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.
I.
Perhaps Martha is viewed negatively because of the famous confrontation she had with Jesus over her sister Mary. You may remember that Luke tells us about that in his Gospel. Jesus came to visit the two sisters and Martha felt like she was doing all the work. After all, Mary was just sitting there listening to Jesus and not helping her get the meal ready for their guests. But that was just a snapshot in their lives. I’m sure that Jesus’ response to Martha’s frustration was something both sisters remembered all their lives. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
And we can tell from our Gospel Lesson that listening to Jesus’ was exactly what Martha did after that day. How else can we explain her knowledge of life and death. Our Gospel Lesson continued, “23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Martha had been listening to Jesus’ teaching. And she had some head knowledge of the fact that there will be a resurrection of the dead on Judgment Day. But Jesus wants her to know the most important fact about the resurrection of the dead. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Martha’s hope and her faith needed to be personal. She believed that the dead will rise on the last day. But for a fuller faith she needed to know that it would only be possible because of the person standing in front of her! Jesus himself is the resurrection and the life!
Martha’s faith in Christ and her answer to the question we are considering, “Do you believe this?” needed to rest on Jesus’ claim about who he is. Did you notice that Martha didn’t answer Jesus’ question as directly as we might have expected. Her response went in a different direction, but it actually pointed to a deeper foundation to Jesus’ claim about himself. “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” The fact that Martha recognized Jesus as the Christ, or the Messiah in Hebrew, is significant. Remember that Christ is a title not a name. Jesus is the Christ. He is not Mr. Christ. It’s not his last name. It means “the anointed one.” What was the Messiah, the Christ, anointed to do? He would be a prophet, a priest, and a king for his people. He came to speak the truth from God, to offer himself as the sacrifice for sin, and rule in the hearts of believers. And what did it mean that Martha identified Jesus as the “Son of God, who is to come into the world?” As God’s Son Jesus had the authority and the ability to overcome death. But Jesus wasn’t sent by his Father to bring only a short-term solution for death. No, he came to permanently end death’s power. Hebrews 2:14 15 remind us that Jesus came, “so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” That is why Jesus could speak to the dead directly and command them to wake up. He was the One who would suffer the wages of the sins of the dead man and all dying men. He received the death sentence that every sinner destined for the grave deserves.
As we look at the first truth that will prompt a “yes” answer to Jesus’ question we focus on who Jesus claimed to be. He’s not just another religious leader, nor a supremely spiritual person. He is the resurrection and the life. He is the Messiah. He is the Son of God, who was to come into the world. His identity. His titles. His claims about himself are all validated by God the Father. Just as Martha believed those truths through Jesus’ teaching, he is with us this morning confirming those same facts in our hearts. And so, like Martha, when Jesus asks us, “Do you believe this?” We can have full confidence in replying, “Yes, Lord I believe your claim about who you are.”
II.
I suppose someone could say, “Believing Jesus’ claim about himself certainly requires faith. But not nearly as much faith as it takes to believe Jesus’ claim about those who have faith in him.” I think that’s true. And it’s something Christians have wrestled with from the day Jesus spoke the words in our Gospel Lesson. Jesus said to Martha, “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” For us to more fully understand Jesus’ claim about his followers who have faith in him we need to step back and look at how the Bible talks about life and death. From Genesis to Revelation, we find references to three kinds of life and corresponding to each we hear of three kinds of death. There are passages that refer to spiritual life, physical life, and eternal life. And, sadly, because of sin in the world we are told spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death exist as well.
Equipped with that understanding Jesus’ claims about his followers become clearer. Let’s go back over Jesus words using the rest of the Bible to help us make sense of his words. Jesus tells us that, “The one who believes in me will live (they will be given spiritual life through faith in Jesus), even though they die (even believers will succumb to physical); 26 and whoever lives (spiritually) by believing in me will never die (eternally).” With these words Jesus was claiming that he had power over ALL death and that he had the power to give FULL life to those who put their faith in him. 1 John 5:11–12 summarizes it so well, “11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Let’s take a moment to make this very personal. Every person in this sanctuary was born facing death, death, and more death. Although physically alive we were born spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:1 gives us the bad news. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Or as Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” But Jesus chose to give you life through the Word, and he connected that Word to water in your baptism. You were made spiritually alive. He keeps you alive through the Word and once again that Word connected to something you can see and handle. Well, actually he invites you to eat and drink the proof that he gives you spiritual life now and forever. Because of this you will never die. Of course, your body will be subject to death. But death is now just a sleep from which Jesus will awaken you. And Jesus will give life to your mortal body.
With these truths in mind let’s return to the question that Jesus asked Martha. “Do you believe this?” God the Holy Spirit enable us to say, “Yes, I believe Jesus’ claims about his followers. I believe they are true words about me. I have Spirit created faith in him and he has made me spiritually alive. Now even though I may die, because I live by believing in him, I will never die.”
III.
So far so good. We followed in the path of faith that Martha walked with Jesus so long ago. We have heard how Jesus confirmed the claims he made about himself. He is the resurrection and the life. He is the Messiah and the Son of God. We have recalled how Jesus confirmed his claims about his followers. They will never die. And we have been encouraged to see how he has done all these things for us. He brought us to life through his life-giving Word. We were born again through water and the Spirit. And we will live even though we die. And now as we follow Martha to a cemetery let’s ask Jesus to confirm his claim about his power over death.
Imagine the emotions for Martha as she again saw the place where she witnessed her dead brother’s body being interned. And we see Jesus’ human nature on full display. “38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.” As she had done when Jesus arrived Martha struggled to believe that what seemed impossible was possible for Jesus! “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Martha, Martha why don’t believe? You and I know the answer to that question. Because we are weak and fearful. Perhaps it is because we think that if we don’t get our hopes up they won’t be crushed. Thankfully, Jesus didn’t leave Martha in her doubts. 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The miracle confirmed Jesus’ claim that he had power over death.
Two weeks from today we will celebrate the greatest confirmation of that claim. The one who said, “I lay down my life—only to take it up again,” would do exactly that. After taking our sins upon himself Jesus conquered death through his death. And by walking away from the tomb where he had been buried, he confirmed his claim of having power over death. Romans 14:9 tells us, “For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” Through his Word Jesus desires to bring life and hope into our lives. What comfort those words brought to Martha when she was grieving over the death of her brother Lazarus. In Revelation 1:18 he also declared, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” As we daily journey closer to our collision with death may we hold tightly to the words of the one who has defeated death’s power. When the Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he noted that Jesus, “has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10)
The last verse of our Gospel may be the best way to bring us back to our question from Jesus. Do you believe this? John tells us, “45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.” Jesus words created faith in all those who believed in him. And the miracle Jesus did when he gave life to a dead man confirmed those words.
“Do you believe this?” What great question for us to consider this morning as we focus on the theme of life! Do we believe Jesus’ claim about who he is? Is he the resurrection and the life? Do we believe Jesus’ claim about his followers? That they live spiritually through faith in him and although they may face physical death they will never die? Do we believe Jesus’ claim about his power over death? May our answers be yes, yes, and yes! Amen.
