John 11:17-22, Four Days Later

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." 

Jewish tradition in the time of Jesus held that the soul hung around the body for three days, seeking an opportunity for reentry. These three days were the most intense time of Jewish mourning with the thinking that the soul of the dead person witnessed the demonstration of familial grief. Jesus has delayed for days, decomposition has set in, and the hope of recovery for Lazarus has passed. Martha, Mary, and their friends would have understood that at this point no one could bring Lazarus back from the dead. 

Yet in Martha’s words to Jesus there is a sense of hope in the midst of her despair. She recognizes that if Jesus had been present, her brother would not have died; however, even now she believes so intensely in who Jesus is that “whatever you ask God, God will give you.” Why has Jesus waited so long? He waited because the greater the challenge of bringing Lazarus back to life, the greater the glory will be for God his Father, and the greater the strengthening of faith for the people present. Setup by Martha, Jesus will perform the greatest of signs in the Gospel of John, overcoming the finality and horror of death itself—death that came to the people of God after they were expelled from the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life. Jesus is going to open the door and give us a glimpse into Eden. 

Consider your thoughts about the finality of death. How have you experienced grief in your life? Do you believe like Martha that Jesus will indeed do something about it? Is your hope for life after death in him and in him alone? Spend some time in prayer with him.