John 11:21 “Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”
“Martha” plainly declared her faith in the power of her Lord when she said, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died”. A little later, “Mary” said exactly the same words to the “Lord” (John 11:21). “Martha” well knew that, even though her brother was now dead, the “Lord” could still do something; for, she said “even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee”. But, our Lord did not have to be there in His body to know what was happening, to know that Lazarus was sick, or to know that Lazarus had died. Furthermore, He did not have to be there in His body to heal Lazarus and prevent him from dying. It is clear that, out of their sufferings, the Lord was teaching them and us magnificent lesson’s that are integral to our hope. Also, remember that John told us that “many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother” (John 11:19). Just before Lazarus had become sick and died, we are told that “Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24). Well, “the Jews” were about to see actual evidence that “Jesus” is “plainly” “the Christ” and that He has infinite power, even over death itself. Howbeit, many of “the Jews” would be revealed as frauds, for they still rejected the Lord, even after the firsthand testimony of “the Jews” who saw it. So, while these events bring us great comfort in our hope of the Resurrection, they also serve to plainly reveal those who “have not the love of God in” them (John 5:42); and not even raising the dead to life could make them love and worship “God” or to know Jesus Christ as the Son of God. But only those who have been given Spiritual Life (John 3:1-8) can believe and rejoice in the Lord. Later, the Lord said to “Thomas”, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). We are those who “have not seen, and yet” we “believe”; we didn’t see Lazarus raised to life and we didn’t see our Lord’s Resurrected body, but by the “faith” He has given us (Hebrews 11:1; 12:2), we joyfully “believe”! As was the case with “Martha” and “Mary”, there is no greater sense of peace and comfort than to knowingly feel our Lord’s presence with us in our times of great pain and distress! The Psalmist joyfully proclaimed it this way, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psalms 46:7)!