In the story of Lazarus, things go from bad to worse. First Lazarus is sick, and so His sisters call on Jesus for help. Two days later Jesus sets out for Judea, after Lazarus has died. Danger is waiting in Judea for Jesus, but His disciples follow Him there to at least die with Him if that is the outcome. We see later that when Jesus gets there Lazarus has been buried for four days.
The Jews did believe in resurrection, but they believed for a person to physically come back to life it had to happen within three days. After that the spirit left the body and it was at this point that the body would be buried (I've heard different traditions of burial so this part may or may not be true). So it's possible that Lazarus had been dead for a week by the time Jesus got there.
Things seem to be over. People have gathered to mourn, the sisters are grieving the loss of their brother, and now Jesus shows up. And it's here that we see the crucial next step towards new life, hope. Hope is crucial to any situation. Without hope, a cancer patient doesn't stand a chance of beating the disease. Without hope, a man stranded in the wilderness has no chance of survival. Without hope, a solider has no hope of winning the war. Without hope, an athlete has no shot at victory. Without hope, new life is not possible.
Martha, the sister of Lazarus comes to Jesus first, and says to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." She knew Jesus, and she knew that Jesus could have saved her brother, that's why they had called on Him. But even now, when Lazarus is dead and buried, she still shows hope in Jesus, "Even now I know..." She knows who Jesus is, she know what He is capable of, and her hope has not died with her brother.
"Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?' She said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.'"
Jesus affirms the hope she has in Him. Jesus tells her that new life is coming, not just in the distant future at the final resurrection, but soon, very soon. He tells her that He is the resurrection and the life, that He has power over life and death. He has power over sin. He has the power to give new life, and it is power that she will witness first hand very soon.
We must have hope, without it new life is not possible. If we hold on to hope, even in the worst times, Jesus will strengthen it. These lyrics from the song The Words I Would Say come to mind, "Be strong in the Lord and, never give up hope," Our only hope is in Jesus, and as it says in Romans 5.5, "and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." It talks about how God showed His love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And that because of His love we can rejoice in our trials and hardships because of hope.
The step of hope is an essential step on the journey to new life. Hope does not disappoint us when it is rooted in God and His love.
To God alone be the glory!
Peace be with you
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