1. If you had been here.... (17-22)

By the time Jesus arrived, four days had already passed since Lazarus' burial. Many people came to comfort Martha and Mary in their loss. Martha went out to meet Jesus. She expressed her regret at Jesus' late arrival. She had not lost her faith, but she was disappointed.

2. Your brother will rise again (23-27)

Jesus plainly told her that her brother would rise again. Martha thought Jesus was referring to a faraway day when the dead shall rise. What she believed was correct, but it was not sufficient. The resurrection is not merely an event in the last day. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. By believing in Jesus, we have eternal life in the present. We are saved from eternal condemnation. We may go through physical death, but we live with the assurance that it is momentary, like sleep. We shall rise from the dead. This is what Jesus promises to all who believe in him. Do you believe this?