Exposition

Jesus loved the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus dearly. The story recounts that Lazarus, the friend of Jesus died. Earlier, Jesus had heard that His good friend was sick, but instead of going to visit Lazarus, Jesus stayed where he was for two more days. He explained to His puzzled disciples that the sickness was “for God’s glory, that God’s Son may be glorified through it”. After Lazarus died, Jesus began a journey to Bethany, Lazarus’s home. Significantly, when Jesus informed His disciples that Lazarus was dead, He simply said His friend was asleep, but he was going there to wake him up. This communicates his authority over death and resurrection.

Entering Bethany, Lazarus’s sister Martha went out to meet Jesus. “If you had been here,” she said, “my brother would not have died.” Such was her faith in Jesus’ power to heal and to prevent death. She said so because of her knowledge of what Jesus can do. Jesus replied by assuring Martha that her brother would rise again. Martha responded again in faith: “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” At this point, Jesus makes His fifth “I Am” statement in John’s gospel, “I am the resurrection and the life,” and He follows it with a call to faith: “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

The grieving Martha wished that Jesus had arrived earlier so He could have healed her brother. And when Jesus spoke of resurrection, Martha assumed He was speaking of “the resurrection at the last day.” In both statements, Martha reveals that she considered time an insurmountable obstacle. In effect, Martha was saying, “It’s too late to help Lazarus so now it is past.” Martha had faith in Jesus. She knew that if Jesus had come earlier, Jesus would have been able to do something about the brother’s ailment. Though Martha knew the divinity of Jesus, she limited him by time. Jesus is never too late and can never be confined within time or space; He is above all. Martha believed in His resurrection when Jesus had not even gone to the cross. We have benefited from His resurrection but do we really believe it? Are we maximizing it to the fullest and are we telling others about its power? It is never too late for Jesus to save you. Do you think Jesus can’t save you any longer? He still offers salvation to whoever believes.