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Commentaries
English
John
  
20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house.21Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.22And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."24Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."


When Martha heard that Jesus was near, she hurried towards him lamenting; thinking to herself that if he had arrived in time the nightmare would not have struck. She gave expression to her faith when they met, confident of his limitless power. She did not waste time expressing her sorrow, but spoke of her trust that he would arrest the death; she did not know how, but she believed in his absolute authority, and in his bond with God, who would answer the Son’s prayer at all times.
Jesus instantly responded to her faith with a mighty promise, "Your brother shall rise." She did not fully grasp the import or his words, but considered them as a promise of the final resurrection for him. She was now hopeful, realizing that death is not the end. Resurrection to life is what believers expect.