Arthur E. Gove
"She said to him: Yes, Lord; I believe ..." John 11:27
THE raising of Lazarus, Christ's greatest miracle, was the seventh of the sign-wonders described in his Gospel by John. The pattern of this Gospel is based on the number seven, so we are not surprised to find that in His dealing with the two sisters He is seven times addressed as "Lord". We realise, of course, that the title was often employed in gospel times as a quite ordinary, polite, form of address which could easily be rendered, 'Sir' in our language. It marked respect, but not necessarily more. We can be sure that in the case of Martha and Mary it meant much more.
In the New Testament this same word is rightly ascribed to Christ in its fullest and most spiritual meaning, namely that of Sovereign Lord. We are told, for instance, that the time will come when every creature in God's universe will attribute this excellence to Jesus: "Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:11). It will be the ultimate confession of humanity, to God's glory, that Jesus Christ is the unique Sovereign Lord. Paul tells us that even now, "No-one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3), and he claims that the essence of his own preaching was just this "For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord" (2 Corinthians 4:5). We know that it was in this fullest sense that Martha exclaimed to Jesus: "Yes, Lord ...".
Martha may have her critics, but in her simple words to Jesus, she crystallised for all time what should be the heart response to the Lord Jesus of all who truly love Him. Others could call Him Lord, and yet not follow through with the implications of His lordship. Peter -- during a brief moment of inner conflict -- could even coin that incredible phrase: "No, Lord!" (Acts 10:14). The only valid response, however, to the challenges and claims of Jesus is this which was voiced so long ago at Bethany where, out of much sorrow and perplexity, Martha was given the grace to say: "Yes, Lord". Her example leads us to four areas of life in which this language was so sincerely used.
1. Yes, Lord, I believe Your claims (John 11:27)
Martha had been favoured by a Self-revelation of Christ: she was able to declare that she fully accepted that He was all that He claimed to be. His words to her were: "I am the resurrection and the life", He claimed to be the "I AM" and at the same time He said that He would share His life with those who trusted in Him: "Because I live, ye shall live also" (John 14:19).
These were the clearest claims to Deity that could possibly be. In Him there is the answer to life after death but, more than that, there is an answer to every experience of death here and now. Jesus says to us: "If you are dead, you can live through faith in Me". Our reply must be a positive, "Yes, Lord" as we appropriate His risen life. He affirms: "I am the resurrection and the life", and He waits to hear our reply: "Yes, Lord. I believe Your claims". He says to us: "If you believe in Me and live through Me, you will never be overcome by death but will live in the good of eternal life". It is for us in faith to respond, "Yes, Lord". [56/57]
John wrote that "every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (1 John 4:2). This must surely mean much more than simply saying that the story of Jesus Christ is a historical fact. That does not need the Holy Spirit. Secular historians accept the evidence of His life here on earth as being authentic. What it does imply is a vital relationship between Jesus -- the human name, and Christ -- the name of Deity. We are told that those who have this kind of living faith in the Lord Jesus are born of God (1 John 5:1). New birth first comes when the individual first commits himself to Christ and when, for the first time, he uses Martha's words and declares: "Yes, Lord. I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God". This is the beginning, and it is intended to introduce a life-style in the believer which means that he is constantly responding to the Scriptural presentations of the claims of Christ with a heartfelt, "Yes, Lord!"
