John 11:4-27, The Resurrection and the Life

Jesus told His disciples the sickness was not “unto death, but for the glory of God.”  He knew what was going to happen (raising Lazarus from the dead).  He came to do the Father’s will.  But also, He asked the Father for this (11:41-42).

Jesus referred to death as “sleep” in His conversation with the Twelve.  Some take this to be a reference to the state of those who die, that their soul continues to exist in an unconscious “sleep mode” until the resurrection.  But that is not what Jesus is saying.  “Sleep” is a good word for death because death brings us to rest from the toils of this life.  In 11:13 Jesus uses it that way, that He is going to awaken Lazarus.  But “sleep” is also appropriate because Jesus’ point is that death is temporary.  Death is the end of the “day” of this life, but there is still a life to come.  When the disciples became confused, Jesus made it clear: Lazarus is dead!  He then told them that this event was for their benefit (11:15). 

We also see that the story was beneficial for the sisters of Lazarus, perhaps Martha in the most significant fashion.  We first meet Mary and Martha in the story in Luke 10:38-42.  Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening, while Martha was busy with dinner preparation.  Jesus spoke to Martha with a gentle reproof.  That background might help us in today’s passage.  Both sisters greeted Jesus with the same words, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (v21,32).  Jesus responded to Martha with some of the most comforting words in all of Scripture. 

I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?

John tells us that the miracles are encouragements to believe in Christ (20:30-31).  Jesus did not go around raising the dead in every cemetery.  Furthermore, Lazarus would later die and his body remain in the grave.  What happened here is not a demonstration of Jesus’ love for His friends; it is about who He is.  There is a little clue to Martha’s understanding of Jesus in 11:22: whatever you ask of God, God will give you.  The word “ask” is a particular term that refers to a subservient asking something from their superior.  An illustration of this is in Acts 12:20 where the people of Tyre and Sidon asking for blessings from Herod.  The word is never used of Christ.  It is quite likely Martha used this term because of a deficiency in her knowledge of Christ, that she did not see Him as one with the Father.

It appears that this deficiency is overcome when Jesus Martha’s response to Jesus is, in essence, “I so much believe that you are the resurrection and the life that I believe you are the Savior sent into the world, who is the Messiah and the Son of God.”  The theology is deep in Martha’s answer.  It is the answer of one who believes in Christ (John 3:16).