Jesus and Lazarus

Thoughts of death throw people into a state of denial and avoidance, and when it visits their families or friends the circumstance can become overwhelming.

Due to how unpleasant and all-powerful death seems, people often avoid talking or thinking about it.

The verdict is that death has the “last say.”

For Christ-followers, we know that this is not true.

In God’s Word, we see that Jesus has power over everything, including death.

Jesus’ raising of Lazarus was the miracle that best exemplified His power over death, and it foreshadowed the greatest miracle of all—His own resurrection.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at the miracles Jesus performed.

Jesus’ miracles always pointed toward a truth He wanted people to know—that He is the Almighty One who brings God’s kingdom to earth. In His miracles, we see the extraordinary power of God unleashed in the middle of everyday life.

• Of all the miracles in the NewTestament, which one is the most significant to you and why?

Option 2

Loss is tough, and it’s normal to experience grief over the loss of a loved one. It’s even normal to grieve over difficult life circumstances.

• When have you experienced loss and felt grief over that loss?

• How was your relationship with God a comfort to you during that time?Or did you struggle to feel God’s presence in the midst of your pain?

Bring the group back together and share a personal experience of loss. Then, tell the students that Jesus also experienced loss and grieved. Jesus even openly wept over the death of His friend, Lazarus, and the pain that death brought to Jesus’ other friends. He grieved. But, Jesus also provided for us a hope in our grief—all who trust in Him as Savior will spend eternity with Him, even those who have already died.

• How does it comfort you to know that Jesus understands your grief and defeated death?

Jesus grieved over death and overturned its power.

The last miracle we look at might be, apart from Jesus’ own resurrection, the most remarkable.

Here we see how Jesus demonstrated His power over death by raising his friend, Lazarus, who had been dead for four days.

Let’s take a look at the context and see what this miracle reveals about Jesus’ character and identity.

JESUS HEARD NEWS OF LAZARUS’ SICKNESS

The last miracle we will look at begins in John 11, the story of Lazarus. Let’s take a look:

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” (John 11:1-7)

Lazarus was sick, at the point of death.

It’s not difficult to understand the feelings his family might have had about him in this situation.

They wanted their brother to live.

What’s more, they knew the person capable of making that happen: Jesus.

This family (Mary, Martha, and Lazarus) knew Jesus well.

He had stayed in their home and had eaten meals with them.

They were not only His followers, but also His friends.

They had seen what He did for people who needed healing, so Lazarus’ family knew Jesus had the power to heal.

Did Lazarus’ family want Jesus to know about his sickness and do something about it right then?

Absolutely.

However, Jesus had a different plan.

Jesus told His followers Lazarus’ sickness wouldn’t end in death, and then He even stayed where He was for two more days.

Even though Jesus knew how things would turn out, He also wanted His friends to find their trust in God.

Trust begins with believing that God knows our situation and cares about us.

Through this miracle, Jesus showed us that God wants us to trust Him no matter the situation.

Trust is an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of something or someone.

It could also be defined as having faith in or being confident of, something or someone.

And trust is what Martha and Mary needed as they faced this situation.

• How might complete trust in God have helped Mary and Martha as they faced their brother’s death? How might it help you as you face losses?

TIMELINE

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave.

ANOINTED FOR BURIAL Mary anoints Jesus’ head with oil.

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM Jesus enters the city riding on a donkey.

JESUS INVITED MARTHA TO BELIEVE IN HIM

By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, Lazarus had been dead for four days.

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:17-27)

Martha and Mary had the same reaction you or I might have had upon seeing Jesus: “Lord, if you had just been here, Lazarus would still be alive!”

Both of Lazarus’ sisters knew Jesus had the power to do whatever He wanted.

Not only could He give life, but He could also renew life.

Can you hear the faith in Martha’s voice?

The Greek language is explicit here: “He would never have died had you been here, Jesus!”

Was she blaming Jesus?

Or did this complaint include an element of faith, an assurance that had He come in time, He would have healed her brother no matter how bad his illness?

Part of trusting in God means we believe He knows what is best for His children.

God knows everything.

Thankfully, His knowledge is not limited to our actions and thoughts.

He also knows our intentions—He understands why we act the way we do, and He cares about us anyway.

The words Jesus spoke to Martha are true for us today.

Jesus is still the resurrection and the life.

When you and I trust in what He accomplished on the cross to pay for our sin, we are given everlasting life.

No matter how much it seems we are waiting on the Lord here and now, everlasting life already belongs to us.

His resurrection life becomes ours.

We often say that “Jesus gives life,” but this passage reminds us we can also say “Jesus is life.”

• What’s so surprising about Jesus’ delay? How does Martha’s reaction demonstrate this? (p. 85, PSG)

JESUS RAISED LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD

Grief is the normal reaction to the loss of a loved one.

We all have experienced or will experience this emotion at some point.

Jesus was not immune to it either. Take a look:

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:28-37)

Jesus loved Lazarus and his family.

Jesus grieved Lazarus, and He wept over His friends’ grief.

In Romans 12:15, the Bible encourages us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

Here, we see Jesus living out this principle.

Jesus didn’t just grieve over the sadness of the scene.

The Creator of humanity feels anger and grief over the consequences of sin and death in our world.

We do not experience life the way God originally intended. And as God’s image-bearers, our grief over sin and death reflects His hatred of sin and death.

The good news is that grief was not Jesus’ last word or action in this passage.

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 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.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (John 11:38-44)

Imagine the scene here.

Lazarus had been dead for four days.

Those around the tomb probably held their noses. A four-day-old body would have certainly smelled—at least, you would expect it to.

But in this case, something different happened.

Jesus asked for the tomb to be opened, and it was.

Jesus then called out for Lazarus to walk out of the tomb. And sure enough, Lazarus walked out—still wearing the clothes he was buried in.

Think about it.

We talk often about Jesus having all power.

However, here we see His power extend to the unbelievable action of resurrecting someone who was dead.

He placed oxygen back into Lazarus’ lungs.

He restarted his heart, too.

The brain that should have been damaged by death came back to life not only to function, but to have memory of the life he lost and of those he loved. Who has the power, then, to raise someone from the dead?

Plain and simple: God, only God.

CHRIST CONNECTION

Have you ever wondered why God allows us to go through what we go through in life, or why He allows certain things and protects us from other things?

In this story, for instance, why would God allow Lazarus and His sisters to go through this ordeal?

It was all for His glory.

Again, His perspective is different than ours.

Why would He allow you to go through things?

For His glory and our good.

This biblical truth should change the way we think.

Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so that others could watch Him raise someone from the dead.

Who can do that?

Who has that kind of power?

Perspective is the issue here—nothing is too big for God.

Life After Death (p. 86, PSG)

The Bible teaches that when a Christian dies he or she immediately is with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8).

This is what some people call an intermediate state, given that the final state for believers takes place at the future resurrection (Rev. 6:10-11).

For those who are not in Christ, life after death results in being separated from Christ in a state of suffering, even though future judgment remains (Luke 16:19-31).

YOURSTORY 10-15MINUTES GROUP QUESTIONS

HIS STORY

God’s Story of Redemption, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

God’s Story has always been designed to connect with your story. It is because of His Story that our stories make sense, have meaning, and carry on into eternity. Use the questions below to help think through how His Story connects with your own.

Put yourself in Mary, Martha, and Lazarus’ place. How would you have interpreted Jesus’ delay in coming? What would you have thought about your friendship with Him?

What does it mean to trust? What are some reasons it would be difficult to trust God in this kind of circumstance? When emotions are high and we experience extreme grief, we are tempted to lose trust or struggle with unbelief in God’s goodness toward us. However, trust in God should outweigh those emotional responses and ground us in the truth that God is for us.

How does Jesus’ expression of grief here communicate God’s compassion for people who suffer? Answers will vary.

What are some practical ways we can grieve with those who grieve?

In this incredible story of Lazarus’ resurrection, we see two main things: God’s timing isn’t our timing— He has a different perspective about time than we do; and God’s view of life isn’t our view of life—He has a different perspective about life than we do. Think about it like this: God is “around” time and not in it. He operates outside of the box of our calendar. He knows that, though people die, they can live again. A person’s passing from this life is no obstacle for Him.

What difference does the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection make in our lives today?

How does trusting God in difficult circumstances bring Him glory? Answers will vary.

Jesus is a friend who resurrects the dead. He has the power to resurrect the physically dead, and He also has the power to raise the spiritually dead. Sin has caused a separation between man and God. This separation can only be defeated through what Jesus accomplished on the cross. We are able to live because He died having paid the penalty of our sin for us. In the context of what Jesus has done for us, our only responsibility is to surrender our lives to Him so that He can become our life.

In what ways does “resurrection” language also apply to us spiritually when we are saved? When a person is born again, that person goes from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive in Christ (Eph. 2:5).

Why is it important to hold together the reality of spiritual resurrection and the hope of physical resurrection?

Because Jesus strongly emphasized both. God’s work in us won’t be complete until the resurrection of our physical bodies.

Think about the things that make up the staple of fast-paced lives: microwave ovens, drive-through for fast food, online shopping, and so on. We want what we want when we want it. Unfortunately, we apply the “get it quick” and “I want it now” mentality to God. But God moves according to His own timetable. God gives us what we need when we need it. He provides and accomplishes His will when He sees fit. God knows not only what is best, but when is best.

How will this truth affect the way you handle the current difficulties in your life today?

What are some important lessons you can learn while you wait on God to act in His perfect timing? Answers will vary.

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