Jesus and the little family at Bethany— Martha, Mary, and Lazarus—were special friends. When Lazarus became ill, Jesus and his disciples were in Galilee, which was some distance from Bethany. The sisters sent word to Jesus concerning Lazarus’ illness, but he did not go to them immediately. He waited for two days, and then announced that Lazarus had died, and was “sleeping,” and that he was going to “awake him out of sleep.”

Martha went out to meet Jesus as he approached their home. Gently chiding him, she said, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” (John 11:21) Martha was heart-broken, and this was an excellent opportunity for Jesus to comfort her, which he did. But what reassuring words of comfort did the Master speak to Martha in this time of her great need? Did Jesus say to her, as has often been said under similar circumstances, “Martha, your brother is not really dead, he has merely cast off his outside shell, his body”? Did Jesus say that the real Lazarus was more alive than ever? Did he say to Martha that it was quite likely the “soul” of Lazarus was hovering nearby? Did he say, “Martha, there is no death”?

No, Jesus said nothing of the kind. Jesus had previously said to his disciples, “Lazarus is dead,” and he would not now contradict this truth by saying to Martha that her brother was more alive than ever. What he did say to comfort Martha was in keeping with the testimony of the entire Word of God. Knowing that Lazarus was actually dead, he said to Martha, “Thy brother shall rise again.”—vs. 23

If Lazarus was ever to live again he would have to be restored to life, and Jesus assured his sister that this would be done: “Thy brother shall rise again.” Martha was not sure just what Jesus implied. She knew that Jesus had awakened others from the sleep of death, and she had said to Jesus, “Whatsoever thou will ask of God, God will give it thee,” but she was not certain that Jesus would at that time ask God to awaken her brother from the sleep of death. So she replied, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”—vss. 22-24

Martha knew that there was to be a general resurrection of all the dead, and that then Lazarus would be awakened from the sleep of death. She was acquainted with the promises recorded in the Old Testament, and she had given reverent and believing attention to the teachings of Jesus, so she knew that there was a glorious hope of resurrection for all mankind. Martha also understood that the general resurrection would take place in “the last day.” The last day is not “doomsday,” as many have supposed. The word “day” in this instance refers to an era, or age, the final age in the great plan of God for the redemption and salvation of the human race from sin and death.

There are various ages in the divine plan of salvation. Prior to the first advent of Jesus there was the Patriarchal Age, and also the Jewish Age. Beginning with the first advent of Christ, there has been the Gospel Age. These have been preparatory ages in which God has selected and prepared those who were to cooperate with Jesus in the final age of the divine plan, the last day, that period of time when God’s plan would reach its consummation in the awakening of the dead and the restoration to perfection of life of all who then would believe and obey the laws of Christ’s kingdom.

Martha knew about this final age, or last day, in the plan of God, and she knew that her brother, and all who had died, would then be awakened from the sleep of death. But Martha did not know whether or not this is what Jesus meant when he said, “Thy brother shall rise again.” Nor did Jesus explain to her directly just what his immediate intentions were. Instead, he replied, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” (vss. 25,26) Martha had expressed faith in the general resurrection at the last day. Now Jesus explained that he was the “resurrection, and the life,” the one who would awaken the dead in the last day, and give everlasting life to all who then believed on him.

In this reply to Martha, Jesus mentions two classes of those who receive life through him. First there are those who now believe, and yet go into death. These, he assured Martha, would he awakened from death. And there are those who, being awakened in the resurrection, then believe on him. These, he said, would never die again. The Rotherham translation reads, “He that believeth on me, even though he die, shall live again! And no one who liveth again and believeth on me shall in anywise die.”—vss. 25,26

After thus assuring Martha of the awakening of both the believers and the unbelievers in the resurrection, Jesus asked her, “Believest thou this?” Martha replied, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.” (vss. 26,27) Martha understood, and properly, that the Christ, or Messiah of promise, would be sent into the world to save mankind from death, and that this would be accomplished through an awakening of those who “sleep” in death. She believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Christ who was to come, and that in him was the power of the resurrection.