We are all familiar with the story in John 11 of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11 and the little conversation that Jesus had with Martha before He raised Lazarus.

Here is how I have usually read John 11:39-44:

Scene: [Mary and Martha are upset with Jesus because they had sent a message to Jesus that Lazarus was sick (John 11:2), and Jesus had not come. Now, four days after Lazarus has died (John 11:39), Jesus decides to finally show up. Mary couldn’t bear to face Jesus, but Martha went out meet Him (John 11:20).]

Martha: Too bad you didn’t get here five days ago … when Lazarus was still alive … when we called you to come. I’m angry at you, but I still believe that God is with you (John 11:21-22).

Jesus: Your brother will rise again (John 11:23).

Martha: (Rolls her eyes and thinks, “What a terrible thing to say at a funeral. How does that help me now?”). Of course he will, in the future resurrection along with everyone else (John 11:24).

Jesus: I’m not talking about the future resurrection event. I am talking about me. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he dies physically, will then live physically, and will never die for all eternity. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26).

Martha: Absolutely! Of course I believe that (John 11:27).

Scene: [Jesus goes and raises Lazarus from the dead. Big party ensues (John 11:41-44).]

Is that pretty much how you have understood this event, and especially the answer that Martha gives to Jesus in John 11:27?

Recently, I have begun to wonder if I have been reading this text wrong all along.

John 11:27 and John 21:15-17

What got me wondering is the little conversation Jesus has with Peter at the end of John, where Jesus asks Peter three times “Do you love me?” and Peter answers three times, “Yes, you know that I love you” (John 21:15-17)

We all know, of course, that the first two times Jesus asks Peter this question, Jesus uses the word “agape” for God’s divine love, but Peter answers with “phileo,” which is brotherly love. The third time, Jesus uses “phileo” also, indicating to Peter that he knows that Peter’s love will never be perfect, and that’s okay.

But what got me thinking was that with the first two questions, even though Peter said “Yes” what he was really saying was “No.” Jesus asked, “Peter, do you agape me?” and in saying, “Yes, I phileo you,” Peter was actually saying, “No, I do not, cannot, and will not be able to agape you. But I do phileo you, and that’s the most I can honestly offer.”

The night of Jesus’ crucifixion gave Peter a glimpse into his own soul, and he knows what resides there, and so he answers Jesus honestly.

Anyway, the fact that Peter says “Yes,” but actually gives a modified “No” made me wonder if Martha wasn’t doing something similar in John 11, for if you look at the text carefully, she does not say that she believes what Jesus asks her. Instead, she states her belief in something else entirely, and in fact, a few verses later, when Jesus tells her to have some men roll away the stone, she proves that she did not believe what He said, because she argues with Jesus about rolling away the stone! This is where Jesus reiterates to her what He told her previously, that He was the resurrection and the life. If she had truly believed Him, she would not have argued with him later in the chapter.

A New Reading of John 11

So now, I am wondering if John 11 could be read this way. The setup is the same, but the results are much different:

Scene: [Mary and Martha are pissed off because they had sent a message to Jesus that Lazarus was sick (John 11:2), and Jesus had not come. Now, four days after Lazarus has died (John 11:39), Jesus decides to finally show up. Mary couldn’t bear to face Jesus, but Martha went out meet Him (John 11:20).]

Martha: Too bad you didn’t get here five days ago … when Lazarus was still alive … when we called you to come. I’m angry at you, but I still believe that God is with you (John 11:21-22).

Jesus: Your brother will rise again (John 11:23).

Martha: (Rolls her eyes and thinks, “What a terrible thing to say at a funeral. How does that help me now?”). Of course he will, in the future resurrection along with everyone else (John 11:24).

Jesus: I’m not talking about the future resurrection event. I am talking about me. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he dies physically, will then live physically, and will never die for all eternity. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26).

Martha: That’s kind of crazy talk. Look, I believe you are the Christ, the promised Jewish Messiah. Isn’t that enough? (John 11:27).

Scene: Jesus says nothing, but looks at her with love filled eyes. They travel to the tomb of Lazarus. Jesus weeps. The people wonder why Jesus, if He loved Lazarus so much, couldn’t have healed him from his sickness (John 11:37).

Jesus: Take away the stone from the tomb (John 11:39a).

Martha: Are you okay Jesus? He’s dead. If you wanted to say your final goodbye, you should have done that four days ago when we called you. By now he stinks. Let him rest in peace (John 11:39b).

Jesus: Didn’t I tell you that I am the resurrection and the life? You didn’t really indicate that you believed me, but now I am going to show you that it’s true. Tell them to roll the stone away (John 11:40).

Scene: [Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Big party ensues (John 11:41-44).]

There is something compelling to me about this reading, but the main problem I have with it is that it messes with my understanding of John 20:31.

But what about John 20:31?

In the past, I used to think that John 20:31 was teaching that believing that Jesus is the Christ was the same thing as believing in Jesus for eternal life. But now I am not so sure.

Maybe, if this alternative reading of John 11 is true, then an alternative explanation for John 20:31 is also required.

Maybe John 20:31 is not teaching that believing that Jesus is the Christ is the same thing as believing in Jesus for eternal life, but rather, believing that Jesus is the Christ helps lead a person to believing in Jesus for eternal life.

This, after all, seems to be what happened to Martha.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will have eternal life. Do you believe this?”

She said, “No, but I believe you the Christ.”

Based on this belief, Jesus went on to show her that as the Christ, she could also believe in Him for eternal life.

Remember, at that time, most Jewish people thought that the Messiah, the Christ, would just be another human being with a special connection to God. They did not believe the Messiah would actually be God incarnate. Maybe Jesus is trying to move Martha from belief in Him as the Messiah to belief in Him as God in the flesh?

This also may explain why the apostles went about preaching what they did in book of Acts (see Acts 5:42; 9:22; 17:2-3; 18:5, 28).

Anyway, I am just curious what all of you think about that. Let me know!