She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
John 11:27 is Martha's answer to Jesus' question whether she believes He is the resurrection and the life, confessing Him as the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world, in declaration of His Messiahship and divinity. Her confession trusts that He is able to do whatever work He pleases, though she made it without yet understanding in all their significance the words He had just spoken. It belongs to the raising of her brother Lazarus, who had lain four days in the tomb with his body beginning to decay when Jesus raised him in the greatest of His miracles. That raising shows Jesus as the Son of God has power over death to restore the life lost through sin and to give immortality, and His own resurrection is the pledge that all who receive and believe in Him as personal Saviour will be raised by the same power at the last day. The death and raising of Lazarus was permitted to give public, convincing proof of His divine power, Messiahship and character as Saviour and Lifegiver, meant as last and crowning evidence to the Jews and to anchor the disciples' faith through Christ's suffering and death.
Setting and Martha's Confession
The verse belongs to the story of Lazarus of Bethany, for whom the greatest of Christ's miracles was performed. Lazarus was among the most steadfast of the disciples, strong in faith and deep in love from the first meeting and greatly beloved. While Christ blesses all who seek Him and loves the whole human family, He was bound to some by peculiarly tender ties, and His heart was knit by a strong bond of affection to the family at Bethany. Lazarus was the dead brother of Martha and Mary, who had lain in the tomb four days and whose body had begun to decay when Jesus raised him, and the verse is part of that account of his resurrection.
The verse is Martha's answer to Jesus' question, Believest thou this, about His being the resurrection and the life. In it she confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world, declaring His Messiahship and His divinity. Her confession means she trusts that He is able to do whatever work He pleases or wills. She made this confession without yet understanding in all their significance the words Jesus had just spoken about being the resurrection and the life.
Resurrection Power and Witness
The raising bound up with this confession shows Jesus as the Son of God to have power over death and power to raise the dead, bringing great joy to those who mourn. As the resurrection and the life, He has power to restore the life lost through sin and to give immortality. The Son of God thus revealed is health and strength in Himself, before whom disease is rebuked and Satan's power in disease and death is combatted. Yet He pays the ransom on the cross, tastes death for every person, and is strong to save the whole world, having given Himself a ransom for all who return to loyalty, as the Father gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for sin and transgression.
The raising of the dead in this account shows Jesus fulfilling His mission as the Pattern Man, just as certainly as when He toiled as a carpenter hiding His divine mission, when He walked on the Sea of Galilee, and when He died as sacrifice to lift the whole race to new and perfect life. Lazarus, together with the son of the widow of Nain and Jairus' daughter raised during Christ's ministry, was not clothed with immortality but remained subject to death and decay after being raised. By contrast those who came forth at Christ's own resurrection were raised to everlasting life, never again to see death or sorrow, as trophies of His victory over death and the grave and as samples and a symbol of the final resurrection of the righteous. Christ's resurrection is the pledge of the resurrection of the righteous, and He will raise believers to life at the last day, so that all who receive and believe in Him as personal Saviour as confessed here will be raised by the same power that raised Christ and be glorified with Him.
The death and raising of Lazarus was permitted to give the Jews the last and crowning evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. The miracle gave public, convincing and undeniable proof of His divine power, Messiahship, authority and identity as the Christ. It demonstrated His character as Saviour and Lifegiver, and revealed the Father through Christ to believers and unbelievers. It was evidence meant to anchor the disciples' faith in the Father and the Son even through Christ's suffering and death.
Lazarus himself believed Jesus to be the Way, the Truth and the Life, and after being raised stood as living evidence of divine power urging the people to consider what they would gain by putting Christ to death. The miracle drew a large, enthusiastic multitude and powerfully affected minds. The raising led many to believe in Jesus. Yet those hardened in unbelief remained unpersuaded, and the Jewish leaders rejected Him despite this display of divine power.
John 11:27 is Martha's answer to Jesus' question whether she believes He is the resurrection and the life, confessing Him as the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world, in declaration of His Messiahship and divinity. Her confession trusts that He is able to do whatever work He pleases, though she made it without yet understanding in all their significance the words He had just spoken. It belongs to the raising of her brother Lazarus, who had lain four days in the tomb with his body beginning to decay when Jesus raised him in the greatest of His miracles. That raising shows Jesus as the Son of God has power over death to restore the life lost through sin and to give immortality, and His own resurrection is the pledge that all who receive and believe in Him as personal Saviour will be raised by the same power at the last day. The death and raising of Lazarus was permitted to give public, convincing proof of His divine power, Messiahship and character as Saviour and Lifegiver, meant as last and crowning evidence to the Jews and to anchor the disciples' faith through Christ's suffering and death.
Setting and Martha's Confession
The verse belongs to the story of Lazarus of Bethany, for whom the greatest of Christ's miracles was performed. Lazarus was among the most steadfast of the disciples, strong in faith and deep in love from the first meeting and greatly beloved. While Christ blesses all who seek Him and loves the whole human family, He was bound to some by peculiarly tender ties, and His heart was knit by a strong bond of affection to the family at Bethany. Lazarus was the dead brother of Martha and Mary, who had lain in the tomb four days and whose body had begun to decay when Jesus raised him, and the verse is part of that account of his resurrection.
The verse is Martha's answer to Jesus' question, Believest thou this, about His being the resurrection and the life. In it she confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world, declaring His Messiahship and His divinity. Her confession means she trusts that He is able to do whatever work He pleases or wills. She made this confession without yet understanding in all their significance the words Jesus had just spoken about being the resurrection and the life.
Resurrection Power and Witness
The raising bound up with this confession shows Jesus as the Son of God to have power over death and power to raise the dead, bringing great joy to those who mourn. As the resurrection and the life, He has power to restore the life lost through sin and to give immortality. The Son of God thus revealed is health and strength in Himself, before whom disease is rebuked and Satan's power in disease and death is combatted. Yet He pays the ransom on the cross, tastes death for every person, and is strong to save the whole world, having given Himself a ransom for all who return to loyalty, as the Father gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for sin and transgression.
The raising of the dead in this account shows Jesus fulfilling His mission as the Pattern Man, just as certainly as when He toiled as a carpenter hiding His divine mission, when He walked on the Sea of Galilee, and when He died as sacrifice to lift the whole race to new and perfect life. Lazarus, together with the son of the widow of Nain and Jairus' daughter raised during Christ's ministry, was not clothed with immortality but remained subject to death and decay after being raised. By contrast those who came forth at Christ's own resurrection were raised to everlasting life, never again to see death or sorrow, as trophies of His victory over death and the grave and as samples and a symbol of the final resurrection of the righteous. Christ's resurrection is the pledge of the resurrection of the righteous, and He will raise believers to life at the last day, so that all who receive and believe in Him as personal Saviour as confessed here will be raised by the same power that raised Christ and be glorified with Him.
The death and raising of Lazarus was permitted to give the Jews the last and crowning evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. The miracle gave public, convincing and undeniable proof of His divine power, Messiahship, authority and identity as the Christ. It demonstrated His character as Saviour and Lifegiver, and revealed the Father through Christ to believers and unbelievers. It was evidence meant to anchor the disciples' faith in the Father and the Son even through Christ's suffering and death.
Lazarus himself believed Jesus to be the Way, the Truth and the Life, and after being raised stood as living evidence of divine power urging the people to consider what they would gain by putting Christ to death. The miracle drew a large, enthusiastic multitude and powerfully affected minds. The raising led many to believe in Jesus. Yet those hardened in unbelief remained unpersuaded, and the Jewish leaders rejected Him despite this display of divine power.