How Many Times...?

John 11.17-37

¹⁷ When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, ¹⁹ and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹ Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” ²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴ Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

²⁸ When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” ²⁹ And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³² When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴ He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Jesus began to weep. ³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

“How many times do I have to tell you…?”  A phrase we may have used with children – or others we are frustrated with for not listening.  We say something a few times and hope they will understand what we are trying to tell them.  Yet children can take a long time to figure out how to get dishes further than the counter and into the dishwasher.  Or maybe having them clear the table and later have to find the sugar in the fridge instead of the cupboard.

Three times in this story different people state that if Jesus had been there earlier, Lazarus would not have died.  Martha says it as Jesus arrives.  Mary says it as she kneels at Jesus feet.  Then the Jews say it at the end as they remember that Jesus gave sight to the blind man.

John wants us to know that there are many who are seeing Jesus and beginning to understand. The disciples go with Jesus, and as they lay down their life to go with him they receive life.  Jesus gives life and the people are seeing that.  And the disciples are hearing it from three sources as they are dealing with the death of Lazarus.  And they have not yet seen him rise. 

John wants us to see that Jesus brings life.  Jesus tells Martha, and all of us, that he is the resurrection and the life.  He asks if she believes and he asks if we believe.  Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  So we ask, “Do we believe that Jesus brings resurrection and that he brings life?”  We may die, but we will have life with him forever.  Believe in the resurrection and the life.

Prayer

God of our salvation,

you have restored us to life,

you have brought us back again into your love

by the triumphant death and resurrection of Christ:

continue to heal us

as we go to live and work

in the power of your Spirit,

to your praise and glory. Amen.

Song – I Am the Bread of Life