John 11:20 (LSB)

Passage

Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.

Nearby Context

John 11:18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away;

John 11:19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother.

John 11:20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.

John 11:21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

John 11:22 But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "martha", "therefore", "heard", "jesus", "coming", "went", "meet", and "mary". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "martha" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "and many of the Jews had come..." into verse 21's "Martha then said to Jesus Lord if...", so "martha" and "therefore" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "martha" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.