Three resurrection stories in Christ’s ministry: Jarius’ daughter, the son of the widow of Nain, and most powerfully, Lazarus. Lazarus, one of the three favored friends of Jesus – Martha, Mary, & Lazarus – who falls suddenly ill and dies. And Jesus waits two extra days before going to help. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus is dead and decaying, 4 days sealed in his tomb. And even though Jesus had told His disciples that this was for the glory of God, when He arrives at the tomb His soul is flooded with grief and: Jesus weeps.
Comforting Martha, Jesus tells her the whole purpose of His ministry: eternal life through faith in Jesus. He is the key to Heaven’s door, believing in Christ and living in Him opens Paradise to us forever. Before He raises Lazarus, before He even goes to the tomb, He has this intimate moment with Martha, asking her: Do you believe this?
Simple question: do you believe this? Our Lord gives us a guarantee of eternity, a promise that death is not a dead end but through His power becomes a doorway. And He puts this question to Lazarus’ sister Martha before He does anything at all. Why? Because faith is trusting God for a future we cannot see. Of course Martha steps up and says she believes, makes the good confession. And then Jesus prays in front of all those people at the tomb, and He does resurrect her brother, restoring the flesh, reversing the corruption of death, and sending life back into his body. “Lazarus, come out!”
As Jesus’ earthly ministry winds down, we see that His heart is grieved by the things that grieve our hearts, that His mission is energized by a determination to solve our two human problems: sin and death. This demonstration of resurrection power before Christ’s Passion shows us that our faith in Jesus links us to His life-giving power that raises us up out of our sin and raises us to life for all eternity. Forgiveness and eternal life will solve our two human problems. And all we have to do is answer the same question Martha answered: do you believe this?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for sharing our human grief, for destroying death and blazing a path to eternal life. Lord Holy Spirit, empower our confession, so that with Martha, we say, “I believe.” In Jesus’ name, amen.