Faith - Accessing Eternity

This morning I am reading out of John.

John 11:21-26 NIV
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” [23] Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” [24] Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” [25] Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; [26] and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

My focus on reading these verses was drawn to two statements. First, Martha's comment to Jesus that she knew that anything He asked of God, God would do - verse 22. What an incredible statement of faith, in her place of loss. I can almost see her starting to think that maybe Jesus was capable of raising her brother, but not quite sure yet, so she is feeling her way forward. Graham Cook calls this exploring the favor of God. She is encouraged by Jesus reply, and so is seeking clarification, and pressing further. I know that the Lord brings us all to these places of our need coupled with His favor. We need God to move and He is favoring us with His attention and willingness to move, so that our faith might be enlarged. I can see Martha's faith was starting to grow, even beyond where she presently believed.

Now that I think a about it, after this conversation with Jesus, Martha heads back to town to get her sister. I wonder if she was already convinced that Jesus was going to raise Lazarus, and wanted to make sure Mary was there. Regardless, in response to her growing faith she invites her sister to join her. When we start to encounter the Lord in the place of our pain, let us not forget those around us who are also hurting around us.

Lastly, Jesus statement, "I am the resurrection and the life." is mind blowing. He was still operating as fully man, and He hadn't yet been raised from the dead. He was reaching outside of time, into the eternal reality of who He is, and doing so as a man. In other words, this is something that any of us are capable of doing, reaching into the eternal reality from where we exist in time. Jesus came to demonstrate to us all what a human, who walks in obedience, is capable of doing. All His miracles, all the glorious experiences were done as a human, for He had laid aside His divinity. He was demonstrating our ability to reach into the heavenly realm and bring that reality here.

None of us are the resurrection or the life, but in the eternal reality of heaven we are all sons and daughters of God, whom He loves and cares for with infinite passion and zeal. There is an eternal reality that is accessible to us, through faith in Jesus and obedience to the Father. I believe this is what the gift of faith is about, for a moment we understand who we are, and what the Father wants to do through us and we step into that place of authority that we possess in the eternal reality and speak into the present. I believe that as we grow in faith and understanding, this type of experience can become more normal, for the Father wants us to emulate Jesus. Jesus himself said we will do these things and even greater.

John 14:12-14 NIV
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Amen Lord!