Do You Believe This?
Whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? — John 11:26
"Jesus wanted [Martha's] belief to be rooted in the present moment; he wanted her faith to be a personal possession, and he asked a question that led her to a new understanding: “Do you believe?”" Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Nov 6
Jesus is moving Martha from hope into to faith. Hope is defined as looking forward to the goodness God in our lives. The Bible declares hope to be a powerful member of the big three essential aspects of the spiritual life: "And now abide (lasts forever NLT) faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13) Hope is the raw materials, the building blocks of faith although it is missing an altogether important aspect which is the present active possession of the promise. Faith expects the favor of God to be fulfilled today; it has it right now not just in the future. Chambers points out the distinction: "When Jesus told her that Lazarus would rise again, she replied, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24) Martha had hope in the future resurrection but not faith.
That's not to say hope is unimportant, it most certainly is. Research consistently shows that hope is crucial for psychological and physical well-being. Higher levels of hope are linked to better mental health, life satisfaction and resilience against setbacks. Without hope we wither and die spiritually and psychologically. But hope is more comfortable than faith. It makes less emotional demands because there is no immediate timeframe that can cause dashed expectations if unrealized. Yet the Bible says of the patriarchs in the hall of faith, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13). In other words, the patriarchs had faith of a present possession of the promise ("embraced them") and their eyes were fixed upon the Lord for the promised fulfillment to their dying day.
"Jesus wanted [Martha's] belief to be rooted in the present moment; he wanted her faith to be a personal possession, and he asked a question that led her to a new understanding: “Do you believe?”" Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Nov 6
Jesus is moving Martha from hope into to faith. Hope is defined as looking forward to the goodness God in our lives. The Bible declares hope to be a powerful member of the big three essential aspects of the spiritual life: "And now abide (lasts forever NLT) faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13) Hope is the raw materials, the building blocks of faith although it is missing an altogether important aspect which is the present active possession of the promise. Faith expects the favor of God to be fulfilled today; it has it right now not just in the future. Chambers points out the distinction: "When Jesus told her that Lazarus would rise again, she replied, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24) Martha had hope in the future resurrection but not faith.
That's not to say hope is unimportant, it most certainly is. Research consistently shows that hope is crucial for psychological and physical well-being. Higher levels of hope are linked to better mental health, life satisfaction and resilience against setbacks. Without hope we wither and die spiritually and psychologically. But hope is more comfortable than faith. It makes less emotional demands because there is no immediate timeframe that can cause dashed expectations if unrealized. Yet the Bible says of the patriarchs in the hall of faith, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13). In other words, the patriarchs had faith of a present possession of the promise ("embraced them") and their eyes were fixed upon the Lord for the promised fulfillment to their dying day.