Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Martha's objection, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor," isn't just about the smell; it reveals a common human tendency to limit God's power by what seems possible to our senses. Even though she previously believed Jesus could do something, the stark reality of four days in the tomb makes her faith momentarily falter, demonstrating how easily doubt can creep in when faced with overwhelming circumstances.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just arrived at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, who has been dead for four days, and asks the mourners to remove the stone sealing the tomb. Martha, still reeling from grief and perhaps struggling with the implications of Jesus's earlier words about resurrection, protests that the body will already be decaying. This scene unfolds just before Jesus calls Lazarus back to life, highlighting the tension between human grief and doubt and Jesus's divine power.
Jesus tells them to move a stone, but Martha objects. Why would Jesus ask them to do something that seems to make things worse?
Jesus’ command, “Take away the stone,” wasn’t just about physically moving a rock. It was a powerful symbol and a practical step.
A Symbol of Finality
For Martha, that stone represented the end. Lazarus was dead, buried, and decomposing. The odor and the four days in the tomb were concrete signs that, in the natural world, this was irreversible. The stone was a seal on that finality.
A Test of Obedience
Jesus asked them to remove the stone, not just to witness a miracle. This required them to act, to obey, even when their senses and logic screamed against it. It was an invitation to participate in God’s work by taking a step of faith, trusting that His power could overcome even the stench of death. It pushed them beyond passive observation to active trust.
Martha’s words, 'Lord, by this time there will be an odor,' reveal a complex mix of belief and doubt. What can we learn from her struggle?
Martha's reaction is deeply human and relatable. She wasn't devoid of faith—earlier, she declared Jesus as the Messiah (John 11:27). Yet, faced with the stark reality of her brother’s decay, her faith faltered.
The Limits of Natural Reasoning
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Her statement, 'he has been dead four days,' is a logical conclusion based on the common understanding of the time. The Jewish tradition noted that decay usually began around the third day, and by the fourth, the smell would be undeniable. Martha’s mind was fixed on the physical evidence, the 'odor' of death, which clouded her hope.
Faith Under Pressure
This moment shows that even strong faith can experience temporary eclipses. It’s not about never doubting, but about what we do with that doubt. Jesus gently corrects her, reminding her of His earlier promise: 'If you believed, you would see the glory of God.' Her struggle highlights that faith is often a wrestling match, a journey of holding onto God’s promises even when circumstances seem to contradict them.
Understand the original words
kyrie · Greek Noun
A title acknowledging Jesus’ sovereign authority, divinity, and lordship, used here by Martha to express faith and submission.
The detail that Lazarus had been dead for four days was crucial. Jewish tradition held that the spirit lingered for three days, but by the fourth day, significant decomposition and odor were expected, making the resurrection a undeniable display of divine power, not a resuscitation from a coma.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Lazarus Dies and is Buried
Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus, falls ill and dies. His sisters, Martha and Mary, send for Jesus, but he arrives after Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Arrives in Bethany
Jesus arrives at Bethany and is met by Martha, who expresses her grief and belief that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus' death. Mary then joins them.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Goes to the Tomb
Jesus, moved by the grief of Mary and the others, asks to be taken to Lazarus' tomb. He instructs those present to remove the stone sealing the tomb.
Early 1st century AD
Lazarus is Raised
Jesus prays to the Father, thanks Him for hearing him, and then calls out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' Lazarus emerges from the tomb, still wrapped in burial cloths.
This passage speaks about the resurrection body, contrasting the perishable earthly body with the imperishable heavenly one, which connects to the physical reality of death and decay that Martha is focused on, contrasted with the spiritual reality Jesus is about to reveal.
Romans 8:11This verse speaks of the Spirit of God giving life to mortal bodies, mirroring Jesus' power over death and decay, bringing life back to Lazarus's four-day-old corpse.
2 Kings 4:32-35This passage describes Elijah raising the Shunammite woman's son, another instance of bringing a dead person back to life, highlighting a similar divine power at work through a prophet.
John 11:23-26Jesus' earlier conversation with Martha about Him being the resurrection and the life directly precedes this moment, showing how her current doubt is a direct response to, and a temporary lapse from, the profound truth she had just heard.
Luke 7:14-15This account of Jesus raising the widow of Nain's son shows Jesus' compassion and power directly confronting death and decay, presenting a parallel where Jesus speaks life into a deceased individual.
jfbJohn 11:39: "Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."
39-44. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone—spoken to the attendants of Martha and Mary; for it was a work of no little labor [Grotius]. According to the Talmudists, it was forbidden to open a grave after the stone was placed upon it. Besides other dangers, they were apprehensive of legal impurity by contact with the dead. Henc…
meyerJohn 11:39: "Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."
John 11:39-40 . While Jesus called upon those present to take away the stone (which was done, as related in John 11:41 ), Mary waited in silent resignation. On Martha, however, with her mobile practical tendency, the command of Jesus, which was equivalent to a wish to see Lazarus, produced a terrifying effect. Her sisterly he…
Martha's objection, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor," isn't just about the smell; it reveals a common human tendency to limit God's power by what seems possible to our senses. Even though she previously believed Jesus could do something, the stark reality of four days in the tomb makes her faith momentarily falter, demonstrating how easily doubt can creep in when faced with overwhelming circumstances.
Jesus has just arrived at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, who has been dead for four days, and asks the mourners to remove the stone sealing the tomb. Martha, still reeling from grief and perhaps struggling with the implications of Jesus's earlier words about resurrection, protests that the body will already be decaying. This scene unfolds just before Jesus calls Lazarus back to life, highlighting the tension between human grief and doubt and Jesus's divine power.
Jesus has just arrived at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, who has been dead for four days, and asks the mourners to remove the stone sealing the tomb. Martha, still reeling from grief and perhaps struggling with the implications of Jesus's earlier words about resurrection, protests that the body will already be decaying. This scene unfolds just before Jesus calls Lazarus back to life, highlighting the tension between human grief and doubt and Jesus's divine power.
"Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”" — Martha's objection, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor," isn't just about the smell; it reveals a common human tendency to limit God's power by what seems possible to our senses. Even though s…
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Last reviewed October 2026