John 11:1-16
Intro Questions
Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
John 11:1–16
1Now a man was sick, Lazarus, from
Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the
one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair,
and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick. 3So
the sisters sent a message to Him: “Lord,
the one You love is sick.”
4When Jesus heard it, He said, “This
sickness will not end in death, but is
for the glory of God†, so that
the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5(Jesus loved Martha,
her sister, and Lazarus.) 6So when
He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7Then
after that, He said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.”
8“Rabbi,” the disciples told Him, “just now the Jews tried to stone
You, and You’re going there again?”
9“Aren’t there twelve hours in a day?” Jesus answered. “If anyone walks
during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10If
anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in
him.” 11He said this, and then He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m on My way to wake
him up.”
12Then the disciples said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he
will get well.”
13Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought He was
speaking about natural sleep. 14So Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. 15I’m glad for you that
I wasn’t there, so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.”
16Then Thomas (called “Twin”) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go so
that we may die with Him.”[1]
[1]
Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp.
165–166). Holman Bible Publishers.
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
- Describe the sickest you have ever been.
- How would you describe Jesus' relationship with this family (John 11:1-5)? Why does Jesus deliberately delay (John 11:6)?
- Given his disciples' objection (John 11:8), what do you think Jesus means by his parable (John 11:9-10)?
- Why is Jesus returning to Lazarus at this time (John 11:11-15)? What do the disciples fear instead (John 11:8.16)?
https://youtu.be/Oa4SMKvO5o4?list=PLFcO2Quu62KLWLVlxkB0OuOWSLiTAxz4n
“Kingdom Living”
“So then He told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.’” (John 11:14-15a)
A young woman is bitter because her mother is terminally ill; a young man is resentful to God because his girlfriend ended the relationship; a husband no longer believes in God because his wife died from cancer.
All three are tying their beliefs in God to His performance in their lives. How small a person’s God is who hinges his belief on how his Lord performs to his will. This is like winning the lottery, squandering the money, and blaming the Lottery Commission when it’s gone.
This is how we treat God when we become embittered due to the hand dealt us in life. God has blessed us all with the breath of life, provided the path for eternal life with Him through faith and Lordship, and equipped us to experience His presence and power through the work of the Holy Spirit. Why then do we expect God to fulfill our every desire and whim?
In the story of Lazarus, you not only see God’s ability to perform miracles, but you also see how important God’s work is in the lives of people. In Luke 16:31, Jesus says convincing an unbeliever there is a God involves more than just proving there is a God: “He (Jesus) said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
All three individuals (from the first paragraph) know the Gospel story that Jesus died and was raised from the dead, yet they still reject or doubt Christ. Believing in and following Christ ultimately comes down to faith.
Faith comes from the belief that the object of your faith is of greater worth than those things you hold dear. When Pilot confronted Jesus’ faith with the possibility of dying, Jesus responded in John 18:36, “‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is from another place.’” Jesus’ life and faith were sustained by a faith that says God’s kingdom and purpose far surpass the temporal things of this world.
All three of the previously mentioned people discount God because they ultimately value their kingdom on this earth more than their eternal kingdom. The life of each Christian is secure in Christ for eternity. Do not trade God’s work in you today by not living life in God’s hands. Allow God to use His life to touch not only your life, but the lives of others.
2 Corinthians 4:2b “On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.”
“Giving Your Life”
“Then Thomas said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him (Jesus).’" -John 11:16
Jesus was returning to a place near Jerusalem to tend to his dear friend, Lazarus, regardless of the consequences to himself. Lazarus was deathly ill, and going back to help him meant unavoidable trouble for Jesus.
His disciples protested, “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” (John 11:8).
Jesus and his disciples knew this move would be dangerous; yet Thomas resolutely announced they should not only go, but also die with him, if necessary (see 11:16).
Now, that is placing both feet into the fire!
Do you think Thomas would have expressed such boldness if he did not know the person of Jesus? Knowing he was going with Jesus put things into perspective for Thomas. Knowing who Jesus was likely provided the peace needed to make the decision to put his own life on the line.
Most people wouldn’t risk their lives for someone they didn’t know or for an unworthy cause.
Your faith in Christ, as well as your boldness to live for him, will flow out of your relationship with him.
The more you know Jesus, the more you will be willing to walk with, sacrifice for, align your priorities, and order every part of your life around your living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ calling on your life is not unlike his calling on the disciples to go back and help Lazarus. We are all called to face a potentially hostile world to serve others in the name of Christ.
Jesus made the call of discipleship clear: Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
To deny self and take up one’s cross means to put your life on the line—your social status, comfort, earthly ambitions, possessions, personal resources, careers, etc., for something much bigger than yourself. It means placing both feet in the fire! Are you ready to “die with Jesus?”
If you don’t know Jesus, you likely won’t be ready to die with him. But if you know him and know he is with you, you can walk faithfully and serve boldly with him and for him.
What are you doing to nurture your relationship with Jesus? How are you ordering your life around Jesus and the gospel today? Are your priorities and desires reflective of Christ’s desires for you?
Walk with Jesus, know Jesus, and maybe you too will answer as Thomas did, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
“If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Romans 14:8).
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