John 11:17-37
Intro Questions
The Resurrection and the Life
17When Jesus
arrived, He found that Lazarus had already
been in the tomb four days. 18Bethany was near Jerusalem (about two
miles away). 19Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to
comfort them about their brother. 20As soon as Martha heard that
Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. But Mary remained seated in the house.
21Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 22Yet
even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.”
23“Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.
24Martha said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at
the last day.”
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who
believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26Everyone who lives and believes
in Me will never die†ever. Do
you believe this?”
27“Yes, Lord,” she told Him, “I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of
God, who was to come into the world.”
28Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in
private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”
29As soon as she heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him. 30Jesus
had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had
met Him. 31The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw
that Mary got up quickly and went out. So they followed her, supposing that she
was going to the tomb to cry there.
32When 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 would not have died!”
33When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying,
He was angry in His spirit and deeply moved. 34a“Where have you put
him?” He asked.
34b“Lord,” they told Him, “come and see.”
35Jesus wept.
36So the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” 37But some of
them said, “Couldn’t He who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man
from dying?”
38Then Jesus, angry in Himself again, came to the tomb. It was a cave,
and a stone was lying against it. 39a“Remove the stone,” Jesus said.[1]
[1]
Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp.
166–167). 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.
- If you could raise one person from the dead, who would it be? Why?
- How long had Lazarus been dead by the time Jesus arrived? How would you feel if you were Martha or Mary and you heard that Jesus had finally come?
- What do you learn about Martha from the way she talks with Jesus in verses 21-27? How does Jesus stretch her faith by his claim in verse 25? How does this relate to his claim in 10:9?
- What does Martha's statement (John 11:27) sound like to you: (a) Stab in the dark? (b) Hope against hope? (c) Intellectual assent? (d) Active commitment? Why do you think so?
- How is Mary's greeting (John 11:32) like and unlike Martha's? Since Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus (11:11), how do you account for his weeping (John 11:33-35)?
- What lies behind the comments of the mourners in verses 36-37?
- How does Martha's objection in verse 39 contrast with her confidence in verse 22?
- When have you been faced with a tough situation that ended up stretching your faith? What would have been different for you if that struggle had simply been avoided?
- Have you ever attended a funeral where there was no sense of eternal life, as in verses 25-26? How did you go away from that experience? What difference does this hope make for you?
- How does Jesus' response to Lazarus' death and Mary's weeping (John 11:35) help you to trust him more?
- On a scale of 1 (none) to 10 (completely), how confident are you that you will live eternally? What evidence is there supporting your level of confidence? How would you live your life differently if you were more confident?
- What are some "old grave clothes" that still must be shed for you to feel truly free in Christ?
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