Anonymous
John 11:25-27
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Martha was at one of the lowest moments of her life when this conversation with Jesus took place. Her younger brother Lazarus—whom she loved deeply—had died only days before. When his illness became serious, she sent word to Jesus, confident he would heal him. But Jesus did not arrive in time. Lazarus died, and their home soon became filled with mourners. Amidst the grief, questions surely swirled: Why hadn’t the miracle worker come? Why had he stayed away when his dear friends needed him most?
I imagine Martha managing the steady stream of guests, ensuring Mary was cared for, attending to the demands of hospitality – all while quietly wrestling with disappointment. She had seen Jesus give sight to the blind and strength to the lame. She knew he had even raised the dead. Why, then, had he not come to save Lazarus?
Four days after the burial, Martha heard that Jesus was approaching the village. She went out to meet him privately. She spoke directly, voicing both sorrow and faith: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Yet she added that even now, she believed God would give Jesus whatever he asked.
Jesus replied, “Your brother will rise again,” to which Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” This was the promise Israel had been anticipating for more than 500 years—the future renewal of all things, when God would right every wrong and raise his people to life. But it was cold comfort to someone whose broken heart wanted only to have her brother back.
Then Jesus made a staggering claim: “I am the resurrection and the life,” identifying himself as the Messiah—the fulfillment of God’s promises, and the power of life itself. What had been a national hope in a far-off future event suddenly became a present reality and a personal promise given to her from Jesus.
When Jesus asked, “Do you believe this?” Martha responded with remarkable clarity: she confessed him as the Messiah, the Son of God. In the middle of raw grief and unanswered questions, she entrusted herself to him. What she did know of Jesus was enough to move away from doubt and step into faith.
Martha’s story invites us to do the same. Bring your questions to Jesus. Name your disappointments and doubts. Affirm what you know to be true about him, ask for courage to trust him with your doubts, and for wisdom to help you overcome them. Don’t wait for every answer before taking a step of faith – let him take you by the hand and lead you into a deeper relationship with him one step at a time.
Prayer Prompts:
Take some time to be honest with God about your questions, doubts, struggles, and disappointments.
Thank God for what stands out to you of his character (goodness, faithfulness, love, etc.) that you can rest in even while grappling with doubt.
