John 11:39 Commentary and Bible Study

When Christ commands the stone to be taken away, Martha protests. She believes he is the Lord. She thinks it is possible he might raise her brother from the dead. She seems to have accepted the Lord’s intimation, but she suffers a moment of doubt and her faith deserts her when the moment comes. Lord, he has been four days dead. He has decomposed, and the stench, I can smell it through the stone. It is awful. It is too late, Lord. Her faith fails, and how does Christ deal with it?The removal of the stone was not going to be part of the miracle. The removal of the stone must be accomplished by human hands. Why? Because all attention is going to be focused on the raising of Lazarus. No theatricals. No complicating factors. This is what is important. He is divine, and he has the power of life. He is the resurrection, and the life, and he can restore life to Lazarus.