John 11:23-27 (ESV)

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. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary lived, it was too late to prevent Lazarus’ death. Martha approached Jesus and told him that she knew he could have saved her brother if he had been there. So Jesus explained to Martha that Lazarus would rise again from the dead. Most of the Jewish people at this time believed in the resurrection of the dead at the end of all things or on the last day, and Martha affirmed that God would raise her brother to life at that time. But Jesus was not referring to the last day here. In the fifth of the seven “I am” statements in John’s Gospel, Jesus declared to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus announced to Martha that he is the provider of eternal life. He holds the keys to life and death, and he has the power to raise dead people from the grave. If a person believes in Jesus and dies, she will live, and if she lives and believes in Jesus, she will never die. Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, such a person “has” eternal life, and the moment she leaves her physical body, she will immediately be with the Lord. Then Jesus asked Martha if she believed this to be true about him. She affirmed that she did.

What an amazing and counter-cultural conversation Jesus engaged in with Martha! Although women were not normally educated under Jewish rabbis in the first century, Jesus nevertheless entered an incredibly theological discussion with her. He talked about deep truths, even declaring a critical “I am” statement to her. Jesus clearly demonstrated that all humans, regardless of ethnicity, social status, or gender, have great worth in the eyes of the Lord. Martha boldly professed to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” What a wonderful declaration of faith from a broken woman. Like Jesus, may we be willing to step outside cultural conventions and value all of humanity. Engage in a conversation about Jesus and his provision for all people groups with someone new. You never know who may be surprised to learn that Jesus spent time with all types of people in an era when not all were typically seen as worth the time and effort.