Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 11:39

"Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time the body decayeth; for he hath been [dead] four days." — John 11:39 (ASV)

Having challenged Martha’s faith, Jesus now faced a challenge of his own. He ordered the covering stone to be removed. Martha’s protest was natural, for it would seem improper to expose a decaying corpse. Such an act would demonstrate her faith and remove her uncertainty and hesitancy so that the glory of God might be revealed to her and all present. To Jesus the raising of Lazarus presented no problem.