She said unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world.
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
The Christ, the Son of God, that Isaiah , that Song of Solomon , viz, the true and only Son by nature. Christ perfected the imperfect faith of Martha, saying, I am the Resurrection and the Life. Wherefore she, being thus enlightened by Christ, burst forth into a perfect act of faith, and said: I believe that Thou art Messiah, the true Son of God, and therefore God, the first cause of all life and resurrection. I believe that Thou, as God, art therefore able to raise up and give life to Lazarus and to whomsoever of the dead Thou willest
Having previously explained the force of the mystery in Himself, and shown plainly that He is by Nature Life and Very God, He demands assent to the faith, furnishing in this matter a model to the Churches. For we ought not quite vainly to cast our words into the air when we confess the venerable mystery, but to fix the roots of the faith in heart and mind and then to let it bear fruit in our confession; and we ought to believe without any hesitation or double-mindedness. For the double-minded man is insolent and halting as regards the faith; wherefore also he is unstable in all his ways. Nevertheless, it is necessary to know that we make the confession of our faith unto God, although we are questioned by men, I mean those whose lot it is to minister in sacred things, when we say the "I believe" at the reception of Holy Baptism. Certainly therefore to speak falsely and to slip aside towards unbelief is a most aweful thing; lest we may have as both Judge and Witness of our folly the Lord...
What is Christ's reply? He that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, (here speaking of this death which is common to all. ) And whosoever lives and believes in Me, shall never die John 11:26, signifying that other death. Since then I am the Resurrection and the Life, be not thou troubled, though your brother be already dead, but believe, for this is not death. For a while He comforted her on what had happened; and gave her glimpses of hope, by saying, He shall rise again, and, I am the Resurrection; and that having risen again, though he should again die, he shall suffer no harm, so that it needs not to fear this death. What He says is of this kind: Neither is this man dead, nor shall you die. Believest thou this? She says, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God.
Which should come into the world.
The woman seems to me not to understand the saying; she was conscious that it was some great thing, but did not perceive the whole meaning, so that when asked...
