John - Day 24: The Resurrection and the Life

This story starts off with Jesus responding in a confusing way. Some people that He loves call for His help as Lazarus is sick. Jesus purposely does not go right away and when He finally does decide to go it seems to be too late. If we were to be honest, this is something many of us have experienced at one time or another. There are times we expect God to show up in our life in a particular way and at a particular time and when He doesn’t it can make us doubt His love and wonder if He hears us. In this story it is very clear that Jesus loves Lazarus and his sisters and He hears their cry for help yet decides to wait to go to their side. Once Jesus gets to the scene, Lazarus has been dead for 4 days already and both sisters let Jesus know that if He had been there He could have helped Lazarus. Jesus tells them that He is the resurrection and the life and if someone believes in Him He will live even when he dies. Once Jesus goes to the tomb He is deeply moved by the situation and then asks the stone to be moved. Jesus tells them to move the stone away and then calls Lazarus to come out. The dead man comes out dressed in his grave clothes. Jesus tells them to take his grave clothes off and frees the dead man!! What is the point of this incredible story? There is a spiritual
reality pictured here and a physical truth that is illustrated. The story does give us a very clear picture of the fact that Jesus is the only one who can give life to me spiritually. Jesus waits for me to realize that I really am dead. Jesus loves me and is deeply moved by the effects of my deadness. Jesus is the only one who can give me hope beyond my funeral!

Read John 11:1-44

Q: What can you gather about Jesus’ relationship with Mary, Martha & Lazarus from this passage? (v.3, 6, 21-22, 35). How do you think they felt when Jesus waited four days to see Lazarus?

Q: What do Mary and Martha’s reactions when meeting Jesus tell you about their understanding of who He is?

Q: Describe the mood surrounding Lazarus’ death? What reactions do you
imagine would have taken place when they saw him resurrected? Describe how you envision this moment would have been a “my life changed when moment” for those involved?

Q: C.S. Lewis stated, “that the death of a beloved is like an amputation.” How has the loss of a loved one personally affected you? Did your experience correlate with what you anticipate an amputation would be like? Do you still often remember that person’s significance in your life?

Q: What does the fact that Jesus cried tell you about Him? If Jesus is crying over the effects of sin, what does this tell us about Him?

Q: How does this story and the gospel give you hope when experiencing loss?

For Further Study: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18