Jesus’ Confession to Martha: The Revelation of His Divinity in John 11:23–27 (Peshitta Translation)

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute

Introduction

The narrative of John 11, centered around the death and resurrection of Lazarus, offers one of the most profound theological confessions of Jesus’ identity. The dialogue between Yeshua and Martha, the sister of Lazarus, not only addresses the hope of eschatological resurrection but also reveals the immediate and personal reality of divine life in Christ. The Peshitta Holy Bible Translation, with its distinctive rendering, preserves a striking Christological statement: “I AM THE LIVING GOD, The Resurrection and The Life” (John 11:25). This confession situates Jesus not merely as a teacher or prophet, but as God Himself—the divine source of both resurrection and eternal life.

The Context of Martha’s Expectation

Martha, grieving her brother’s death, expresses a conventional Jewish belief in the resurrection of the dead at the eschaton: “I know that he shall rise in the resurrection in the last day” (John 11:24). This reflects the Pharisaic teaching rooted in texts like Daniel 12:2 and later Jewish eschatology. For Martha, resurrection is a future hope, distant and cosmic. Yet, Jesus shifts her focus from the future to the present, from abstract belief to Himself as the embodiment of life.

Jesus’ Divine Confession: “I AM THE LIVING GOD”

The Peshitta rendering—“I AM THE LIVING GOD, The Resurrection and The Life” (John 11:25)—goes beyond the more familiar translations that state, “I am the resurrection and the life.” By explicitly identifying Himself as “THE LIVING GOD,” Jesus affirms His divine nature in continuity with the great “I AM” declarations of the Gospel of John (cf. John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I AM”). The phrase recalls the self-revelation of God to Moses in Exodus 3:14 (“I AM WHO I AM”), situating Jesus within the identity of Yahweh Himself.

This confession is not merely metaphorical. Jesus does not claim to possess resurrection or life as an external gift from God. Rather, He is the very source of life, both physical and eternal. Resurrection is not simply an event in the distant future but a reality embodied in His person. His words, therefore, constitute an unambiguous confession of divinity—a declaration that He is the Living God who holds authority over life and death.

Faith as the Response to Divine Revelation

Jesus continues: “Whoever trusts in me, even if he dies, he shall live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26). Here, faith in Christ becomes the decisive factor in participation in resurrection life. The juxtaposition of death and life underscores the paradox of Christian existence: physical death does not negate eternal life for those who are in Christ.

Martha’s response is a confession of faith that mirrors the Johannine purpose statement (John 20:31): “Yes, my Lord, I do believe that you are The Messiah, The Son of God, who has come into the world” (John 11:27). Her affirmation binds together Jesus’ messianic role, His divine Sonship, and His incarnation. Thus, Martha becomes the first to explicitly confess both the Messiahship and the divinity of Jesus within the framework of Johannine narrative theology.

Theological Implications

1. Christological Fulfillment – The Peshitta’s rendering “I AM THE LIVING GOD” makes explicit what is implicit in Greek texts: Jesus is not merely pointing to God; He is God incarnate.

2. Resurrection as Present Reality – Resurrection is not confined to eschatology but is embodied in Christ. Believers experience eternal life already in the present through Him (cf. John 5:24).

3. Faith and Eternal Life – The dialogue demonstrates that eternal life is not achieved by eschatological speculation or religious law, but through trusting in Jesus’ divine identity and work.

4. Christological Revelation in Suffering – The moment of grief becomes the stage for the highest revelation of Jesus’ divinity, showing that divine truth is often disclosed amid human weakness and loss.

Conclusion

In John 11:23–27, as preserved in the Peshitta Holy Bible Translation, Jesus makes an unambiguous confession of His divinity to Martha: “I AM THE LIVING GOD, The Resurrection and The Life.” This declaration transcends Jewish expectations of a future resurrection and places the fullness of divine life in the person of Christ. Martha’s confession affirms this revelation, bearing witness that Jesus is indeed “The Messiah, The Son of God, who has come into the world.”

The narrative thus functions as both a Christological climax and a theological foundation for Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus, grounding resurrection hope not merely in a future event but in the Living God revealed in Him.

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