seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 11:17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 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.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When 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.
32 When 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.”
33 When 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.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
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Here's the link to the commentary I read. Please go read the stuff I didn't copy and paste here.
He had already been in the tomb four days: Jesus waited four days because He knew the Jewish superstition of that day that said a soul stayed near the grave for three days, hoping to return to the body. Therefore, it was accepted that after four days there was absolutely no hope of resuscitation.
Many of the Jews had joined the women around Mary and Martha: This was a large crowd, still present four days after Lazarus was buried. It was considered an important obligation to join with those who mourned the death of a near relative.
Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died: Martha honestly stated her disappointment in Jesus’ late arrival. She believed that Jesus was able to heal her brother while he was sick yet still alive. It’s possible that she didn’t even consider that Jesus was able to raise Lazarus from the dead now.
Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You: Martha was not confident that Jesus would raise her brother. Instead, she said that she would still trust Jesus despite this disappointment.
Your brother will rise again: Martha understood that her brother Lazarus would rise again with all the righteous on the last day. She did not even consider that Jesus might immediately bring Lazarus from the dead.
I am the resurrection and the life: Jesus did not claim to have resurrection and life, or understand secrets about resurrection and life. Instead Jesus dramatically said that He is the resurrection and the life. To know Jesus is to know resurrection and life; to have Jesus is to have resurrection and life.
He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live: Jesus boldly challenged Martha to trust that He was the source of eternal life. Jesus presented Himself as the champion over death. While humanity in general fears death, the Christian can only fear dying. The believer will never die, but simply make an instant transition from an old life to a new life.
Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world: Martha answered correctly. Jesus was and is indeed the Messiah (the Christ). Jesus was and is God in human form among us (the Son of God).
She went her way and secretly called Mary her sister: We aren’t told exactly why Martha did this secretly. It’s fair to guess that she did it to help Mary have a few uninterrupted moments with Jesus before the crowd of other mourners surrounded them.
Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died: Lazarus had two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha has already spoken to Jesus regarding the death of Lazarus, then Mary spoke. Her words are remarkably similar to what Martha told Jesus (John 11:21).
“It is likely that they had said this to each other several times since Lazarus died.” (Bruce)
My brother would not have died: This is one of the places in the Bible where we wish we could hear the tone of voice and see the expressions on the face. This could have been a noble statement of faith, saying that if Jesus was there they have no doubt at all that He would have healed Lazarus. On the other hand, it could also be seen as a criticism of what seemed to be the tardiness of Jesus.
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Apparently, the story that I remember as John the Apostle introducing Mary and Martha will come up in the next chapter. There is coverage, however, in Luke's Gospel, that would cover the fact that Lazarus was indeed four days dead and stinky. Luke, after all, was a physician. He was very capable of recognizing the infirmed and the dead. Lazarus was indeed dead and stinky.
These verses are about how the sisters and Jesus handled the death.
Yep... Jesus wept.
When my dad died, as I recall, one of my sisters, a cousin of mine, and I were in the kitchen cleaning up and putting snacks on trays, my other sisters, mom, and my brother were "entertaining" the mourners.
Mary entertained. We will learn that Mary washed Jesus' feet. That was being a great hostess.
When we see Mary this time, verse 28, she is mourning with her guests. Mary was doing that. She was "entertaining" the mourners.
Martha, on the other hand, was the cook and bottle washer. She was tending to the food and greeting the mourners as they arrived. That's why she was the first to meet Jesus in the road on the way to the house.
Martha got to tell Jesus "You're late!".
Martha told Jesus that if He hadn't taken His time, if He had come when called, her brother would still be alive!
Jesus tried to tell Martha that He was there to bring Lazarus back. She just could not comprehend. After all, what would you say if someone, even Jesus, said they could bring your stinky brother back from death?
Jesus hadn't been to the Cross yet. Death had not been conquered. Their brother was not a haunting ghost. Their brother was necessary for their survival. They were two single women! They would lose their home! They had already lost their brother! Jesus was late and nothing He could have said would soothe those facts.
I bet Martha almost said, "What good's the Resurrection in the future... my brother is dead today! What are we going to do?"
But she didn't say that. She was very gentle in my opinion. She went and got her sister.
Now Mary, on the other hand, was not so polite and gentle.
She told Jesus just what she thought. Jesus was responsible for letting her brother die.
Yes. Jesus was responsible for the death of Lazarus. Yes. Jesus was late on purpose. Yes. Jesus could have saved Lazarus from getting stinky.
It hurt Him right to the core. He cried.
Jesus asked Mary to take Him to the Tomb where Lazarus was laying.
Now I've heard this preached a number of times. Preachers don't seem to notice that Martha went into the house and whispered to Mary.
Remember, Jesus was a wanted man. Thomas, the Apostle who looked like a twin of Jesus, was scared! The Pharisees and the Sadducees and any soldier or bounty hunter looking for a prize, were all looking for Jesus. Jesus was a wanted man.
I think, one of the reasons Lazarus had to get so stinky was because the Pharisees and the Sadducees would be camped out at the funeral for Lazarus, knowing Jesus would show up. It wasn't time for Jesus to be arrested. Jesus had to bring Lazarus out of that tomb alive! He couldn't do that if He was sitting in prison.
Jesus wept.... that's a well memorized verse.
Jesus cried.....
