Should we choose John 11:17-27 or John 11:32-45?

They cover the same Lazarus story but at different points. Verses 17-27 contain the great "I am the resurrection" exchange with Martha; verses 32-45 include "Jesus wept" and the actual raising of Lazarus. Both are powerful; choose based on which scene resonates more deeply.

Gospel Reading

John 11:17-27

"I am the resurrection and the life"

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Scripture text (World English Bible)

So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house. Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”

Themes

I am the resurrection and the life
Martha's confession
the death of Lazarus
Jesus wept
belief in the resurrection

Reflection

This passage from John 11 is, for many Catholics, the heart of the funeral Gospel tradition. Jesus stands at the death of his friend Lazarus and speaks one of the most foundational sentences in all of Scripture: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die."

For a Catholic funeral, this Gospel does the central work of the entire liturgy. The Catholic Church does not believe in the resurrection as a doctrine separate from Jesus; it believes in the resurrection because it believes in Jesus. He is the resurrection. The eternal life of the deceased is not a thing they are inheriting alongside Christ; it is Christ himself, given to them. To die in him is to live, even through death itself.

The dialogue with Martha is also profoundly important. Martha believes, but her belief is the standard belief of pious Jews of her time, that the dead will be raised on the last day. Jesus pushes her further. He is not just future hope; he is present reality. "Do you believe this?" Martha's answer is the great Christian confession: "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." That confession is the confession of every funeral, made for the deceased and on their behalf.

For families who want their funeral Gospel to proclaim the resurrection in Jesus' own words (said directly, in the middle of grief, to a friend who was about to lose her brother) there is no more central passage in the lectionary.

Best for

·Almost any Catholic funeral. This is among the most universally chosen funeral Gospels
·Families who want the resurrection proclaimed in Jesus' own words
·Liturgies during the Lenten or Easter seasons
·Funerals where Martha's confession of faith mirrors the family's own

In the liturgy

Among the most frequently chosen funeral Gospels. The "I am the resurrection and the life" line is one of the most important in all of Scripture. Reward a confident lector who can let it land.

Pairs well with

Frequently asked questions

Should we choose John 11:17-27 or John 11:32-45?: They cover the same Lazarus story but at different points. Verses 17-27 contain the great "I am the resurrection" exchange with Martha; verses 32-45 include "Jesus wept" and the actual raising of Lazarus. Both are powerful; choose based on which scene resonates more deeply.

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