Moving Beyond Life's "If Onlys" – Do You Believe in the Resurrection Power Right Here, Right Now?

Dear friends, brothers and sisters, peace be with you.

In our daily lives, do you often hear people say, or even find yourself saying, these two words: "If only"? "If only I had been more careful back then..." "If only I had gone to the doctor sooner..." Behind these words usually lies a deep sense of regret and helplessness. Today, let us look together at the Gospel of John, chapter 11, verses 17 to 27. This passage records a conversation held in the midst of profound grief, between Martha, who had just lost her brother, and the Lord Jesus, who had intentionally delayed His arrival for four days.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. In the Jewish culture of that time, four days meant the soul had departed, the body had begun to decay, and everything was finalized. The air in Bethany was heavy with tears and irreversible despair. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she rushed out to meet Him. In that moment, she poured out the pain she had been holding back. Through this raw conversation between Martha and Jesus, let us listen to the deepest dialogue the Lord wishes to have with our own lives today.

First, we see Martha’s "limited faith" in times of crisis—confining God’s grace to the past and the future.

When Martha met Jesus, her very first words were, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." This sentence reveals her faith in Jesus’ healing power, but it also exposes her deep regret. Her faith was anchored in the "past tense"—if only Jesus had been there a few days ago, the tragedy would have been averted. Although she quickly added, "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask," her response when Jesus assured her, "Your brother will rise again," was telling: "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

From this, we catch a glimpse of Martha’s character. She was a knowledgeable, rational, and highly practical woman. She understood orthodox theology and knew there would be a grand resurrection at the end of time. However, her struggle was that she segregated God’s grace and power from her "here and now" reality. She placed her hope in the "past regrets" and the "distant future," completely missing the immediate hope standing right in front of her. Aren't we often just like Martha? We believe God performed miracles in the past, and we believe we will go to heaven in the future, yet we hesitate to believe that God can carve out a way in our present hardships.

Second, we see the "present tense" of Jesus’ declaration of life—He is the source of resurrection, transcending time and death.

Confronted by a faith confined within theological frameworks, Jesus issued a universe-shaking declaration: "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die." Jesus was not speaking of a distant historical event, nor was He teaching a piece of theology. He was declaring His very nature and authority.

The Lord Jesus holds ultimate authority over life and death. He shattered the constraints of time and bypassed the boundaries of Martha’s logic. The Lord was telling her: You don’t need to wait until the final day, because at this very moment, the Source of Life is standing right before you. Wherever Jesus is present, death must retreat, and despair turns to hope. This power of the Lord Jesus has never changed. Whether you are facing a frozen marriage, a career rock-bottom, or a withered spirit—situations that seem as hopeless as being "dead for four days"—everything can be brought back to life through the present-tense power of Jesus.

Third, we see a "leap of faith" when our perspective shifts—moving from demanding a specific miracle to surrendering to the Lord's sovereignty.

Right after declaring this magnificent truth, Jesus presented Martha with a gentle yet direct challenge: "Do you believe this?" This was the turning point. Jesus did not ask, "Do you believe Lazarus will walk out right this second?" Instead, He asked, "Do you believe that I am the One sovereign over all of this?"

Martha’s response was breathtakingly beautiful. She said, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Do you see how her faith grew? She stopped dwelling on why Jesus didn't arrive earlier, and she let go of her own timeline for the "resurrection." She shifted her focus from "how the problem would be fixed" to "who Jesus is." Her faith leaped beyond the limits of human reason, elevating from a desperate desire for a miracle to a total surrender and devotion to the identity of Jesus. Genuine faith does not demand that God act according to our methods and timelines; rather, like Martha, it declares before the circumstances change and while tears are still wet: Lord, I believe in Your sovereignty; I believe in Who You are.

Dear friends, brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus comes to the doorway of your life today. Looking at the "tomb" where your dreams, passions, or relationships have been buried, He gently asks you: "Do you believe this?"

May the Lord personally take away all the "if onlys" from our hearts today and heal our regrets. May the Lord of Life, who lives and reigns at this very moment, step into the most helpless corners of your life, granting a peace that surpasses all understanding, and transforming your faith from mere traditional knowledge into a real, face-to-face longing and encounter with Him. Amen.