27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
27 She said to Him,
Martha made a definite confession about Christ here.
“Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ [Messiah],
The “I” is emphatic. Martha made a definite assertion about what she believed. She declared (1) that Christ was the Messiah and (2) that He was the Son of God.
Martha’s belief was firm (perfect tense). Her faith was settled. She was fully confident of who the Lord was and what He could do.
the Son of God,
The words “Son of God” form a technical phrase for the deity of Christ.
who is to come into the world.”
Martha believed that the Messiah had stepped foot on earth to fulfill His mission. Although this is a wonderful confession, she did not fully grasp what Jesus said.
Martha believed that Jesus was the Messiah whom the Father sent into the world, yet she still did not know that her brother momentarily would rise from the dead. She had only a general belief about what Jesus would do with her brother in the future.
PRINCIPLE:
Christians need to settle their faith in the Lord.
APPLICATION:
Martha used three titles for the Lord: “Lord,” “Christ” (Messiah), and “Son of God.” She had a good grasp of who Jesus was. Her faith was evident four days after the death of her brother. Christians today, as well, need that kind of settled faith about who Jesus is.