The Seventh Sign

Introduction

Jesus is going to perform the last of seven signs, or miracles, that prove he truly is the Messiah.

Turning water into wine (ch. 2)

Healing an Official’s son (ch. 4)

Healing the paralytic man (ch. 5)

Feeding the 5,000 (ch. 6)

Walking on water (ch. 6)

Healing a man born blind (ch. 9)

Jesus Wept

John 11:28–37 CSB

28 Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw that Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to cry there. 32 As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!” 33 When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked. “Lord,” they told him, “come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?”

What did Mary first say to Jesus?

How did Jesus respond to her?

Why do you think Jesus had different responses to Martha and Mary when they said the same thing?

He spoke words of hope with Martha, pointing out her faith, but wept with Mary, noticing the pain she felt.

God knows how to deal with each of us and knows what we need when we need it.

What does Jesus do when sees Lazarus’ tomb?

the Greek word for wept means a quiet type of grief

Jesus was mourning, but wasn’t weeping like Mary

Jesus also knew what he was about to do, so he wasn’t just weeping because of Lazarus.

What other reason could Jesus have for weeping in this moment?

What does verse 36-37 say?

What did the Jews mean when they said, “Couldn’t he who healed the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?

The Seventh Sign: Raising Lazarus from the dead

John 11:38–46 CSB

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 “Remove the stone,” Jesus said. Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, there is already a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. 42 I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent me.” 43 After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.” 45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he did believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

How was the stone removed from the tomb?

How long was Lazarus in the tomb?

How did Lazarus come out of the tomb?

Jesus performed this powerful miracle to foreshadow his own death and resurrection that was to come?

After Jesus had died and was taken to the tomb:

How was the stone removed from the tomb?

How long was Jesus in the tomb?

How did Jesus come out of the tomb?

All of the miracles Jesus performed in John were to show that He is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

This last sign he did was the ultimate proof that he was God. It was the greatest miracle he could have made.

It was the last straw to the Jews (pharisees).

Jesus knew that when he performed this miracle, the Pharisees would plot to kill him.

So, we can see the Gospel clearly through this miracle as Jesus is basically trading his life for us.

At the start of the chapter we see Martha and Mary heartbroken from the loss of their brother

We also see them still believe in Jesus.

We learned that God does not have to answer our prayers in the way we want to for him to be good.

Instead of healing Lazarus, Jesus allowed him to die in order to perform an even greater miracle.

Can God still be good, even when our prayers aren’t answered?

How can we trust God when we are experiencing pain or suffering?

Do you trust him in the good and the bad? Do you have faith that he is working things out for your greater good?