Martha

March 21 Martha John 11:17-27

“Believers are said never to die because their souls, in that they are born again of incorruptible seed, have Christ dwelling in them, by whom they are continually quickened. For although he body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. The fact that day by day the outward man decays in them, so far from detracting anything from their true life, in fact aids its progress, since the inward man is renewed day by day.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:9

We do not know how long it took the messenger from Bethany to find Jesus in Perea, beyond the Jordan. We do not know how long Lazarus lingered after the messenger had left. All we know is that Jesus delayed for two days before setting out, and that Lazarus had been dead for four days by the time Jesus arrived with His disciples. The number of days is significant.

Some Jewish commentators believed that the spirit of a dead person remained in close proximity to the body for three days after death, until the corruption of the flesh set in. For three days, resuscitation was deemed possible, though extremely unlikely. In the hot climate of Palestine, bodies were normally buried within hours of death. Usually, a family tomb would be used. The body would be anointed with spices and wrapped. Later, following decay, bones would be collected in an ossuary before being placed, sometimes years later, among the remains of one’s ancestors. Given that Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for four days, there was no possibility that he could revive. He was truly dead!

As Jesus and the disciples approached Bethany, the more impulsive sister, Martha, ran out to greet them. There was the hint of a rebuke in her greeting, but no more than a hint. Jesus had taken His time, but she still called Him “Lord”, and she still believed that God would do for Him whatever He asked. There were still many family friends and acquaintances in Bethany. Some had come out from Jerusalem in order to comfort Martha and Mary. Among them, surely, there must have been some who owed allegiance to the Pharisees. Did they prick up their ears, in order to be able to report what Jesus said?

If they did, then they heard he fifth of Jesus’ great “I AM” claims. He responded to Martha by identifying Himself as “the Resurrection and the Life.” Jesus was claiming to be the source of hope in the face of death. This, and His subsequent actions, must have been reported to the Pharisees within hours.

Jesus assured Martha that her brother would rise again. She responded with a very general statement about resurrection on the last day. With the Pharisees, Martha shared a belief that the dead would rise when the Messiah returned to usher in the Kingdom. But Jesus wanted Martha to move beyond doctrine to personal trust, so He spoke again. “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” He said. Then He called her to believe, not in abstract truth, but in Him.

Martha’s affirmation is one of the highlights of the Gospel of John. She held on to faith, though she had yet to see her brother raised to life. Faith speaks before proof is given, otherwise it would not be faith. Martha’s faith spoke eloquently – Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world. So, the stage was set for the last of the great signs that punctuate John’s Gospel. Before the eyes and ears of a watching world, Jesus showed His power over life and death.

For further reading: Psalm 114