Mary & Martha

Introduction

As you have just witnessed, the next people groups we will be looking into today in our series of “I believe” comes from the story of Mary and Martha and their life changing moment when Jesus raised their brother, Lazarus from the dead.

The video gave us a possible viewpoint of what Mary and Martha experienced during that time and the days and years afterward.

This particular passage and story, I must admit, has been difficult this week to study and prepare. It is one that is very familiar, and one that quite honestly hit home for us these past few weeks.

I appreciated the leadership of this church in allowing me last week to take time to be in the right head space to prepare God’s Word for you. This week as I have read over and studied this passage, God’s Word has been one of comfort and strength. It shows us the various circumstances that are place in our lives can be comforted by God’s Word as we continue to walk as disciples of Christ.

This week I have been living out our definition of a disciple as I have been seeking to know God more, being transformed into Christ’s image, especially empowered by the Holy Spirit as I waked in the context of community of believers who have been supporting me through their thoughts, words, prayers and deeds.

With that, this morning I am going to take you through a journey through the story and look upon the importance of this event in Christ’s story found throughout John’s gospel. We are going to look into the why, the view of the sister’s and what they experienced, What Christ stated about this story and end up with an application for our lives as we live out the story of God in our lives.

The importance of this miracle

One of my favourite radio personality was Paul Harvey. He would often come on the radio with a segment entitled.

“And now you know the rest of the story”

in his short clip he would tell the story behind a famous event that we often would know, but not the back story to how it became famous or the events leading up to the story.

This story found in the book of John chapter 11 has one of those back stories.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of sitting under a seminar given by Joe Amaral. In this seminar he lead us through the life of Christ and specifically the miracles that Jesus performed.

What really got my attention was the explanation of the messianic miracles. Up till that point, I like many of you, I believed that all miracles by Jesus to be God in the flesh working directly into the lives of people.

Messianic Miracles

What I learned in that seminar that not all miracles according to the Jews were the same.

What they had come to hold to be true were signs that the messiah would show miracles that only the true messiah would demonstrate.

You see, in my mind if I saw a man displaying miracles,he would have my attention. Not all miracles got the attention of the people and or the religious leaders.

Turning water into wine. A concept local craft breweries would love to have and master.

That didn’t get their attention. What got the religious leaders and the faithful followers of the Jewish people were the four Messianic miracles that Christ did.

Let me read to you the first messianic miracle

Mark 1:40–41 ESV

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”

First Miracle- Healing a man from leprosy

As most of you know Leprosy or a skin disease was believed to be caused because of something you did or that you parents had done.

This disease was something you stayed away from and those inflicted with this would be forced to cry out, “stay away”

You see the common belief held to in that day was if you had leprosy it was because you were cursed with this by God.

And because of that cursing from God, only God could heal one from this cursed disease. They believed that the messiah would come one day and restore life to those who had been cursed.

The man’s simple request, “if you will”, became a turning point in the ministry of Jesus.

“I Will”, said Jesus and mark the first of four messianic miracles.

It was the beginning of head turning in the life of Jesus

Let me read the second

Matthew 12:22–23 ESV

22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”

Second Miracle-Casting out a mute Demon

Why would we say that casting out a demon the work of a miracle?

This is important as the casting out of a demon from a person required that the rabbi would call out to the demon to identify themselves. The demon would speak and when the name was spoken, then they could effectively cast out the demon by calling all his name. This casting out was not miraculous, but a task given to the rabbi.

We may think this to be silly that you would need to know the demon’s name in order to cast it out, but think about this for a moment.

When you were younger and in the wrong, what name was used by your mother when she wanted your attention?

That is right, your full name. I jokingly say we gave our sons two middle names so when their mother would call both names, they knew they were in trouble.

The miracle was not the ability to cast out, rather, the second messianic miracle is being able to cast out without knowing the name.

The people knew this and the teachers of the law knew it as well.

When Jesus completed this second messianic miracle, heads began to turn, Jesus hadn’t fluked out with one, now he has two and was in the clear running in their minds to become the messiah.

John 9:1–7 ESV

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Third Miracle- Healing a man born blind

The Jews were firm believers that being born blind fell into the same camp as a curse from God.

You would be considered an outcast in society.

If it was truly a curse from God, then only God could reverse the curse.

The miracle really got the attention of the leaders. They began to seek out ways to disprove of this miracle and after much discussion and effort to prove this didn’t happen, they had to settle on the fact that this was truly a messianic miracle.

Look what John wrote:

John 9:32–33 ESV

32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

The completion of the third miracle. The first three were miracles that drew little attention but the last, the pivotal messianic miracle brought forth Christ’s purpose in coming to the world.

Let’s look at the story

John 11:1–44 ESV

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. 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.” 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Fourth Miracle- Raising one from the dead

What an incredible story! For many it is a great source of strength to believe in God for the impossible. There is also he Hebraic influence in the passage that brings it to life. The rabbis taught that the resurrection from the dead was only possible within the 1st three days. The belief was that the spirit of a person would hover over the body for the first three days after death. During that time, it was one who empowered by God to do so, resurrection was possible. But only the Messiah could perform a resurrection on or after the fourth day. - Understanding Jesus - Joe Amaral- pg 126

Lazarus was just dead or faking dead, he was dead for 4 days.

You see in the custom of the Jewish people of that day, they had onto the believe that the spirit of the body would hover and wait to see if life would return. It was held to that fact that after 3 days, the spirit would leave completely leaving no hope of returning to life.

Mary & Martha

It is in this story that we find the sub story of Mary and Martha.

Believing in Jesus brings great hope and comfort while helping to order the emotional chaos that we sometimes feel inside our lives. In the video we just witnessed, two dear friends of Jesus named Mary and Martha are portrayed as talking through some of their beliefs in Jesus as they sort through an obviously emotional time in their life. These two women are sisters who also had a brother named Lazarus that Jesus raised from the dead as described in the eleventh chapter of John’s Gospel.

The actors who portrayed Mary & Martha drew us to use our imaginations a bit and situate this conversation we just witnessed between Mary and Martha somewhere in the future of their lives not only after Jesus had raised their brother Lazarus from the dead, but also after Jesus had experienced and overcome death. Let us suppose at this point in Mary and Martha’s life that Jesus had already gone to the cross, defeated sin and death rose from the grave, and later ascended back into Heaven after appearing to many people including His disciples.

It is reasonable to expect that those life-changing events of Jesus’ story would have caused friends and fellow believers in Jesus such as Mary and Martha to remember how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Their conversations with Jesus about believing in Him and Him being more powerful than death likely would have swirled in their memories when they processed the good news of Jesus’ glorious resurrection and the empty tomb on that first Easter.

Although ongoing belief in Jesus likely brought great hope and comfort to Mary and Martha the second time they experienced their brother’s death whenever that time came, the pain in that present moment probably was no less real. Just because a person believes in Jesus does not absolve that person from setbacks and seasons of life that are disorienting with sorrow. However, once a person puts his or her faith, hope, and trust in Jesus, that foundational instant of belief from a point in the past can continue to be powerful in the present and into the future.

If only Statement

In working through this passage this week and specifically the story of Mary and Martha it draws us to the “if Only” statements in our lives.

During these parts of the story, both Martha and Mary bring incredible emotion.

Feeling frustrated, they both had a difficult time controlling their grief.

Mary and Martha both knew from their previous interactions and perspectives of Jesus that He could have and should have changed their situation concerning their brother if only he’d been here.

“If only”

Do we come to God with “if only” requests and questions. Does God permit us to heave those heavy burdens and requests upon Him.

The sister’s request of Jesus to return to a place that placed Him at high risk was no small matter. Their Brother was Sick. They had seen first had Jesus had healed, cured, fixed so many others,

Mary and Martha’s request was a cry for help from a close and intimate walk with their saviour.

The request came with a sense of urgency in their voice. Lazarus sickness was nearing the point of possible death.

Jesus’ response to the request of the sisters must have been puzzling.

Puzzling to the followers around Jesus as he didn’t seem to move for their request. Puzzling for the sisters as their friend, their saviour, the messiah didn’t come.

Jesus’ response

It will not end in death, but exhalation of Jesus.

In those moments of asking God, the “If only” questions, it is good to be reminded of two things,

1. God is not put off by us asking

Let’s begin by looking at the conversation between Martha and Jesus.

Remember this is the second time we see a conversation between the two of them. Martha came to Jesus the first time and complained about her sister’s lack of caring for her guest.

This time Martha comes to Jesus full of grief, full of questions and Look at the dialogue

John 11:21–22 ESV

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

If only you had stepped up when I needed you.

If only you had come, my grief would be gone

If only you had spoken the word, my beloved brother would be here to great you.

Yet in all those if only statements, Which are statements of the head and our understanding, we see Martha’s heart.

You are still the Christ, God will give you what you ask

In this conversation, Jesus didn’t rebuke her for her “if only” statement like the last time they had a recorded conversation, rather he encouraged her.

This encouragement led to the most profound statement of Head understanding to heart understanding.

John 11:27 ESV

27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Mary’s grief question was the same

“if only”

If you had come, he would not have died.

Notice Jesus response to Mary’s statement.

He was overwhelmed with sorrow, He wept. He went to the tomb.

Jesus is willing and allows us to come to Him with our sorrow, with our grief as he too grieves.

He would have loved to have come earlier to save them from their grief, but Jesus was to be glorified in this moment.

Which leads us to the second thing we need to be reminded of.

2. it’s good to be reminded that God’s timing is not our timing.

Christ’s response to the request was not one of being bothered rather “wait and see” what I am about to do.

In the moment of their intense Grief, Jesus felt that sorrow for his loved ones.

God’s timing doesn’t bring comfort for us as we walk through those moments of “if only”

It bring sorrow and longing, yet we know that God has in store the bigger picture.

The wait and see what I will do with this situation,

It would have been far easier for Jesus to come four days earlier to take away their pain, yet in the lives of Mary and Martha they had the oppourtunity to see the Wait and see of God’s timing.

In their story we too can hold onto the fact that their will come a time when we will see the wait and see to our stories, our lives.

I am the Resurrection and the life

The ultimate wait and see is Christ’s statement in this story.

I am the Resurrection and the life.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts a. The Announcement of Death (11:1–16)

this episode contains a strong personal command to believe in Jesus in a crisis, when such belief would be most difficult. All that preceded is preparatory; all that follows it is the unfolding of a well-marked plot.

I believe is not just a matter of the mind. IT is a matter of the heart.

True belief like Martha’s comes when we walk through those difficult times those times of “if only” and yet apply it to our hearts.

He is the Resurrection and the life.

Application to our lives

Jesus has compassion for you in the painful moments of life, just as we see Him demonstrating with these sisters in the story. And just like Martha, Jesus invites you to exchange your dreaming about the past and wondering what might have been, for a look to the future that could be with Him in control of your life.

Maybe you need to forgive yourself for something painful from the past. One definition of forgiveness is this: Forgiveness is giving up all hope of ever having a better past.

Perhaps you need to forgive yourself of your past and move forward with the compassion, love, and grace of Jesus into the future? Not only is forgiveness a powerful part of healing the past hurts, habits, and hang-ups in our lives, but also it is paramount if we are to understand and experience the fullness of what believing in Jesus can mean for our lives.

Martha’s conversation with Jesus in verses 23-27 regarding the resurrection and what she believes are some of the most powerful in all the Bible. When Jesus asked Martha if she believed in what He said about the resurrection, her “yes” to who Jesus was and Him being in control even over death made a powerful statement.

Biblical scholar Hershel Hobbs says:

“Martha’s response was the greatest confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah which is recorded in the gospels…Martha made hers from the pit of despair. She had sent for Jesus in her hour of great need. Insofar as she could tell, He had failed her. Yet she still believed in Him.”

Conclusion

This morning I was reading a devotional and it summorized this very story. The author wrote,

Please come.

It doesn't need to be a physical illness of a loved one for that to be a heart cry. Living in a broken world means all manner of things come across our path and cause deep pain.

Jesus please come.

Where does your heart turn when trouble comes?

Perhaps you believe that Jesus is able to help you, but underneath there's a doubt that he is willing, so instead you work on fixing it alone.

Yet we give up his rest for us striving when we doubt his willingness to help.

Mostly when that doubt enters in, if we can be honest, at his deepest root is the fear that maybe you're not loved enough to deserve his help.

Oh but you are so loved!

His grace is there for even for doubt.

His word teaches and tells us that we are loved, but life experiences and challenges can leave us with a lingering doubt, and the stronghold of the noise of the world can suddenly take presidence over what God says.

Don't allow doubt in either his desire or his ability, cause him to be your last resort rather than your first port of call.

Whatever it is you need when you cry out to Jesus, you can do with complete confidence that you are deeply loved just as Lazarus sisters did.

Psalm 139:17

Psalm 139:17 ESV

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

tells us that you are cherished constantly in every thought.

It is a position of confidence humility a position acknowledges that in our own strength in our own striving we fall far short

yet by his grace we have been given full access to every blessing through Christ Jesus has it dearly beloved ones

In this we can hold fast Christ’s love and grace for our lives no matter what circumstances or position we find yourself in today.

Amen

Response to Worship