There is so much in John 11 that I am breaking it up into 3 posts. The first was posted earlier, verses 1-16, The Death of Lazarus. This second post concerns Lazarus' sister Martha who went to meet Jesus on his way to Lazarus. Verses 17-31 give assurance of the resurrection, not only of Lazarus but of all who believe on Jesus: then, now, and until the Lord comes again.
V17-20 As Jesus was coming, he found that Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. Many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Since they were offering comfort, it seems likely that they had heard of the death of Lazarus and that is when they came to comfort Martha and Mary. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him but her sister Mary sat still in the house.
V21-24 Martha speaks to Jesus: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died". Martha had faith that Jesus would have been able to heal Lazarus of his illness. She further says "I know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." To this Jesus answers "Thy brother shall rise again." Martha thinks that Jesus is speaking of the future resurrection at the last day and so she says "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
V25-27 It is at this point that Jesus tells Martha a wondrous truth. "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?" And next we have Martha's confession of faith, "Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." In these verses Jesus is saying that all those who believe on Jesus, though their earthly bodies will die, yet they shall live. Paul the apostle said that he would rather be absent from the body and present with the Lord.
V28-31 When Martha had finished her confession of faith, she went home and called Mary secretly, saying "the Master is come, and calleth for thee." And as soon as Mary heard that, "she arose quickly and came unto him." Martha went to Jesus as soon as she heard he was coming and she received a glorious truth about the resurrection, but Mary chose to stay home until she was called by Jesus. Perhaps it was better to do as Mary did, and wait to be called by Jesus but it was in being alone with Jesus that Martha received her comfort concerning the resurrection of her brother.
Jesus had not yet come to the town of Bethany but was still in the place where Martha had met him. But something more happened, the Jews that had been with Martha and Mary to comfort them saw that Mary got up hastily and went out, and so they followed her thinking that she was going to the grave to weep. They did not suspect the great wonder that was about to behold them.
The next post will be the raising of Lazarus.
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vcg
Showing posts with label Martha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martha. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Daily Bible Reading: John 11: 1-16 -The Death of Lazarus
John chapter 11 is full of teaching: Firstly is the raising of Lazarus. This is not the first time that Jesus has raised the dead; previously he raised the dead son of a widow while on his way to burial, also the daughter of Jairus, a child of 12. But Lazarus is different. He was raised to show forth the glory of God. Lazarus, unlike the previous two, was already in the tomb, and had been for several days. He was a person well known to Jesus and loved by him. Many people witnessed the raising of Lazarus. Jesus did it in a very public manner while the first two were in a more quiet way.
The raising of Lazarus takes place after the teaching of Jesus that he is The Good Shepherd. That his sheep hear his voice, that they follow him, Lazarus heard the voice of Jesus calling him and he came forth.
Also in this chapter is Lazarus' sister Martha. Jesus gives Martha the assurance of resurrection. Also here is the shortest verse in the bible "Jesus wept."
V1-3 A certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was of the town of Bethany, as were his sisters Martha and Mary. They sent word to Jesus saying "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick."
From this we know that Martha and Mary were well acquainted with Jesus as they did not hesitate to send word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick. It is likely that they believed that Jesus would come and heal Lazarus as he had done to so many others.
V4-7 Jesus said to his disciples "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." This verse is confirmation of the close relationship that they had. But Jesus did not immediately go to Lazarus, he stayed two more days in the same place because the death of Lazarus was to be very significant.
V7-16 After the two days were up, Jesus told his disciples "let us go to Judea again." His disciples were surprised at that because the Jews had wanted to stone Jesus there. But Jesus said to them "our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." His disciples did not understand that Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, they just thought that Lazarus was sleeping as restful sleep so Jesus told them "Lazarus is dead." Then Jesus told them that he was glad that he was not there when Lazarus died because it was because of this that they would believe. Jesus said "nevertheless let us go to him."
My next post will be about Martha, and her assurance of the resurrection of Lazarus.
______________________________
vcg
The raising of Lazarus takes place after the teaching of Jesus that he is The Good Shepherd. That his sheep hear his voice, that they follow him, Lazarus heard the voice of Jesus calling him and he came forth.
Also in this chapter is Lazarus' sister Martha. Jesus gives Martha the assurance of resurrection. Also here is the shortest verse in the bible "Jesus wept."
V1-3 A certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was of the town of Bethany, as were his sisters Martha and Mary. They sent word to Jesus saying "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick."
From this we know that Martha and Mary were well acquainted with Jesus as they did not hesitate to send word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick. It is likely that they believed that Jesus would come and heal Lazarus as he had done to so many others.
V4-7 Jesus said to his disciples "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." This verse is confirmation of the close relationship that they had. But Jesus did not immediately go to Lazarus, he stayed two more days in the same place because the death of Lazarus was to be very significant.
V7-16 After the two days were up, Jesus told his disciples "let us go to Judea again." His disciples were surprised at that because the Jews had wanted to stone Jesus there. But Jesus said to them "our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." His disciples did not understand that Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, they just thought that Lazarus was sleeping as restful sleep so Jesus told them "Lazarus is dead." Then Jesus told them that he was glad that he was not there when Lazarus died because it was because of this that they would believe. Jesus said "nevertheless let us go to him."
My next post will be about Martha, and her assurance of the resurrection of Lazarus.
______________________________
vcg
Friday, September 11, 2015
Bible Women: Martha of Bethany, Cumbered with Much Serving
Martha of Bethany
Luke 10:38-42, John 11:5-28
Martha and Mary, sisters in the Word of God, both have a very important part in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ as he was on this earth as the Son of man, in perfect sinless humanity and deity. Previously we have studied Mary, so this study will focus on Martha.
Martha is named in the bible before her sister, she is referred to in Luke 10:38 as "a certain woman named Martha" who "received him into her house" one day when Jesus was visiting the town of Bethany. We learn much from this verse, Martha is a woman who offers the Lord Jesus hospitality, the house is called "her house"..it is not Lazarus or Mary who first greets the Lord Jesus, but Martha. Perhaps she is the oldest. It is certain that Martha was well acquainted with the Lord Jesus, because the next verse tells us about her sister Mary who "sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word." Unlike so many who rejected the Lord Jesus, Martha receives him and desires to serve him, as we learn in the next verses. Luke 10:40-42 "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
Martha, it seems, took her role of hospitality very seriously. There must have been quite a few people in the house, probably some disciples of Jesus were there as well. V40 tells us that Martha was cumbered about much serving, she was very concerned because this task seemed too much for Martha to handle by herself in a timely manner, and so she asks the Lord Jesus to bid Mary help her. The Lord Jesus gently rebukes her by repeating Martha, Martha. Several times in the bible a person is called by their name twice.
Luke 10:38-42, John 11:5-28
Martha and Mary, sisters in the Word of God, both have a very important part in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ as he was on this earth as the Son of man, in perfect sinless humanity and deity. Previously we have studied Mary, so this study will focus on Martha.
Martha is named in the bible before her sister, she is referred to in Luke 10:38 as "a certain woman named Martha" who "received him into her house" one day when Jesus was visiting the town of Bethany. We learn much from this verse, Martha is a woman who offers the Lord Jesus hospitality, the house is called "her house"..it is not Lazarus or Mary who first greets the Lord Jesus, but Martha. Perhaps she is the oldest. It is certain that Martha was well acquainted with the Lord Jesus, because the next verse tells us about her sister Mary who "sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word." Unlike so many who rejected the Lord Jesus, Martha receives him and desires to serve him, as we learn in the next verses. Luke 10:40-42 "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
Martha, it seems, took her role of hospitality very seriously. There must have been quite a few people in the house, probably some disciples of Jesus were there as well. V40 tells us that Martha was cumbered about much serving, she was very concerned because this task seemed too much for Martha to handle by herself in a timely manner, and so she asks the Lord Jesus to bid Mary help her. The Lord Jesus gently rebukes her by repeating Martha, Martha. Several times in the bible a person is called by their name twice.
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