A Life in Exile

I recently returned from a women’s conference sponsored by The Gospel Coalition. The main sessions focused on the I Am statements of Jesus found in the book of John. It was probably one of the best conferences I’ve attended, as the speakers brought meat, not milk to the table, and even in the break-out sessions, we feasted on various aspects of the Word. I’m still digesting all I’ve taken in, but I wanted to focus this Wednesday Wisdom on a word the Spirit keeps bringing my way—BELIEVE.

It’s not a coincidence that after hearing a talk on Jesus’s proclamation as the resurrection and the life, I crashed on Sunday evening and watched the sixth episode of season four of The Chosen, which is from that same chapter in John and the raising of Lazarus. This has given me the opportunity to read, hear, and see this chapter several times in recent days.

Nancy Guthrie, who spoke on this chapter at the conference said that “Jesus is not afraid to push the issue of belief.” In fact, the word believe is used seven times in John’s recounting of this event.

Jesus wants his disciples to believe.

When Jesus tells his disciples that his friend has fallen asleep, they don’t get his desire to go and wake him up. He’s forced to use the harsher word to let them know Lazarus has indeed died, but then goes on to tell them that he’s glad he wasn’t there. Why? So that they would believe. (See John 11:15).

Did the followers of Christ not already believe? Why would he say that? While they did believe that their rabbi was the Messiah, most still had a skewed understanding of what that meant. They had yet to fully know him, to understand his purpose, and to connect the dots with all the Old Testament prophecies and passages which made that purpose clear. Theirs was a belief that could still be rocked by trials, attacks, and misunderstanding. Like Peter when he was walking on the water, they were easily distracted by the storms of life.

They had seen their rabbi’s ability over physical maladies and nature, but they had not all yet seen such a display of his power over death. And what they would witness was not just over a recent death, but one that has been in the grave for four days with no hope of return. This would deepen their belief in Jesus as the Son of God and also be used by the Spirit to accept the coming resurrection of Christ after three days in the tomb.

Jesus wants the sisters to believe.

Jesus loved Mary and Martha. Along with their brother, Lazarus, they were most likely his closest friends in his earthly life. It hurt him to watch the sisters having to struggle for four long days with the death of their dear brother. Their suffering was his suffering.

In this midst of their grief and hurt that he had not come sooner, he asks them for belief.

Jesus said to her [Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 CSB)

As with the disciples, Martha (and Mary like her) could boldly confess belief that Jesus was the Christ, “the Son of God, who comes into the world” (v. 27). They believed in the resurrection of the body, they believed that Jesus could heal the sick. Jesus needed them to believe the ultimate truth—his power over death. This was not just the physical form of death, but the deeper form, the spiritual death that comes with the curse of sin. Her brother is in the grave, and Jesus needs her to believe that the grave is inconsequential to the one who believes.

Jesus wants the crowd to believe.

Standing now before the tomb, Jesus asks for the stone to be rolled away. Martha makes clear that after four days there will be an odor. Death will have begun its task of decomposition. Life has been totally sucked out of her brother’s body. Why roll away the stone?

Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40)

He’s saying this to Martha, but others are listening. His disciples hear him and the crowd of mourners hear as well. Belief in Jesus allows us to see the glory of God, and they are about to see it big time.

So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent me.” (John 11:41-42)

This last public sign would put the seal on the matter for any who might doubt that Jesus had been sent by God. Those who chose not to believe were rejecting the obvious and turning their back on God and his appointed Messiah. Rejection of Jesus after this sign was obvious rebellion against God—unbelief.

Jesus, himself, clearly shared that the will of God is belief.

“For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40)

The resurrection the disciples, sisters, and crowd witnessed on that day was a foreshadowing of the resurrection of all who believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Do you believe?

Knowing Christ and believing that he is the Son of God who came to overcome the curse of sin and death is freeing. It means that we can have confidence that no matter what the world throws our way, he will bring us through. To face death in Christ is to face it without fear, for death in him is just a brief nap until he comes and restores us, body, soul, and spirit into new life in his eternal presence.

Do you believe? If you do, it should be evident in how you face today, the uncertainties of tomorrow, and all the days he gives you on this earth. Behold Jesus Christ and believe!

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Wednesday Wisdom, click HERE, or check out these other posts on belief in Christ: Watch How You Live, Walking in His Love: A Study of John’s Letters, 21, and What if I Stumble?