Jesus, the Resurrection and Life - John 11: 1-27

Death of Lazarus - John 11: 1-27

(Jn 11: 1-27) "Then there was one called Lazarus, from Bethany, the village of Mary and his sister Martha (Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume, and wiped him the feet with their hair.) So the sisters sent to Jesus: Lord, behold, the one you love is sick. "Hearing Jesus said: This sickness is not for death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God be glorified by her, and Jesus loved Martha, his sister and Lazarus, and when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days where he was.

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Then, after this, he said to the disciples: Let's go to Judea again. The disciples said to him: Rabbi, now the Jews were trying to stone you, and you go there again? Jesus answered: Does not the day have twelve hours? He who walks by day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world; but he who walks at night stumbles, because there is no light in him. Having said this, he told them later: Our friend Lazaro is asleep; but I'm going to wake him up. Then his disciples said: Lord, if he sleeps, he will be healed. But Jesus said this about the death of Lazarus; and they thought he was talking about the repose of the dream. Then Jesus told them clearly: Lazarus is dead; and I am happy for you, if I had not been there, for you to believe; but let's go to him. Then Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Jesus came, and found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them for their brother. Then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went out to meet him; but Maria stayed at home. And Martha said to Jesus: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I also know now that whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you. Jesus said to him: Your brother will resurrect. Martha said to him: I know that he will rise again in the resurrection, in the last day. Jesus told him: I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even though he is dead, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will not die eternally. Do you believe this? He said: Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, that you have come into the world. "
Introduction
Although we are still in the middle of the gospel, it is in this chapter that we find the last of the seven miracles or signs that John collects. In fact, chapters 11 and 12 mark a new and significant step in the life and work of Jesus that will lead you to the cross. As we shall see, it was precisely this miracle the definitive cause by which the Jewish authorities officially took the decision that Jesus should die (Jn 11: 45-53).
On the other hand, this last sign of Jesus clearly shows that he was the Son of God, something that as we will remember is the purpose of this gospel (Jn 20: 30-31). And once again, following his general scheme, the evangelist accompanies a miracle with a declaration of who Jesus is. In the previous section we saw that Jesus said that he was the Light of the world, and he showed it by giving sight to a man blind from birth. Now let's see what he made another equally startling statement: "I am the resurrection and the life," and he showed it by resurrecting a man who had been dead for four days. It is interesting to note that the revelation of who Jesus is is not based on abstract ideas, but on concrete historical facts.
Therefore, the narrative before us is not intended to lead us to think of Lazarus, and perhaps that is why we know so little about him, but his final purpose is to direct our eyes to Christ, so that we may marvel at his glorious person . Here we are presented with an absolute lordship over death: "I am the resurrection and the life." And through this miracle he demonstrated that he is able to bring people from death to life and fulfill fully what he had previously announced: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it in abundance" (Jn 10 : 10). This will find its final consummation in the resurrection of all believers (Jn 5: 28-29).
On the other hand, the resurrection of Lazarus was intended to provide the Jews with definitive proof that Jesus was the Christ of God, the promised Messiah. In the previous chapter the Jews had told him: "If you are the Christ, tell us openly", to which Jesus answered by appealing to his works: "the works that I do in my Father's name, they give testimony of me" ( Jn 10: 24-25). And in this passage we will see that just three kilometers from Jerusalem, and in the presence of numerous witnesses, Jesus resurrected Lazarus, a man who had been dead for four days. From there, the Jews could not say that they lacked evidence that Jesus was the Christ.

"At that time one was called Lazarus, from Bethany, the village of Mary and his sister Marta"
The story begins by introducing us to three brothers; Lazarus, Mary and Martha, who lived in Bethany, a village about three kilometers from Jerusalem at the foot of the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives.
From the other Gospels we know that when the Lord traveled to Jerusalem, he used to retire to spend the night in Bethany (Mt 21:17) (Mark 11:11). There he enjoyed the affection and affection he found in the home of these three brothers (Lk 10: 38-42). This same Mary is the one who anointed the feet of Jesus with an ointment of great price (Jn 11: 2) (Jn 12: 1-8). It was also from Bethany that the Lord departed to make his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and there he spent the night immediately preceding his passion. And a few weeks after his resurrection, it was also in the vicinity of Bethany that the Lord finally ascended into heaven (Luke 24: 50-53). Therefore, we can say that the Lord was very close to Bethany, and especially to the family of Lazarus, where he found a happy atmosphere and a special friendship. In that home the Lord enjoyed an oasis of peace amid the hostility with which he was received every time he entered Jerusalem. There, the Master found relief and consolation in escaping from the controversies and dialectical struggles he had each day in the temple in Jerusalem. It was well worth the three kilometers that separated him to Bethany.
"And Jesus loved Martha, his sister and Lazarus"
The love that the Lord felt for each one of the members of this family is affirmed on several occasions throughout this passage (Jn 11: 3,5,36).
Although they were brothers, as is often the case, they were all very different from each other. Marta always seemed "troubled and afflicted with many things" (Lk 10:41). She was one of those women who are always aware of everything that may affect the comfort and well-being of those around them. Mary, on the other hand, "sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word" (Lk 10:39). She manifested a relative passivity, a spirit given to meditation and entirely devoted to devotion to Jesus. And we know very little about Lázaro, because he never says anything in any of the stories where he appears. We imagine him therefore a man of few words, calm and modest.
But even if there were important differences of character between all of them, the Lord loved them all equally. Maybe parents can sin by having favoritism for one of their children, but this does not happen with the Lord. He loves us all equally without caring about the diversity of our characters or gifts.
The disease of Lázaro
However, the passage teaches us that despite the close connection between these three brothers and the Lord, even so, this beloved family was afflicted by the illness and death of Lazarus. This fact makes us reflect on two important facts. The first is that the disease should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence of divine anger over us. And the second, that Christians get sick and die in the same way that those who are not believers do.
The purpose of Lazarus disease
When the Lord received the news that his friend Lazarus was sick, he said that this illness would not be to death. With that he was implying that death would not be the final result of that disease, because even though it was true that he was going to die, the grave could not keep Lazaro's body for long. We must understand, therefore, that the Lord was anticipating that death would not be victorious, but that it would be defeated when he himself resurrected his friend.
It is true that he could have said: "Lazarus will die and then he will be resurrected", but he did not. In this way, although the Lord knew that he was going to be resurrected later, all the others had to face the events without knowing for sure what he was proposing. And that is exactly the same thing that happens to us when we go through different tests; God has a purpose, but we do not know it beforehand, so we often wonder why we have to go through certain unpleasant experiences.

But as we say, God always has a purpose in everything that happens to us. On many occasions he allows diseases or other difficulties in order to grow and mature our faith. This is so because the disease shows us how fragile we are, and often, it is in those circumstances that we experience a greater need to approach God for help; we read more our Bibles and pray with more fervor. It is then that we become sensitive enough to learn lessons that we would not otherwise learn, because suffering takes away the proud dependence we have on ourselves and throws us at the feet of God. On the other hand, the closeness of death also leads us to think about the brevity of life, and we see how the moment of accountability before God approaches us inexorably. Many in these circumstances feel the need to fix or improve their relationship with God.
In our passage we see that Lazarus's illness led his sisters to desire to be closer to Jesus, which is why they sent for him. But the Lord did not go immediately, but sent the messenger back with these enigmatic words: "This disease is not for death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it".
In this which the Lord said, we noticed that the main purpose of the illness and death of Lazarus was to manifest the glory of God and also that of the Son. Both would be glorified equally, since the relationship between the two is so close and inseparable that it is not possible for one to be glorified on the other (Jn 5:23). As for the expression "the glory of God", in this gospel it is used to refer to those attributes of God that are shown to men. And this time we are going to see the Lord Jesus Christ present himself as the "resurrection and life"; two of his attributes that are closely related to the most fundamental needs of man.
Therefore, the suffering of the sisters of Lazarus had a high purpose: it was going to lead them to discover something of the character of God that they would not otherwise know. We have other examples in Scripture of how times of trial have led believers to know God in a totally new way. For example, King David would not have known God as his "Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer" had he not suffered the persecution of his enemies (2 Sam. 22: 1-51). Abraham would not have known God as "Jehovah will provide" if he had not been willing to offer his son Isaac (Gen 22:14). The Lazarus sisters would not have known Jesus as the "Resurrection and life" if their brother had not died. And probably Mary would not have anointed Christ with that alabaster glass of great price had she not witnessed the resurrection of her brother.
"The sisters sent, therefore, to say to Jesus: Lord, behold, the one you love is sick"
Here we have a good example of the first thing that Christians should do when they are sick or go through difficulties of any kind: seek the Lord. It is true that we can not do it in a physical way, as Maria and Marta did, but we can always go to him through our prayers. Of course, this does not mean that we also use other means to recover our health, but first and foremost, we must bring our ailments to the Lord in prayer and trust in him. And how much we should also thank our brothers for praying for us!

As for the message that the sisters sent to Jesus, there is a very important and beautiful detail: "Lord, behold, the one you love is sick." They did not add anything else, they did not make any request, but neither was it necessary. They had full confidence that the Lord would do what he considered most accurate. This is a true test of faith and humility that we must keep in mind in our prayers.

And let us also note that his trust was not based on the love that Lazarus had for the Lord, but on the love of the Lord for Lazarus. The love that we can come to have for Jesus is always imperfect, fluctuating and uncertain; but Jesus' love for us is perfect and never changes. These two women knew how the Lord loved Lazarus, so they did not have to make a long request with elaborate phrases that they would repeat over and over again in order to convince him to do what they asked. None of that was necessary. They knew that the Lord had more than enough power to do what he set out to do, and they rested in that his love would move him to act in his favor in the best way. And in the same way, when we address God in prayer, we must be sure that his love for us is real, and from then on we must confidently expect his response.
"When he heard, then, that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was"
When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, we would expect him to have gone immediately to Bethany to heal him, or to say a word to heal him from a distance in the same way he did the son of the king's officer in Capernaum (Jn 4: 50-51) . But Jesus did neither. This behavior seems to cast doubt on the previous statement that Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters. But here we are going to learn that the love of God is also manifested in his delay in answering our requests.
Only after two days Jesus set out to go to Bethany. Meanwhile Maria and Marta had to go through the agony and suffering of seeing their brother die. We can imagine his pain at this loss, but also his perplexity at the lack of response from Jesus in all that time.
One of the mysteries of the spiritual life is that sometimes the Lord does not arrive when we need it most, and then we ask ourselves again and again: Where is God? Why does not he do something? Does not God see that we need him? Is it that we do not care? Why does he allow us to suffer if he really loves us? These same questions must have been going around in the hearts of these three friends of Jesus.
Now, the passage does not explain why the Lord did not go quickly to Bethany. Maybe he was caring for others dying in the meantime, or healing other sick people. We do not know. Although when we suffer is us, we believe that our case is a priority and there can be nothing more important. Perhaps at this point the two sisters were thinking that in the end they had taken care of Jesus and his disciples on other occasions, and that now it was Jesus' turn to do something for them. We want to believe that they did not think so, although we have done it in some occasions. But these approaches are wrong.
What does seem clear when we know the end of the story, is that the Lord had a well-defined purpose. He was not going to heal Lazarus, but he was going to resuscitate him, and for that it was necessary that he should die first. And of course, by doing so, he was also going to momentarily disappoint the expectations the sisters had in him.
How difficult it is to wait while we suffer and receive no response from God! The silence of waiting consumes us inside. Sometimes it can be a prolonged and painful illness, sometimes a dismissal, or suffer some kind of abuse, that treat us unfairly, be alone ... There are so many dilemmas that we face continuously!
But we can not judge a situation until it has come to an end. We can not act like impatient children. Only when we see things finished and in perspective can we understand how God's providence works in favor of his children. Let's not forget that we see life from this day, while God sees it from eternity. When we reach that same point, we will have no doubt about the infinite wisdom of God. But as long as we see only one part, it is likely that there will be things that we do not understand. That is why it is necessary to trust God with patience in every trial of life, having the conviction that everything he does is well done and at the right time. When we reach that point we can pray saying: "Lord, my time is in your hand, do with me whatever you want, as you want and whenever you want, your will be done and not mine." Then we will stop complaining and we will see the bitterness and resentment disappear from us. And when everything has happened, it is certain that we would not have wished that things had happened in a different way.
Maybe you have had the chance to see a butterfly come out of its cocoon. When it is already formed, fight for a long time to get rid of the dry fibers that surround it. If you are watching this long process, perhaps you will be impatient and have the temptation to help the butterfly in this endless struggle so that she can fly free as soon as possible. In that case, you can cut the dry fibers that surround it with a few scissors and the butterfly can easily get out, but you should know that your help will only make the butterfly have a very short life. It may seem to you that your compassion will have the opposite effect, but it is not so. What you need to know is that the pressure you experience during your long outing serves to inflate your wings with the blood that you have stored in your abdomen. So all that painful process serves to make your wings harden and dry before you can start flying. If he frees him from his suffering or tries to shorten it, he will also have ended his new life.

On the other hand, the "delay" of Christ in going to Bethany also served so that no one could deny the miracle of resurrection that he was going to carry out. None of his enemies could say that Lazarus was not dead, that he had only vanished. When they opened the tomb there was no doubt that the decomposition process had already begun and that Lázaro was really dead. So, although we do not like it, we see that in a certain sense the sisters also suffered for the benefit of the unbelieving Jews, who would thus receive a definitive sign of who Jesus was. And not only them, but also the faith of the disciples would be strengthened (Jn 11:15).
"Then he said to the disciples: Let's go to Judea again"
When the time established by his Father arrived, Jesus set out to go back to Judea. This alarmed the disciples who warned him of the danger: "Rabbi, now the Jews tried to stone you, and you go there again?". To them it seemed a very dangerous plan, and it was true. Let us not forget that a short time before they had to leave because of the violent opposition of the Jews (Jn 10: 39-40). Going back again was throwing oneself into the eye of the hurricane.
But the Lord did not hesitate to put his life in danger to help his friends. And this reminds us of something we already know: every time the Lord seeks the good of his people, it has a high personal cost for him. The cross is the greatest example of this principle. But in no way did the threats of the Jews or the fear of suffering prevent him from fulfilling the will of his Father.
We can also understand the concern of the disciples. The climate of hostility that existed in Jerusalem against the Lord could easily include them as well. I knew that they were at great personal risk if they accompanied the Lord. Thomas made it clear when he said: "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11:16).
Perhaps it is for this reason that the Lord proposes to the disciples to follow him: "Let us go to Judea again", thus leaving open the possibility that they would not want to accompany him. This resulted in them exposing their feelings and fears in a frank and open manner. It became clear that they were afraid and the Lord did not condemn them for it. But what would they do?
And what would we do? Because at some point all Christians are in the need to make difficult and risky decisions, having to choose a path that is not the one we prefer and whose end is uncertain. In those cases we must act with faith, trusting fully in the Lord and following his indications without departing from them. And finally we will find that being with the Lord nothing will prevent their purposes from being fulfilled, although, of course, that does not mean that we do not have to suffer.
"He who walks by day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world"
The Lord responded to the disciples' fears by quoting a proverb: "Does not the day have twelve hours? He who walks by day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world, but he who walks by night stumbles, because he does not there is light in him. "
According to the manner in which the Jews computed the hours, the day was divided into twelve hours of light and twelve of darkness. Any traveler would walk by day without trip hazard because the light would allow him to see the road. On the contrary, if he tried to walk at night, he would be continually exposed to stumbling because of the lack of light. From here the Lord draws two important lessons that would serve the disciples at any time.
"Walking by day" meant walking in the light of this world, that is, walking with the Lord, who is the "Light of the world". Therefore, we can be sure that whenever we walk with the Lord, without departing from his will, we will not be in danger of stumbling. And on the other hand, the reference to the "twelve hours of the day" should be understood as the time appointed by the Father for the ministry of his Son. During that time nobody could prevent the development of his plan, and the same can be said of each one of us. Therefore, we should not fear that someone will take away our life too soon. This confidence is the best antidote against fear of danger. We should only be concerned that the adversities we face are in the way of God's will. In the book of Acts we can see that these same disciples learned that by walking in the will of God, persecutions and dangers could not stop their testimony and service.
Christ was walking in perfect obedience to the will of the Father, and therefore there was no danger that he would die before the appointed time. It was true, however, that the time would come when the Lord would say to his enemies: "This is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Lk 22:53). Only then could they catch him, but not before.

"Having said this, he said to them later: Our friend Lazaro is asleep, but I am going to wake him up"
The reference to the "twelve hours" that lasted the day also implied that there was some time to do the work. So the Lord was going to see his friend Lazarus immediately.
Actually, at that time Lazarus was already dead, however, the Lord refers to him as "our friend Lazarus is asleep". From here, some important facts emerge.
First of all we notice that the Lord refers to death as a "sleep", as if it were a brief rest from which he finally awakes with renewed strength. And so it was going to be with Lazarus, to whom the Lord was going to "wake up." This way of referring to death became normal in the early church (Acts 7:60) (1 Thes 4: 13-14). On the other hand, for the unbeliever, death is necessarily a terrible trance in which he does not want to think. But for the believer, the sting of death no longer exists, has been taken away by the Lord (1 Cor 15: 55-57). This hurtful sting of death comes as a result of feeling that sins have not been forgiven, but the Christian no longer fears because he knows that the Lord has saved and forgiven him. Our enmity with God is over the day we give our lives to Him. And this brings us to the next thought.
The Lord refers to Lazarus as "our friend." He was not just a servant or a subject, but a friend. Furthermore, it is implied here that death can not break these bonds of friendship between believers and the Lord. This friendship will last for all eternity. Actually, this is because Lázaro was still alive. Something similar said Jesus on another occasion when he explained the passage of the Old Testament in which God said that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, at a time when all those patriarchs had already died. But Christ used this fact to show that God was still their God, because they were alive (Mark 12: 26-27). And the same could be said about Lázaro.
However, the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying to them: "Then his disciples said: Lord, if he sleeps, he will be healed." But Jesus said this about the death of Lazarus, and they thought he was talking about the repose of the dream. He said clearly: Lazarus is dead. "
They took every detail literally, so they were not able to understand the words of the Lord. But they had already heard other times speak to the Lord in the same way. For example, before resuscitating Jairus's daughter, she said to those who were there: "The girl is not dead, but sleeps" (Mt 5:39). Perhaps the fear of returning to Judea blocked his thoughts and preferred to think that he was only sleeping, which would not require Jesus to see him. This is something very common, we know, because we also do not understand what we do not want to understand.
"And I'm happy for you, for not having been there, for you to believe, but let's go to him"
Of course, the Lord was not happy about the death of his friend Lazarus, nor about the suffering the sisters were going through. In fact, when he arrived there, "he shuddered in spirit and was moved," and moments later "Jesus wept" at the tomb of his friend (Jn 11: 33-34). Death always has that same bitter taste.
But from another perspective, both Lazarus and any believer who dies, happens to be immediately with the Lord, which is much better (Phil 1:23). Maybe that's why every time we attend the funeral of a believer we have conflicting feelings; On the one hand we rejoice because he is already in the presence of the Lord enjoying his glory, but on the other we regret his loss and the emptiness he leaves in our lives.

In any case, the reason the Lord rejoiced on this occasion was because his disciples had not been there, and because what they would see next would lead them to believe in Christ. Of course, this does not mean that they did not already believe in him, that was not the case, but his faith had to grow, and this was going to be a special occasion for the disciples, because the Lord was preparing to perform a miracle that It would show something of him that they still did not know. What they would contemplate, if they accompanied Jesus, would strengthen their faith in a unique way. This would give them a much more solid, fervent and resolute faith to face the trials they would have to face in the future.

"Then Thomas, named Didymus, said to his fellow disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with him"
One of the disciples, Tomás (name translated into Greek as "Didymus" and meaning "twin"), spoke on behalf of the whole group expressing his willingness to accompany Jesus.
In his words, his loyalty to the Master is perceived, but also a certain pessimism: "Let us also, so that we die with him". It seemed that the Lord's plan did not convince him at all and he expected the worst from him, but still he did not want to separate from the Lord, even though it might mean death. It was better for them to die with the Lord than to live without him.
The pessimism of Tomás contrasts with the overflowing spirit that characterized the apostle Peter. In reality, they were all very different from each other, but they were united in an unbreakable way by the love they professed for the Lord. How nice it would be for all of today's believers to follow his example!
"Jesus came, and found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days"
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, his friend Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. It seems that he was buried the same day of his death. There he met "many of the Jews who had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them for their brother." Probably many of these Jews had come from Jerusalem, since as John explains to us, "Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs", about three kilometers.
The fact is that with Lazarus in the grave, all human hope had been extinguished. We say that while there is life, there is hope, but with death everything ends. It is the end of aspirations, desires, plans. It is no longer possible to continue fighting, there is no possibility of changing or rectifying the wrong decisions. There was only room for tears, laments and condolences for the loss, very noble things if they are made with sincerity, but that can not fill the void that the deceased has left.
Maybe that's why it's so difficult to comfort someone who has lost a close family member. What to say in those circumstances? Everything seems to be empty words. It is true that we can mourn with those who mourn, but this will not return them to their loved one. On such occasions all human sympathy is found insufficient. Perhaps for that reason in many modern cultures everything possible is done to deny death. It is unusual for someone to die at home surrounded by their loved ones. Neither the bodies are dressed and prepared for burial by the family, as it happened only a few decades ago. In our time, this process has been taken over by hospitals, residences and funeral services. The funeral homes are places painted in pastel tones, with comfortable armchairs, beautiful paintings and relaxing music that help us forget how close we are to death. Coffins are beautiful inside and out, they almost look cozy. The cemeteries have become beautiful gardens that evoke peace and serenity. All this arises from a desire to make death a somewhat less painful experience, but not even all those things manage to hide the deep frustration that it produces.
In contrast, in Jewish society at that time things were very different. They dedicated thirty days to grieving. The first three days were to mourn; seven days to regret; and twenty days when none of those taking part washed or shaved. With all this pain was present for longer and had to be an exhausting experience.
Now, what would Jesus do in those circumstances? Would you just say some nice words like the others, or would you do something different? What would he do in the face of death, the greatest enemy of the human being? How would the Lord console Mary and Martha?

"Marta said to Jesus: Sir, if you had been here, my brother would not have died"
As soon as Lazaro's sisters heard that Jesus was coming to see them, Marta quickly left to meet them, while Maria stayed at home. Once again they expressed how different they were from each other. Marta always active, agitated, impatient, while Maria was calm, thoughtful, thoughtful.
However, when both sisters met Jesus, they both said the same thing: "If you had been here, my brother would not have died" (Jn 11: 21,32). Surely this is what the two would have repeated to each other during their brother's illness.

In his words there was a mixture of emotions fighting each other. Perhaps they blamed themselves for sending the messenger too late for Jesus to have arrived in time to heal his brother. But it is also very probable that they were raising a complaint against the Lord for having unnecessarily delayed going to meet them. Even so, they continued to express their faith in him, since they were sure that his presence would have prevented the death of his brother. In any case, it was evident that the two sisters had missed Jesus so much in that bitter trance they had to go through alone.
It is perceived, therefore, a faith mixed with disbelief. They did not doubt the power of the Lord to heal his brother as long as he had been present, but they could not see that he could also have been healed from a distance (Jn 4:50). And much less were they able to think that he could resuscitate him from the dead. His faith needed to mature. But that is also a necessity for all of us. How often our faith is weak and we fail to see all the greatness and resources of God's grace!
We also have to struggle frequently in the Christian life against disappointment with unfulfilled expectations. It was clear that Maria and Marta felt dissatisfied; They had expected something that the Lord had not given them. Now, this leads us to wonder who was really the one who had failed. It seemed that for these sisters Jesus had not lived up to what they expected of him. But we also have to ask ourselves if what they expected was correct. Should we think that if we are with Jesus, bad things will not happen in our lives? Has the Lord pledged to heal us of any disease we have and to be freed indefinitely from death? If this were so, there would be no sick Christians nor would they die, but the reality that we see around us is not this one. The Bible itself tells us about the sufferings and difficulties for which the apostle Paul had to pass in his Christian service (2 Cor 11: 24-29), and even among the "heroes of the faith" we find that many suffered all kinds of suffering. inhuman hardships (He 11: 36-38). Of course, when we see the disease close to us we like to think that God has to rid us of it, but is that what God has promised or what we want to believe? If we place our faith in something that God has not said, then we will feel disillusioned at last, although the fault will be entirely ours.
"But I also know now that whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you"
Despite all her pain, Marta still believed that God worked powerfully through Jesus. His confidence in him remained unmoved. In fact, I was hoping against hope that he could still do something, because he knew that God listened to his prayers.
But here we notice the vague and confusing ideas that Marta had regarding Jesus. She spoke as if he were just a human prophet who lacked independent power, as if he could not order a healing by himself without asking God.
On the other hand, although he said that God would give him "everything" he asked for, nevertheless, as we shall see below, the resurrection of Lazarus was excluded.
"Jesus said to him," Your brother will rise again. "Martha said to him," I know that he will rise again in the resurrection, in the last day. "
The first words our Lord pronounced when he arrived in Bethany are truly extraordinary. He promised Marta that his brother Lazarus was going to resurrect.
But Marta was still struggling with her faith and was not able to interpret the resurrection promised by Jesus as a reality for the present time, but for the last day. In fact, when the Lord later ordered the stone to be removed from the tomb, Martha still seemed not to believe that Jesus was going to resuscitate his brother, and all he could say was that he was already stinking because he had been dead for four days (Jn 11). : 39).
She, like many of us, is capable of believing that God will do great things in the distant future, but at the same time we manifest a weak faith in the face of present evidence. But once again we will see that the Lord is able to do much more than we ask or hope for in the present.

"Jesus said: I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, even though he is dead, will live"
Marta believed that Jesus would be heard by God in everything he asked for, but now the Lord told him that he himself had the authority and power to give life and to restore it through the resurrection. He is the "Author of life", the incarnate God himself, source of all life, whether spiritual or physical. Therefore, no one but him could make a statement like this: "I am the resurrection and the life."
This is the seventh affirmation of the Lord that John picked up and that begins with the known "I am." On this occasion I wanted to show that he had absolute power over death. Not that it was a means to bring the dead to life, as prophets such as Elijah or Elisha could have been in the past, but that he himself was the resurrection and the life.
On this occasion the Lord intended to resurrect Lazarus, but this would only be a foretaste of what will one day occur in this world "when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and those who did the good, will come to the resurrection of life, but those who did evil, a resurrection of condemnation "(Jn 5: 28-29).
Notice also the order in his statement: "resurrection and life". First comes the resurrection and then life; because the resurrection opens the door to the authentic immortal life. That is why we must understand that the Lord was referring in this context to people who are physically "dead". All of them will be resurrected by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and will live eternally; some in condemnation and others enjoying eternal life with the Lord.
And then he speaks of the living believers, just as he had previously spoken of the believers who had already died, and he says: "And everyone who lives and believes in me will not die eternally." The believer will be delivered from death or eternal damnation by the power of the Lord.
"Do you believe this?"
Marta had already declared that she believed in the future resurrection of the dead, but now the Lord confronts her with a different fact: Did she believe that Jesus, her Master and friend, was the author of life and resurrection? Or on the contrary, would he continue to think of him only as a prophet who taught good and pleasant things? The time had come to make a personal decision.
"He said: Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, that you have come into the world"
Of course, it would have been easier to answer that question if Jesus had already resurrected his brother Lazarus, but once again, faith must precede the miracle. For her part, Marta confessed her faith in Christ and accepted that he had the keys of death and the grave.
Marta's statement contains several essential points of the Christian faith:
That Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed, the Messiah.
That he was the Son of God.
That he was the promised Redeemer who had come into the world.
It never ceases to amaze us how he came to understand so clearly who Jesus was. We know that it took a long time for his closest disciples to express something similar (Mt 16: 15-16). Furthermore, we must not forget that she confessed her faith in Christ as the resurrection and the life just after her brother had died without Jesus having done anything to prevent it.
In a very short time his faith had advanced in an incredible way and this could only be possible because he had finally understood who Jesus really was. Like the apostle Paul, she could also say: "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim 1:12). And when a person understands who Jesus is and puts his faith in him, all other things necessarily change. The trials and sufferings are no longer so painful. The hope that gives us the knowledge that he is the "Resurrection and the Life" gives us a sure confidence in the future that reduces the pain to the present.
In addition, having reached that point, I was ready to receive a new and great revelation. But we will have to consider that in another study.