Do you believe that Jesus is the resurrection? Do we rely on Him for our healing and relief from burdens?
John 11:23-28
23 Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha *said to Him, “ I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “ I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”
In this short exchange, there is a lot happening. First, Jesus questions Martha’s belief in Him. This isn’t because He doesn’t think she believes, but rather to make His point, which is what we see happen. He is teaching a lesson. This is why in 28 Martha calls Him teacher. I envisioned Jesus giving a polite smile jut as my grandfather would whenever I would answer a question correctly. The lesson would start with a question to help me recap something I had already learned and as I answered correctly, he would smile slightly in delight and then add onto the lesson. Jesus does that here.
Martha correctly recalls the scriptures and what they say about the resurrection on the last day. Jesus then gave a prelude to what He was about to do. His point is that he who dies to himself will be alive in Christ. We see this reiterated by the Apostle Paul in Romans 6. This even goes back to what Jesus said in the beginning of chapter 11, “this sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God…” You see, our sicknesses are not meant to end in death, but for the Glory of God.
Our sinfulness, our selfishness, all the junk that we get burdened with does not happen without reason. Certainly, God does not want these things to happen to us because He loves us so dearly. However, He uses our struggles, our situations, our strife for His glory. It is these things that He helps us overcome. They are products of our spiritual death. We are dead in our sins, useless in our transgressions, but God has given us a way out. He has spoken Light into the world and loves us so much that He has offered a way to be resurrected from this death.
Jesus’ illustration through the resurrection of Lazarus in this story is a physical representation of that truth. Our new life in Christ is eternal. This life in Christ is our relationship with God. This is the statement of faith that Martha gives in verse 27.
Where are you today in your sickness? Are you dying, are you already dead, are you looking for new life?
