MARTHA
A LIVING EPISTLE OF 
JESUS CHRIST
 

All the members of the body of
 Christ are important.
But each member must do what 
the Lord has called him to do.
Serving tables in Lord is just
 as important as preaching the
 word of God.
You show that you are a living 
letter of the living Lord God ,
written not with ink but with the
Spirit of the living God, 
not on tablets of stone but on
 tablets of human heart.
You are the living letter of
 the Lord Jesus Christ.
Your hearts are the substance which 
God’s writing is made.
The Holy Spirit produces the love
 in your heart and the mark of
 love becomes the evident to the world.
Jesus approves of Mary's expression 
of love for Him. Jesus also approves of
Martha's love for Him by serving tables.
When people see Mary Magdalene ,
 the living epistle of Jesus Christ ,
 they are reading the living epistle 
written by the Lord Jesus Christ. 
People see that Mary Magdalene loves
 the Lord Jesus Christ
with all her mind , with all her heart ,
 with all her soul , and with 
all her strength. 
When people see Martha the living
 epistle of Jesus Christ, they
 are reading the living epistle
 written by the Lord Jesus
Christ in Martha's heart. People see 
that Martha loves the Lord Jesus Christ
with all her mind , with all her heart ,
 with all her soul , and with 
all her strength.
Martha gives all her heart to
the Lord when she serve the people. 
 We can see the everlasting love
of the Lord Jesus Christ 
expressed by Mary and Martha.
Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday , and today and
forever (Hebrews 13:8)
The folks  behold the everlasting
love of the Lord Jesus coming 
out of Mary , a living epistle
 of Jesus Christ.
Now thousands of years later , Mary,
 a living epistle of Jesus Christ
still shines brightly with 
her Lord's love.
Jesus Christ is the same 
yesterday today and forever.
The Word is the same
yesterday , today
and forever. The word
written in Mary by the
Holy Spirit is the same 
yesterday , today, and forever.
How much of the word of
 God is written
in Mary by the Holy Spirit ?
Mary  is a living epistle of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
The important truth is  that 
the Holy Spirit wrote
 the living epistle of Jesus
Christ.
How much has the Holy Spirit
written in you ?
 And the LORD God formed man
 of the dust of the ground,
 and breathed into his nostrils
 the breath of life; and
 man became a living soul.
(Genesis 2:7)
A living epistle has God's
breath of life.
The Holy Spirit writes the
living word of God in the
 believer's heart.


THE DEATH OF LAZARUS 
 (John 11:1-16)      

Now a certain man
 was sick, named Lazarus,
 of Bethany, the town
    of Mary and her
 sister Martha.
 (It was that Mary which
 anointed the Lord with
 ointment, and wiped  his 
feet with her hair, whose 
brother Lazarus was sick.)
Therefore his sisters sent
 unto him, saying, Lord,
 behold, he whom you love
is sick.
When Jesus heard that, he 
said, This sickness is not
 unto death, but  for the
 glory of God, that the 
Son of God might be
    glorified thereby.
 Now Jesus loved Martha, 
and her sister, and Lazarus.
 When he had heard therefore
 that he was sick, he abode
two days still in the same
 place where he was.
 Then after that said he
 to his disciples,
 Let us go into Judaea again.
 His disciples say unto him,
 Master, the Jews of late sought
to stone you; and go you
 thither again?
 Jesus answered, Are there
 not twelve hours in the day?
 If any man walk in the day,
 he stumbles not, because he
 sees the light of this
    world.
 But if a man walk in 
the night, he stumbles, because
 there is no   light in him.
 These things said he: and
 after that he said unto them,
Our friend Lazarus sleeps; 
but I go, that I may awake
 him out of sleep.
 Then said his disciples, 
Lord, if he sleep, he shall
 do well.
 Howbeit Jesus spoke of his
 death: but they thought that he
had spoken of taking of rest 
in sleep.
 Then said Jesus unto them 
plainly, Lazarus is dead.
 And I am glad for your 
sakes that I was not there, 
to the intent you may believe; 
nevertheless let us go unto him.
(John 11: 11-15)

The disciples thought that  Jesus 
had spoken of Lazarus taking  of 
rest in sleep. They did not
understand what Jesus meant when
He said that Lazarus was sleeping.
Death means separation ,
The body of the believer is at
the grave. The spirit goes 
to be with Christ.
For the believer  , to be
absent from the body is to
be present with the Lord.  
(2 Cor.5:8)
Those who do not  belong to
Christ do not have the
Spirit of Christ   residing  
in them (Romans 8:9).
Thus their bodies are not
a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Lazarus belongs to Christ.
His body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit.


 Then said Thomas, which is 
called Didymus, unto his fellow
    disciples, Let us also go,
 that we may die with him.
(John 11:16)
Man's plans are not always
God's plan. The time and
place of death is not
man's choosing. God has
the authority and power 
over life and death.

JESUS THE RESURRECTION
AND THE LIFE
(John 11:17-45)

Then when Jesus came, 
he found that he had lain in 
the grave four days already.
Now Bethany was nigh unto
Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
 And many of the Jews came to 
Martha and Mary, to comfort them
    concerning their brother.
 Then Martha, as soon as she 
heard that Jesus was coming, 
went and met him: but Mary 
sat still in the house.
 Then said Martha unto Jesus, 
Lord, if you had been here, my
    brother had not died.

(John 11:17-21)

God has many methods to save
a person.  Martha thought
that Jesus has to be
physically beside Lazarus to
save him.
Martha, the 
sister of him that was dead, 
said unto him, Lord, by this 
time he stinks: for he
    has been dead four days.
Martha was not ready to see
the glory of God. Martha was
not ready for the miracle
of God in her life.
But again Jesus gracefully corrects
the situation . Jesus said,
If you would believe, you should
see the glory of God (Luke 10:40). 

It is not necessary for Jesus
to be physically present with
Lazarus to save him.
Jesus has the authority and 
power over life and death.
Martha believed that Jesus 
has power over life and death.

 22 But I know, that even 
now, whatsoever you will ask 
of God, God  will give it you. 
23 Jesus said unto her, 
Your brother shall rise again. 
24 Martha said unto him, 
I know that he shall rise 
again in the  resurrection at
 the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, 
I am the resurrection, and 
the life: he that believes 
in me, though he were dead,
 yet shall he live;
26 And whosoever lives and 
believes in me shall never die.
 Believe  you this?
27 She said unto him, 
Yea, Lord: I believe that 
you are the Christ,
the Son of God, which should 
come into the world.
(John 11:22-27)

Martha believed that Jesus
is the Christ ,the son of
God, which should come into
the world.

28 And when she had so said, 
she went her way, and called
 Mary her sister secretly, saying,
 The Master is come, and calls 
for you.        
29 As soon as she heard that, 
she arose quickly, and 
came unto him.
30 Now Jesus was not yet come 
into the town, but was in 
that place where Martha 
met him.
31 The Jews then which were
 with her in the house, 
and comforted    her, when 
they saw Mary, that she 
rose up hastily and went out,
followed her, saying, She 
goes unto the grave to 
weep there.
32 Then when Mary was come 
where Jesus was, and saw him,
 she fell down at his feet, 
saying unto him, Lord, if 
you had been here, my
    brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore 
saw her weeping, and the
 Jews also weeping which 
came with her, he groaned 
in the spirit, and was troubled,
34 And said, Where have you
 laid him? They said unto him,
 Lord, come  and see.
 35 Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, 
Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said,
 Could not this man, which 
opened the eyes of the blind,
 have caused that even this 
man should not have died? 
(John 11:17-37)
Jesus knows what is death.
Jesus knows the struggle of
Lazarus against death.
Jesus knows the struggle of
Lazarus against the devil.
Death is the devil's powerful
weapon against man.
The devil brings death.
God is the Giver of life.
How did God feels about the
death of man ?
How did Jesus feels about
death ?
 When Jesus therefore 
saw her weeping, and the
 Jews also weeping which 
came with her, he groaned 
in the spirit, and was 
troubled (John 11:33)

Jesus wept for Lazarus. 
Jesus feels the suffering of
Martha and Mary . Jesus feels
the suffering of the Jews.  
The people whom Jesus loves
are groaning in the spirit
to the Lord. The people whom
Jesus loves is crying to
the Lord for Lazarus. The 
Lord Jesus hears their
prayers , their mourning's ,
and their crying. The
Lord Jesus shares the sufferings
of His loved ones. When they
cry the Lord Jesus also cries.    
When they groan the Lord Jesus
also groans. The Holy Spirit
also groans and weeps.
Lazarus was dead in the body.
When a person dies , the spirit
separates from the body. 
For the believer dies, the spirit 
goes to the Lord .
Lazarus was very alive in
the spirit. The Lord Jesus
hears and feels the
groaning of the spirit of
Lazarus.

 Jesus therefore again 
groaning in himself comes to
 the grave. It  was a cave,
 and a stone lay upon it.
 Jesus said, Take you 
away the stone. Martha, the 
sister of him that was dead, 
said unto him, Lord, by this 
time he stinks: for he
    has been dead four days.
 Jesus said unto her, 
Said I not unto you, that,
 if you would believe, you
 should see the glory of God?
 Then they took away the 
stone from the place where 
the dead was laid. And Jesus
 lifted up his eyes, and said, 
Father, I thank you that you
 have heard me.
 And I knew that you hear 
me always: but because of 
the people which stand by
 I said it, that they may 
believe that you have sent
    me.
And when he thus had 
spoken, he cried with a
 loud voice, Lazarus,
    come forth. 
 And he that was dead 
came forth, bound hand and 
foot with grave clothes :
and his face was bound about 
with a napkin. Jesus
said unto them, 
Loose him, and let him go.
 Then many of the Jews 
which came to Mary, and 
had seen the things which 
Jesus did, believed on him.
(John 11:38-45)

Even though Lazarus was dead
physically for four days,
Lazarus was spiritually sleeping.
Lazarus could still hear the
voice of Jesus.
Lazarus was only physically dead, 
but he was spiritually sleeping.
Jesus tells us that Lazarus was
only sleeping spiritually.
Lazarus was spiritually alive. 
Only Jesus could awake him.
This sickness of Lazarus was
not to be the spiritual death 
of Lazarus. This happened in
order to bring glory to God,
so that the Son of God is
glorified.
Jesus is the truth. Anyone who
hears our Lord's voice and
believes in Him has everlasting
life. The believer shall not 
come into condemnation , but is
past from death  into life.
Jesus is the way to life. 
Jesus is the truth. The hour
is coming and now is when the
dead shall hear the voice of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And they
who hears the voice of the
Lord Jesus Christ shall live.
And he that was dead 
came forth, bound hand and 
foot with grave clothes :
and his face was bound about 
with a napkin. Jesus
said unto them, 
Loose him, and let him go.
Lazarus , who was dead for 
four days , came out of the
tomb. The reason that Lazarus
could be  brought back to
life was because he could
still hear the voice of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lazarus was dead on the 
physical level, but he was 
still alive spiritually. He
was asleep spiritually . The 
miracle of Lazarus shows us
that the Lord Jesus Christ 
has the authority and power 
over life and death.
The raising of Lazarus is
recorded in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ according to John
to confirm the faith of
those who already believe ,
and to strengthen faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ and to
show the glory of God in 
and through His Son.
John was concerned in describing
the growing hostility to Jesus
on the part of the religious 
people in Jerusalem.
This opposition became more 
when the miracle of
the raising of Lazarus  aroused
the crowd in Jerusalem.
The miracle was a further 
demonstration of our Lord's 
power over life and death.
Our Lord's  claims to be
the resurrection and the life
is a convincing proof in the
raising of Lazarus.
(John 1:4 ; 11:25)
 In him was life ; and the
life was the light of men.
(John 1:4)
 For as the Father raises 
up the dead, and quickens 
them; even so the Son 
quickens whom he will.
(John 5:21)
12 And there was much murmuring 
among the people concerning him:
    for  some said, He is a 
good man: others said, Nay;
 but he deceives the people.
(John 7:12)


MARTHA RECEIVED JESUS
       IN HER HOME

38 Now it came to pass,
 as they went, that he
 entered into a certain 
village: and a certain
 woman named Martha received 
him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called
 Mary, which also sat at
 Jesus' feet, and heard
 his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered
 about much serving, and 
came to him, and said,
 Lord, do you not care
 that my sister has left 
me to serve alone? bid
 her therefore that she 
help me.
41 And Jesus answered and
 said unto her, Martha,
 Martha, you are careful
 and troubled about many 
things:
42 But one thing is needful:
 and Mary has chosen that
 good part, which shall not
 be taken away from her.
(Luke 10:38-42)





 

DINNER PARTY FOR JESUS
(John 12:1- 11 )


Then Jesus six days
 before the Passover came
 to Bethany, where Lazarus 
was which had been dead, 
whom he raised from the
    dead.       
 There they made him a supper
 and Martha served: but Lazarus was
    one of them that sat at the
 table with him.
(John 12:1-2)

Jesus made a visit to the home
of Lazarus , Mary , and Martha 
of Bethany. In the Gospel of 
John , Jesus opens His public 
ministry at the wedding of Cana
of Galilee. And Jesus closes
His public ministry by a visit
to this home in Bethany.
Jesus puts great importance of
the godly home , the Christian
home. God blesses marriage.

 Then took Mary a pound of
 ointment of spikenard, very
 costly, and anointed the feet
 of Jesus, and wiped his feet
 with her hair:
    and  the house was filled with
 the odour of the ointment.
(John 12:3)

Mary gave her best to Jesus.
Mary gave her love to Jesus ,
who has given His love to
her and her family.
God's anointed should be our
anointed .God has poured on
Jesus the oil of love above 
everyone. Let us also pour
on Jesus  the ointment and 
perfume of our best affections 
and love. The anointing of
Jesus by Mary was an expression
of Mary's love for Jesus.
Messiah or Christ means the
 Anointed One 
   Mary believed in Jesus  as
the Christ who will save the 
world.
Mary had shown her faith in 
the Lord Jesus , when she 
gave the best she had to 
Jesus. Mary anointed Jesus with
the best ointment she had.
This action is an expression 
of her love for the Lord Jesus
Christ.


 Then said one of his disciples,
 Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
    which  should betray him,
 Why was not this ointment sold
 for three hundred pence, and given
    to  the poor?
This he said, not that he
 cared for the poor; but because
 he was a thief, and had the
 bag, and bare what was put 
therein.
(John12:4-6)
From Judas Iscariot , sin came
out with a pretense. Judas  
had become the instrument of
the devil. A person's temptation 
often come through that for
which he is most naturally fit.
A person's gifts and abilities
can become his greatest  
temptation. Judas Iscariot had
a lot of ability. The fact
that all the apostles appointed 
Judas Iscariot to be their treasurer
revealed something about his ability.
For them to put their money in
his care , Judas had to have 
admirable qualities.
He  was an intelligent
person according to world standards.
Judas  was  well-educated
in worldly affairs. But the
wisdom of the world is foolishness
to God.
Judas had the ability to handle
money. But Judas Iscariot's lust
for money had caused him to lose 
soul. He worshipped money
According to Judas Iscariot ,
Mary was being wasteful.
He said this not because he cared
for the poor, but because he was
a thief. Judas wanted to sell
the ointment so that he could 
steal the money himself.
But Jesus understands  Mary's
expression of love for God.


 Then said Jesus, Let her alone:
 against the day of my burying
 has  she kept this.
For the poor always you have 
with you; but me you have
 not always.
(John 12:7-8)
Mary understands why Jesus
came to this world . Mary
understands what Jesus was
trying to say to everyone.
Mary had anticipated the 
death of Jesus.
Mary believed in the person
of Jesus. Jesus was real 
to her.
Jesus knows this. Mary 
believed that only Jesus 
could save her.
Mary believed the words
of Jesus concerning His work
and death. Mary knew the work 
of the Savior and His death.
Mary anointed Jesus with 
the best ointment she had
because she wished to express
her love to the Lord before
the day of his burial
This must have been what 
Mary was thinking
For the poor always you have 
with you; but Jesus you have
 not always.
Mary wanted to honor Jesus while
He is alive.
Mary honors the King of kings,
the Lord of lords with the
best she had.

 Much people of the Jews therefore 
knew that he was there: and they
    came not for Jesus' sake only,
 but that they might see Lazarus
 also, whom he had raised from 
the dead.
But the chief priests consulted
 that they might put Lazarus also
    to death; 
Because that by reason of him
 many of the Jews went away, and
    believed on Jesus.

 (Jn 12:9-11)

For God so loved the world 
that He gave His only begotten 
Son that whosoever believes in 
shall not perish but have
everlasting life.
Mary Magdalene believes in Jesus
as the Christ.
Mary believes that Jesus is the
Savior.
God's plan for man is eternal
life. 
The devil's plan is always
death and destruction of man.
The evil spirits and infirmities
of the devils can bring death
to man.


  And it came to pass
 afterward, that he went 
throughout every city and
 village, preaching and showing
 the glad tidings of the kingdom
 of God: and the twelve
 were with him,
 And certain women, which had
 been healed of evil spirits
 and infirmities, Mary called
 Magdalene, out of whom 
went seven devils,
 And Joanna the wife of
 Chuza Herod's steward, and
 Susanna, and many others, which 
ministered unto him of their
 substance.
(Luke 8:1-3)

Jesus went throughout every city 
and village , preaching and
showing the good tidings of
the kingdom of God.
The twelve were with him. 
Mary Magdalene , out of
whom went out the seven devils,
And Joanna  the wife of 
Chuza Herod's steward , and
Susanna , and many others ,
which ministered unto him
of their substances.
The women believe everything
they have are gifts from 
the Lord. They give their
substances to minister unto Him.
  
............................
Title : MARTHA A LIVING EPISTLE OF  
       JESUS CHRIST
ISBN 13 978-1-928153-14-6
Author : Anthony Ing