3a
Ezekiel’s answer:
“O Lord GOD, You know.” Ezekiel 37:3b
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
