“Lazarus, Come Forth”
451
expressed by the pathetic words, “Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my
brother had not died.” But looking into that face of love, she added, “I
know, that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give
it Thee.”
Jesus encouraged her faith, saying, “Thy brother shall rise again.”
His answer was not intended to inspire hope of an immediate change.
He carried Martha’s thoughts beyond the present restoration of her
brother, and fixed them upon the resurrection of the just. This He
did that she might see in the resurrection of Lazarus a pledge of the
resurrection of all the righteous dead, and an assurance that it would
be accomplished by the Saviour’s power.
Martha answered, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrec-
tion at the last day.”
Still seeking to give a true direction to her faith, Jesus declared, “I
am the resurrection, and the life.” In Christ is life, original, unborrowed,
underived. “He that hath the Son hath life.”
1 John 5:12
. The divinity
of Christ is the believer’s assurance of eternal life. “He that believeth
in Me,” said Jesus, “though he were dead, yet shall he live: and
whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou
this?” Christ here looks forward to the time of His second coming.
Then the righteous dead shall be raised incorruptible, and the living
righteous shall be translated to heaven without seeing death. The
miracle which Christ was about to perform, in raising Lazarus from
the dead, would represent the resurrection of all the righteous dead.
By His word and His works He declared Himself the Author of the
resurrection. He who Himself was soon to die upon the cross stood
with the keys of death, a conqueror of the grave, and asserted His right
and power to give eternal life.
To the Saviour’s words, “Believest thou?” Martha responded, “Yea,
Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should
come into the world.” She did not comprehend in all their significance
the words spoken by Christ, but she confessed her faith in His divinity,
and her confidence that He was able to perform whatever it pleased
Him to do.
“And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her
sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.” She
delivered her message as quietly as possible; for the priests and rulers