Wednesday | 22 April 2026
In His next interaction with the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Jesus ministered faith for their participation in His death and resurrection, typified by Abraham’s offering of Isaac on Mount Moriah. They were to be joined to the faith that Abraham demonstrated when he offered up Isaac on Mount Moriah, ‘concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense’. Heb 11:19. Through faith, Mary and Martha were to believe to receive Lazarus back from the dead and believe for Christ’s resurrection, which He had already proclaimed to them.
Jesus provided them with the opportunity to receive and join this faith when He allowed Lazarus to die after hearing of his illness. Establishing this point, the apostle John recorded, ‘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.’ Joh 11:4‑6.
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Joh 11:17. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him. It became apparent that Jesus had fallen short of Martha’s expectations of Him when she said, ‘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.’ Joh 11:21‑22.
Jesus responded by saying, ‘Your brother will rise again’. Yet, Martha’s response remained faithful to her former gospel understanding pertaining to the resurrection, saying, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day’. But 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?’ Joh 11:25‑26.
Further Study:
John 11
References:
Heb 11:19
Concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
Joh 11:4-6
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.
Joh 11:17
So, when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
Joh 11:21-22
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.’
Joh 11:25-26
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?’