John 11:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."

NIV: But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

NASB: Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.'

CSB: Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."

NLT: But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.'

KJV: But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

NKJV: But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

Martha began her words to Jesus with something that could easily be taken as an accusation: "if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21). Jesus had left the region to stay away from local religious leaders in nearby Jerusalem (John 11:18). When Lazarus fell ill, Jesus received a message from Martha and Mary, Lazarus' sisters (John 11:3). However, Jesus waited two days to begin His return trip (John 11:6), arriving four days after His friend was already dead and buried (John 11:17). While she certainly realized her brother had died before the message even got to Jesus, it wouldn't be unexpected for her to be frustrated.

However, Martha's words here show that she's not criticizing Jesus. Rather, she's expressing faith in His power, and her trust in His will. Her prior statement indicated she's not happy with the situation—her current statement indicates she's willing to trust God to make things right. At no point does she directly ask Jesus to bring her brother back. This parallels the behavior of Jesus mother, Mary, at His first miracle in Cana. There, she made no demands, but only told Jesus what the problem was (John 2:3) and then encouraged others to obey Him (John 2:5).

As later verses show, Martha's practical and careful personality is still in full effect. Even when He goes to open the tomb, she's cautious and unsure (John 11:39). That does not stop her from boldly and confidently expressing her faith that Jesus is the Promised One (John 11:27).

John 11:17–27 describes Jesus' encounter with Martha, Lazarus' brother. By the time Jesus got word of Lazarus' illness, His friend had already died, but Jesus delayed a further two days before coming to see the family. Martha is both heartbroken and resigned. She is confident that her brother will see eternal resurrection. Jesus confirms His role in salvation as He comforts her; she responds by affirming Him as the Messiah. This is the fifth of seven ''I Am'' statements by Jesus in this gospel. In the following passage, Jesus will meet with Martha and Lazarus' sister, Mary, expressing His sorrow for their pain.

Jesus has left the vicinity of Jerusalem to avoid hostile religious leaders. While gone, He receives word that a good friend, Lazarus, is sick. In fact, Lazarus has died by the time this message reaches Jesus. He purposefully waits a few days before returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus' burial. In front of Lazarus' mourning sisters—who Jesus weeps with—and an assembled crowd, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in a stirring and spectacular miracle. This is the seventh of John's seven ''signs'' of Jesus' divine power. In response, religious leaders coordinate in their effort to have Jesus murdered.

After giving sight to a man born blind (John 9), Jesus sparred with religious leaders on at least two occasions (John 10). After another failed arrest attempt, Jesus left the area and went out where Jerusalem's politics had little influence. In this chapter, He returns to resurrect a recently-departed friend, Lazarus. That results in a renewed commitment from Jerusalem's religious leaders to have Jesus murdered. As the crucifixion draws near, Jesus will stage His triumphal entry in chapter 12, and then begin His final teachings to the disciples.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.