The encounter with Jesus in John 11 is framed in the context of disappointment, confusion and the pain of bereavement. The sisters have informed Jesus of Lazarus’s illness and remain convinced that if He had been present, He would have prevented Lazarus’s death. Yet they must now meet Jesus at a point of unbearable pain, the loss of their brother.
They both have faith in Jesus, but this encounter moves them from theory to practice. Martha confesses that Jesus is the Messiah and believes in resurrection, but she is not prepared for the miracle of resurrection from a tomb in which her brother’s body is already rotting. Mary’s grief is so great that others wept because of it, including Jesus. Yet in the midst of this pain, Jesus gives revelation about His identity which has comforted us throughout centuries: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
In all His encounters with individuals, Jesus treats people as individuals, showing both sensitivity and challenge in His responses. He is looking for faith in individuals, because when faith meets Jesus, miracles happen! This is seen in raising Lazarus from the dead, a powerful act which transformed this situation. Faith, when meeting Jesus, can turn our disappointment into unexpected joy.