"Do You Believe This?”

There’s a verse in our Gospel Lesson for today that makes me smile a little every time I read it. It takes me back to many years ago when I was serving a congregation in Tulsa, OK. There was an elderly lady in the congregation named Doris—Doris Rudolph. When Teresa and I first arrived at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Tulsa, she attended worship every Sunday. Her daughter brought her to church because she wasn’t physically able to drive anymore. In a couple of years, she began to decline physically and mentally. The diagnosis was Alzheimer’s and as she began to fade more and more her daughter moved her to an assisted living center. Of course, I would go and visit her there. But in short time my visits with Doris became more and more difficult. At the assisted living center, she sat in her wheelchair and slept most of the time. When she did wake up and look up she often didn’t recognize me. I would read the Bible to Doris, share a brief devotion, and a closing prayer. For those of you who know me it doesn’t surprise you that I could keep talking even if she didn’t respond.

For several months I wasn’t sure if she was hearing what I was saying. But during one particular visit that I remember very well I found out that she was listening. At least that day she was. You wouldn’t have known it by looking at Doris. Her eyes were closed and her head was bowed. She slumped slightly forward in her wheelchair. But when I got to the powerful words of Jesus in John 11:25-26 something amazing happened. I read, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” In response to that question Doris raised her head and opened her eyes and looked right at me. And said, “yes!” And immediately she returned to her previous repose.

“Do you believe this?” What a great question for us to consider from our Savior, Jesus! And I think we can apply that question to several things Jesus said in our Gospel Lesson. But before we nail down our answer to Jesus’ questions let me ask you another question. Did you happen to notice how many times the word “believe” appeared in our Gospel Lesson for this Sunday? Open your worship folder so we can take a look. Wow! The word “believe” is used 7 times in these verses. With that fact in mind let’s return to Jesus’ question. May God the Holy Spirit enable us to answer in the affirmative to all the questions we find in our Gospel Lesson.

“DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?”

I. Do you believe Jesus’ claim about who he is (v. 25a, 27)

II. Do you believe Jesus’ claim about those who have faith in him (v.25b,26)

III. Do you believe Jesus’ claim about his power over death (v.38-44)

It is a challenge to quickly summarize everything that led up to the verses of our Gospel Lesson. Jesus had received word that his dear friend Lazarus was sick. Of course, it wasn’t by accident, nor a lack of concern, nor because of poor planning that Jesus delayed going to help Lazarus. In the time that he waited to respond Lazarus died.

Our Gospel Lesson picks up the story when Jesus finally arrives on the scene. John tells us, “On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.” We can’t say why one sister went out to meet Jesus and the other one stayed at home. But they both had similar hurt in their hearts and identical questions about Jesus not arriving on time. We can sense the pain and confusion in Martha’s heart breaking and heartbroken words, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” We’ll get back to those last words in a few minutes. Although we didn’t read it in our Gospel Lesson, we know that Mary said the same thing to Jesus when she saw him. And although we don’t hear from Mary in our reading we can assume she too was challenged with the same question from Jesus. “Do you believe this?” But Jesus revealed to these sisters the truth about the claims he was making. Those facts would lead them to say, “yes,” to his question. And “I believe,” to all of his claims.