Do You Believe This Martha?
Read John 1:17-27
We can only imagine the scene as Martha and Mary cared for their sick brother, all the while wondering why Jesus did not come to them. After all, Jesus loved them and they were his friends. Martha may have said to Mary, “Jesus could have saved our brother“. Mary’s answer might have been, “I know“, her eyes filled with tears.
Verse 19 tells us that “many of the ‘Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them“.
Verse 20 says, “Then Martha heard that Jesus was coming, and (immediately) she went to meet him, while Mary sat still in the house.”
Was she (Martha) overcome by her grief (emotions are high at the death of a loved one), and in tears as she ran to meet Jesus? Verse 21 and 22 say, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I ‘KNOW, that even now (he is dead), whatsoever thou ‘WILL ASK of God, God will give it thee.”
“Oida is the ‘Greek word for ‘know. It means to perceive, to know intuitively, with the outward senses. ‘Aiteo is the ‘Greek word for ‘will ask. It means to request or beg. The seeking by the inferior to the superior.” Quote from The Hebrew-Greek Key study Bible
Then Jesus said to Martha in verse 23, “Thy brother shall rise again. She (Martha) said in verse 24, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection“. Can you imagine how we would say this today? “I know that Jesus! I know all about the resurrection!“
I love how Jesus always takes the time to teach Martha (I’m sure, not only for her benefit, but for those listening to the conversations…including you and me). He says to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?”
Do You Believe This Martha?
Scripture to Ponder: And she said in verse 27, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
Thought to ponder: The question….Do You Believe This Martha? Let’s rephrase the question. Can you take this all in Martha? Jesus was saying, “I am declaring that I am supremely divine. I have power given to me by my Father, to open the grave, give life and call forth from the grave to give new life. Eternal life is given by me, through me and I am going to do it for you, to teach you about victory over death“. Did Martha get it? Your guess is as good as mine. I like to think that she did, or was in the process of getting it. Remember, Jesus loved Martha. Think about the time Jesus has taken to teach Martha…just as He takes the time to teach us….His Disciples.
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