Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus

 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?"  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks int he day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."  These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."  Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."  Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "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?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

- John 11:1-27

Yesterday we read that there was a division again among the religious leaders because of Jesus' teachings at the Feast of Tabernacles.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"  Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered the, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' Because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.  And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."   Chapter 11 concerns the resurrection of Lazarus, which is the seventh of seven signs in John's Gospel.  It is the sign that sealed the Jewish authorities' decision to put Jesus to death (verses 47-50).   Bethany is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, approximately two miles from Jerusalem.  Lazarus, my study bible reminds us, is the same name as "Eleazar" which literally means "God helps."  Jesus sends the message that Lazarus' sickness is not unto death back to Mary and Martha.  My study bible says that this will strengthen them so that when he dies, they may take confidence in Jesus' words.  Like the blindness from birth for the purpose of the glorification of God (9:3; see this reading), Lazarus' natural death from illness, and his being raised from the dead, will glorify Christ.

 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?"  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks int he day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."  Jesus repeats the emphasis from His teachings at the time of the healing of the man blind from birth (this reading):  "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  He is the light of the world; those who follow Him do not walk in darkness (8:12).  Jesus stays two more days so that Lazarus will be dead long enough that his bodily corruption will set in; therefore there will be no doubt regarding his resurrection from the dead.  The power of God will be clearly seen by all who witness.  John also tells us about Christ's love for His friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."  Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."  Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."  Sleep is frequently  used in the New Testament as a metaphor for death (see Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:6).  As the resurrection of Lazarus will imply, our physical death is akin to sleep as we await resurrection and judgment.  My study bible says that Thomas's statement here is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It comments that this also illustrates the path that all believers must take -- that we die daily to the world for the sake of following Christ (Luke 9:23-24). 

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  My study bible comments that there existed a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but after four days resuscitation would be impossible. 

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.   In Jewish custom, mourning began on the day of a person's death.  Weeping and wailing, my study bible explains, lasted three days; lamentation lasted one week; and general mourning lasted 30 days.  Clearly Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are from a prominent family in Bethany, as many of the Jews (meaning those among the prominent members of the Jewish leadership at Jerusalem) joined the women around Martha and Mary in mourning for their brother.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Like Luke's story about Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), which reveals their differing characters, so John also gives us an understanding of who they are.  Martha, who is inclined to active service, rushes out to meet Jesus, fulfilling the duties of hospitality.  Mary remains in what was considered to be the proper position for mourning (sitting in the house), until she is called by Christ (verses 28-29).  My study bible comments that sitting was the traditional posture when mourning and receiving other mourners (Job 2:8, 13; Ezekiel 8:14). 

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  My study bible says that while Martha possesses great faith, her statements here indicate a lack of understanding regarding Christ.  When she says that "if You had been here, my brother would not have died," she reveals that she doesn't truly see that Christ is divine -- otherwise she would understand that He does not need to be present to effect healings (see 4:46-54).  Also, she tells Jesus, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You."   This shows that she does not perceive that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as He wills.

Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "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?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."   Jesus corrects Martha's misunderstanding.  He declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, and also here in this world.  Christ's words are so powerful that Martha is led to her confession of faith.  My study bible says that Do you believe this? is a question that is directed not only to Martha, but to each one of us.

What is faith, and where does it come from?  Although we may not have the ties with Jesus that Martha and Mary and Lazarus do, there is something of those ties in which we also share.  The Gospel tells us that Jesus has close worldly ties to this family.  They are His friends.  But moreover, we are told explicitly that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  At the beginning of chapter 12, we will be given a great expression of that mutual love by Mary (12:1-8).  What we should understand is that, similarly to this family and Christ, we, too, experience a love from Christ that is not separable from our faith in Him.  Jesus will die a human death on the Cross not just for His friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, but also for each one of us.  John's Gospel assures us that Christ became the human Jesus not simply to fulfill a splendid mission, to claim followers, and to establish the Church.  The reason we are given for the life of Jesus Christ in the world is because God so loved the world (3:16).  Going even further into the understanding of this love is our journey with Lazarus and with his resurrection, because 3:16 declares that God's love seeks to give us everlasting life -- a life of resurrection through which we will abide with Him.  Christ's love -- as divine Son -- is inseparable from the Father's love, from His mission into the world, and His desire that we will live with Him.  At the Last Supper, He will tell the disciples, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love."  This is His message for each one of us.  We see His love displayed for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  He is not only the one who will glorify God through the resurrection of Lazarus, but He's also the patient teacher and older brother to Martha and Mary as well.  He is God, and Martha at the end of today's reading recognizes His divinity, and yet, as living God, He remains the patient, close, loving friend.  His interaction with these sisters is tender and even intimate; He knows them better than they know themselves.  And this is what we take with us in our faith, the God who loves us intimately, is infinitely patient with us and tender, the older Brother for each -- the One who laid His life down for each of us who are His friends.  We cannot separate our faith from love.  It is what we must take with us each and every day, if we do as He teaches and abide in Him and in His love.  This is the true testimony of His life and of this Gospel.