John 11:21-44
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life
21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said.
"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
Jesus raises the dead in all four gospels...In Matthew, Mark, and Luke He raises Jairus' daughter from the dead...In Luke, Jesus also raises a widow's son at Nain...In John He raises Lazarus...
Jesus tells Martha that your brother will rise again...Martha answers, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day"...Jesus says "I am the resurrection and the life...He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever believes in me will never die"...
Throughout the gospels, Jesus shows us miracles of healing powers, of His power over nature, and His power of life over death...Martha and sister Mary were followers of Jesus...The also believed what He taught...They did not quite understand all He could do (for instance, Martha and Mary did not know that Jesus would or could raise their brother Lazarus, after He died)...They did know if He was there, Lazarus would not have died...But this understanding of the dead returning was beyond their understanding, but it did not keep them from from believing in Jesus...
Jesus also tried to help those who were there and still had doubts and did not understand...Jesus said "Father, I thank you that you have heard me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you have sent me"...Jesus then commands Lazarus to get up and live, which Lazarus does...
Isaiah puts it so well in Isaiah 40:28, when Isaiah writes-"and His (God's) understanding no one can fathom"...
Do not let your understanding get in the way of your faith...
One final thought, do you think Lazarus feared death (or much of anything) after this???...