Martha - a woman of strength during turmoil

As I reflected on the story of Martha’s confession of Jesus as Lord in John 11:17-44 I was struck by the fact that I can not recall ever hearing a sermon, or reading a significant article about Martha’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah.

It is as if Martha is overlooked, the focus is on Lazarus and Jesus.

Everyone always talks about the miracle of Lazarus being raised, or about Jesus’ emotions upon seeing the grief people were displaying.

Even when I look back over my own sermon records I found that I concentrated on Jesus’ emotions and frustration at the people’s lack of hope.

Martha’s confession is incredibly important because it proves to us that amongst Jesus’ inner group of disciples there was a clear and growing understanding of who he was.

It is also important because it is one of only a few conversations where we see Jesus speaking individually to a woman who was part of his inner group of disciples before the resurrection.

Most of the other recorded conversations with women were with those he ministered too as he came across them.

The Samaritian woman at the well, was a one off encounter.

The woman he healed who suffered from bleeding was someone Jesus encountered as he passed by.

The woman caught in adultry, actually, many believe she was set up, if she was caught where was the man, both were guilty.

Once again this was a woman who Jesus encountered when she was dragged before him, we have no indication that she became part of his inner group of disciples

Now whilst many of these became believers, this account with Martha is with a woman who was a close friend, a disciple whom Jesus loved.

Martha appears to have been the head of the house , her sister Mary and brother Lazarus also lived with her.

This family was so important to Jesus that when Lazarus became ill and was dying a message was sent to Jesus who was a considerable distance away.

Jesus stayed in Martha’s home, he travelled several days walk through bandit country to bring Lazarus back to life.

Martha was a close friend of Jesus a respected woman in her village, Martha was well known in Jerusalem as well.

There is no hint that she had received healing from possession as in the case of Mary Magdalene who was another woman in the inner circle of disciples.

There is no hint that Martha received healing from a physical illness or social isolation as we see occured for other women in the inner circle of disciples as listed in Luke 8:1-3.

We see a few similar confessions that Jesus is the Messiah from people such as John the Baptist in John 1:29-34, Andrew and Nathanael in John 1:40-49, and Peter in Matthew 16:16 but as far as I can tell this is the only one recorded by a woman, before the resurrection.

So Martha’s confession of Jesus as Messiah, the one who has come from God is incredibly important for all of these reasons and more.

Let’s take a closer look at Martha’s confession, her strength of character and the theological understanding that led her to this point.

As well as her struggle to grasp all that this meant in the midst of her grief and practical concerns around her brother Lazarus’ death.

Imagine a small village crowded with mourners

In this village are two grieving sisters.

Martha is the older, the one who is in charge.

These are well regarded people and many have travelled from Jerusalem and other nearby places to show their respects.

Their brother Lazarus has been dead four days and has already been placed into a tomb.

They had sent word to their dear friend, the famous religious teacher and miracle worker Jesus, the one they believed to be the Messiah, the deliver of Israel.

They have asked him to come and heal Lazarus of his illness otherwise he will die.

But Jesus hadn’t arrived in time and Lazarus was now dead and buried.

In fact he has been dead for so long now that according to Jewish belief of the time his soul has now departed.

People in Israel at this time held that the soul would hang around for four days after death in the hope of resusitation, but after this time there was no hope so the soul left.

Then they get word that Jesus is approaching.

He has come from the low country up the long and dangerous path to the village of Bethany.

And in John 11:20 we read that Martha, upon hearing that Jesus was approaching the village goes out to meet him.

Martha’s grief and disappointment that Jesus had not arrived in time to heal Lazarus is evident.

John 11:21 NLT

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.

Martha’s heart is crying out, “Jesus if you had been here my heart would not be broken right now”.

“You could have fixed this, Lazarus my brother would still be alive, but now he is dead.”

Let make no mistake about the depth of her disappointment.

In her mind Jesus didn’t get there in time.

“BUT” and there should always be a but when we are disappointed that God hasn’t done what we wanted. “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” (John 11:22)

Some see in these words from Martha a hope that maybe Jesus can bring Lazarus back to life right now.

Others that what Martha is expressing is the general belief of faithful Jews of the time that Lazarus along with all the other faithful will be raised to life at the end of time.

But what is clear in these words is that Martha is convinced that God listen’s to Jesus’ prayers.

Martha even if she dared to hope that Jesus could raise Lazarus to life at this moment is probably not actually sure what she needs or wants from Jesus right now.

Everything in her life is telling her that her beloved brother is gone.

Almost certainly as the oldest sibling she would have helped prepare his body for burial.

She had seen him placed in the tomb.

She like the people of her day almost certainly saw that the window of opportunity for a miracle had now passed due to the length of time Lazarus had been dead.

So Martha’s response when Jesus says to her in John 11:23-24 that her brother will rise again is perfectly understandable.

John 11:23–24 NLT

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

And it is at this point in John 11:25-26 that everything changes.

Jesus asks her a direct question about who he is.

He states his authority over death itself.

He is the resurrection and life.

Resurrection and life actually dwells within him and it is his to grant to whomever he wishes.

Anyone who believers in him will be raised to life on the last day and Lazarus is going to be an example of this power and authority.

And those who believe in him will never die, literally those alive at the end of time will not experience physical death and those who experience physical death will not die spiritually they will have fellowship with him untill they are raised back to physical life with a new heavenly body when Jesus returns.

He challenges Martha, “Do you believe?”

Jesus wants Martha to move beyond her traditional understanding of a vague belief in some future resurrection for the faithful to something truly liberating.

The source of life, the resurection power is Jesus himself, standing right here in front of her.

Martha’s confession of faith in Jesus is incredibly significant as I said earlier.

Martha is affirming all that Jesus has said to her as true.

John 11:27 NLT

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

When John wrote this Gospel he clearly identified towards the end of the book why he wrote it.

John 20:30–31 NLT

30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

Jesus’ statement that “I am the resurrection and the life” and Martha’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah.

In fact the whole account of Lazarus being raised back to life are central to why the Apostle John wrote this, the last of the Gospels.

New Living Translation Chapter 20

But these are written so that you may continue to believe* that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name

All the other confessions of faith by the male disciples were based on the incredible things they had seen.

They had just experienced Jesus doing incredible miracles.

They had experienced the crowds excitment.

We have no indication that Martha had shared in all of that, in fact Martha was making this confessionin in the face of an incredible test.

The grief of the loss of her brother.

So when in John 11:39-40 Martha states the blindingly obvious when Jesus says roll the stone aside.

John 11:39–40 NLT

39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”

Let’s not be too harsh on her.

She has just made an incredible confession of faith, she isn’t exactly convinced that Jesus will impliment it in relation to her dead brother right now.

And when we look at the response of her sister Mary who simply says to Jesus if you had been here Lazarus would have lived and carries on weeping at his feet .

We see how bold and courageous Martha is in this situation.

She engages in a theological discussion with Jesus.

She expresses disappointment that he had not come to fix things.

Yet she still believes he is the Messiah.

She trusts that even now he has more to offer.

And Jesus does have more to offer.

That is the thing about Jesus, the claim is followed by the proof.

John 11:41–44 NLT

41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

Now I don’t know about you but people being raised to life isn’t an everyday occurance.

I have seen miracles.

I have heard stories of people being raised back to life.

I have read the miracles of Jesus and the Apostle Paul and the Old Testament prophets.

But I have never seen someone restored to life after being well and truly dead, buried and decomposing.

But I do personally know some people who have been there when a person who had recently died and was confirmed dead was raised back to life.

And in one case in particular this is a person whose faith and integrity I absolutely trust.

So I am sure it happens even today.

But nether the less it isn’t something that is part of anyones everyday experience.

Martha truly was a woman of strength during turmoil.

But more importantly she was a woman of incredible faith in the face of incredible pain.

She maintained and grew in her faith even in the midst of grief.

I think the example of Martha can teach us all.

Even as she obviously wrestled with the need for faith in the face of the reality of death that was right in her face.

You are the Messiah, Martha believed it and Jesus proved it