The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 100

Vers. 17-27.---,Tesus and Ma,rtha,. Our Lord had at Jut come to the neigb\,our- hond of Reth1my, but not to the village itself, I. THE 001'-00LENCII OF THE J EWB WITH TBE BERRAVED BIBTERB. "And many of the Jews came to Martha and :Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.n 1. Thi• 'Vi.sit of sympathy implies tha,t the fa,mily at Bethany was well known a,nd higlily respected by the Jews qf Jerusalem. 2. It a,fforded a providential opportunity to Jesus for the working of his U1,St 'ITlif'acle in sight qf tht Jews. 3. The time of bereavement is the time that demands all the resO'IIA'ces of consol.ation. The days of mourning )Vere divided among the Jews into three periods of three days of weeping, seven d«ye of lamentation, and twenty days of sorrow. II. 'lo INTERVIEW BETWEEN JEBus AND MABTRA, "Then Martha, as•soon as she heard that Jesus was ooming, went and met him: but Mary sat in the house." 'l'he different character of the two sisters is revealed in these words. 1. lJfartha, would evidently be tle first lo receive the news of Christ's roming. Not so much, perhaps, because the message would be first brought to her as the mistress of the house, ae because, going about the house in the busy routine of her life, she would be in the way of first rcoeiving intelligence. 2. .l,fary's profound feeling, that made her a, better listener than M<trtha,, makes her a, more helpless sufferer now. She sits still in the house, She is not so e&pable as Martha of shaking off her depression at· once. 8. Martha', address to our Lord shows that she is not IIO overwhelmed by grief as to prevent her utteram.ca. "Lord, if thou hadst been here, our brother. ha.d not died." . (1) This ia not the language of complaint, for she does not ·say, "Lord, if thou hadst come, our brother had not died." She most have known that Lazarus was dead before. the tidings could have reached the Lord. (2) 1t is the simple language of faith and love; for she seems to say tha.t death could not have entered the happy home at Bethany in the face of Divine power and Divine love. She is even sure that now be was able to restore her departed brother to lifa. u Whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." She remembered, no doubt, the two Galila!an miracles·of.resurrection~, 4. 0wr Lord's 041.li'IJJe'r to Ma,rlha'a touching appeal,. "Thy brother shall, rise: a.gain."· (1) He alludes evidently to tai.e miracle about to be performed. (2) A belief in the resurrcC:: tion of pious Jews was already familiar, as an ina.nguration of the reign of the Messiah; from the language of Daniel (xii. 2) and from the Meccabees. Death is not the final conqueror. ~- Martha'• apparent m'UNlllderstam.ding of hi.a sa,ying.. "I know that he shall rise age.in in the resurrection at the last day.'/, (i).Her rejoinder, marked by a spirit of mournful resignation, goes back npon the belief·of the final resurrection, which, howeiver, had no direct bearing upon her present ·bereavement. There is an evident touch of disappointment in her words. 6. Jesus as. the Resurrection and the Ltfe. (1) He is the Resurrection, (a,) as be is "the First-Begotten from the dend" (Col. i. 18); (b) ai; he is 1he Anthor or Cause of the resurrection of believers: "I will raise him up at the la.st day" ( eh. vi. 54); ( c) as bis resurrection involves their resurrection (1 Cor. xv. 23). (2) He is the Life. Jesus goes beyond resurrection to life itself. (a) He is eternal Life. (b) He giyes 1:tis life for his people. (c) He is the Lifo of his people (Col. iii. 3). (a) His life in glory is the guarantee of the believer's life. ".Becal18e I live, ye shall live also." (e) He is the Life of both soul and body in the resnnection (Rom. viii. 11). (3) FaiU1 which unites the believer to Christ admits of no severance by death. "He tha.t believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall be live." This sentence might apply to Luarus in his tomb. As a. true believer, though now in the power of death, Le would yet be restored to life. Or• it might apply, generally, to sinners who accept Christ as Saviour. (a) They are dead iu sin (Eph. ii. 1). (b) Yet when quickened by God's Sµirit they believe upon Christ. (c) And their faith ensuree life spiritual and everlasting. "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall neveir die." (•) The faith and life are regarded as equivalent terms. becaWl8 they are inseparably joined t.ogether. (/J) Death cannot break the contir,.uity of Chriatian life. 'l'he second death does not touch jt at all, 7. Mo;rtha,'s trwm,pha,,,c /aUh, J•ue •ys, "Believeat thou this? She aaid unto him, Yea, ou. xr. 1-57,] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JORN. 103