The Conversation Between Jesus and Martha.

We are in Chapter 11 of the book of St. John.

A man namd Lazarus was sick. He was from the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ''Lord, the one you love is sick.''

Jesus got the message from the sisters, and said, ''This sickness will not end in death. It is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.''

Note: I've been wondering for a long time over this 'Son of God.'  I kept on reading to try and make some sense of it. For God says that His only son is Israel (Jacob). Then I read somewhere long ago, that the kings of Israel were seen to the people as 'sons of God because they were anointed and performing God's task. It started making sense especially when I read what Nathanael said when he met Jesus. He declared, ''Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel. So there it is: the king of Israel!

The people too, wanted to take him and make him king.

We are told that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus Having received the message that Lazarus was sick, Jesus stayed where he was for two more days, then he said to his disciples, ''Le's go back to Judea.''

I was always wondering why Jesus stayed an extra two days. Why didn't he go straight away when he got the message?

Then we learn that the last time he was in Judea, the people wanted to stone him. The disciples said to him, ''But Rabbi, a short while ago, the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you're going back?''
Jesus answered, ''Are there not twelve hours of sunlight? Snyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.''

Jesus should have been living in our time, he would have seen the lighting we have.

Jesus said to his disciples, ''Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm going there to wake him up.''
His disciples replied, ''Lord,  if he sleeps, he will get better.'' Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. Then he told them plainly, ''Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.''

Note: Jesus had already said that the sickness Lazarus had would not end in death; now he told the disciples, that Lazarus is dead.

One of the disciples whose name was Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ''Let us also go, that we may die with him.''

Jesus arrived at Bethany to find that Lazarus was already in the tomb for four days. Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

Note: In ancient times men had power over their wives. It read as if  Jesus had power over Mary, so that she must wait for him to call her.
''Lord, Martha said to Jesus, ''if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.

Note: Martha wasn't thinking for one moment that Jesus was God. You only have to read what she said.

Jesus said, ''Your brother will rise again.''
Martha answered, ''I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.''

Note: Martha knew quite a lot about the resurrection and the last day.

Jesus said to her, ''I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?''
''Yes, Lord, '' she replied, ''I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.''

Note: Martha wasn't stupid. She  must have read a lot and hear a lot too. From her speech we could see too, that she didn't see Jesus as God, but as the Messiah, the Son of God.

After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. ''The Teacher is here,'' she said, '' and is asking for you''
When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ''Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.''

Note: when Martha met Jesus, she didn't fall at his feet; but we see Mary doing so. Both Martha and Mary said the same thing to Jesus. ''Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.''  This is very interesting because there were Jews who came to comfort the sisters. So what was really going on. Did Lazarus really died?

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ''Where have you laid him?'' He asked.
''Come and see, Lord,'' they replied.
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, ''See how he loved him!''
But some of them said, ''Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?''

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. it was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.. ''Take away the stone,'' he said.
''''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.''

Note: This is also amzing that Martha should know how many days it would take for a dead body to smell.

Then Jesus said, ''Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?''

Note: the glory of God is mentioned often in the bible. Ezekiel mention it quite a few times.

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ''Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 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.''
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ''Lazarus, come out!'' The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips oflinen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ''Take off the grave clothes and let him go.''

Note: This is something fantastic that Jesus has done if the story is true. He would be the first man ever to bring the dead back alive.
Jesus was always saying,'' So that they may believe that you sent me.''
Why would Mary and Martha have the Jews come to visit them if something wasn't going on. Would they go to all that trouble, and if they were found out, what then?

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.