I am very excited about this column as we continue to look at Jesus and women in the Gospels. Remember the focus is about the relationship of Jesus with Mary and Martha. Because the story is so long and has many twists and turns I want you to read the scripture before I comment.
John 11:1-57
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So, when He heard that he was sick,
He stayed two more days in the place where He was.
Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
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.
“But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
These things He said, and after that He said to them,
“Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”
However, Jesus spoke of his death,
but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
“And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.
Nevertheless let us go to him.”
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples,
“Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.
And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary,
to comfort them concerning their brother.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him,
but Mary was sitting in the house.
Then Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
“But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha said to Him,
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me,
though he may die, he shall live.
“And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ,
the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
And when she had said these things,
she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying,
“The Teacher has come and is calling for you.”
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.
Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.
Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying,
“She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
And He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind,
also have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.
it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him,
“Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.
And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,
“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
“And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”
Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come forth!”
And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary,
and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.
But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did
It was in the conversation and relationship with Mary and Martha that we learn many things about Jesus.
We see the love relationship between the four of them. Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus!
Let us also look at the root of that relationship in another scripture concerning them.
Luke 10:38-42
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village;
and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.
But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Therefore tell her to help me.”
And Jesus answered and said to her,
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part,
which will not be taken away from her.”
Now I want you to see some points.
*There was much interchange between Jesus and Martha and then Mary. This was uncommon for that culture and time in history.
*When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Here we see Jesus teaching profound things and giving reason for this sickness.
*Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Here is the statement of love.
*”Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
“But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
Here again is a powerful statement.
*Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me,
though he may die, he shall live.
“And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
*Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
The inner feelings of Jesus is clear in this statement.
*Jesus wept.
The deep emotions of Jesus are exposed and touched by the sadness and weeping of His friends.
*Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.
Still the emotions of our Lord is shown.
“Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Jesus keeps His promises! Glory.
“Lazarus, come forth!”
Had Jesus simply said “Come forth’ the entire grave yard would have come forth! Ha.
The mighty power of Jesus is revealed to these women and to the crowd.
*Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village;
and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.
But Martha was distracted with much serving,
Jesus even in that day and time was not afraid to enter into these two women’s home. He also welcomed Mary to sit at His feet and hear His Words and His Heart!
Jesus wants to be your friend and mine. He will reveal His Glory in our lives based upon our belief and faith. Let Jesus be near you and you will see His heart of love and compassion and strength. His power will meet your needs and bring resurrection to your brokenness.
Pilgrim followers of Jesus,
Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1