John 11:24-27

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 

26 And whoever 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 to come into the world.”

“Yes, Lord, I Believe…”

“Your brother will rise again.” These were Jesus’ words to Martha as she was grieving for her brother. But Martha didn’t fully grasp what Jesus was saying as she thought He was talking about “the resurrection at the last day” when everyone would be raised. Martha was confident that her brother would be raised up at that last day. But this is not what Jesus was talking about in this instance. In verses 25 and 26, we see another one of Jesus’ “I am” statements. He says, “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.” 

Jesus teaches us that physical death is not what really matters. We try so hard to keep our physical bodies alive. We do everything possible to keep our loved ones alive, because we want to keep them with us. And this is what we should do! We are supposed to take care of our physical bodies, because they are a gift from God. We are supposed to take care of our loved ones. Our bodies house our souls. But…..what if we tried just as hard to keep ourselves spiritually alive as we do to keep ourselves physically alive? It is our souls that will live forever. Jesus doesn’t just provide life. He is life (vs. 25). Without Him, there is no life. Jesus was not just resurrected. He is the resurrection. Without Him, our physical bodies would die, and everything would be over for us. If we believe in Jesus, we will never die. Our physical bodies may die, but our souls will live with Jesus forever. What does Jesus mean by “believe”?

Belief includes obedience. Belief is a total commitment to Jesus. It is living our lives as a “living sacrifice” in His honor for His glory. (Romans 12:1) If we truly believe in everything Jesus says, then we will obey Him in every sense of the word. We will live for Him. In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” This is such a valid question. Why would I call Him “Lord”, but then ignore His commandments? 

Then Jesus asks Martha the question that we have all been asked when we obeyed the gospel, “Do you believe this?” “Do you believe in who I am?” “Do you believe in what I am capable of doing?” “Do you trust Me?” Then Martha makes that great confession that we have all made if we are Christians, “Yes Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God… ” I remember being asked, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?” With all my heart… I answered… “yes”. We will see Martha someday if we remain faithful! What an example of faith! Sometimes Martha gets a bad rep, kind of in the same way the apostle Thomas gets a bad rep for doubting Jesus. Often, we are only shown a picture of Martha as “the frustrated sister,” who fussed to Jesus about her sister, Mary, not helping her prepare the meal for the guests. We remember her as the sister who was reprimanded somewhat by Jesus for her attitude towards her sister. But we are shown a different picture here… a picture of a woman of great faith and trust in Jesus. Martha had no idea what was about to happen at this point. Her brother was dead, and had been sealed in the tomb for four days. Lazarus was a disciple of Jesus, and Martha knew that her brother would be raised on the last day, but she certainly wasn’t expecting what would happen next! 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!