John Chapter 11
Where was Jesus when we begin chapter 11? Remember, there are no chapter divisions in the original text, so go back to John 10:39-40 to see where Jesus is at the time. While he was there, a messenger brought news of a dear friend of Jesus who was sick. His name was Lazarus and the message came from his two sisters - Martha and Mary.
How is Lazarus' sister, Mary, described to us here? (John 11:2) -
How did Jesus feel toward Lazarus?(John 11:3)
What statement did Jesus give to the messenger who gave Him the news about Lazarus being sick? (John 11:4) -
Again, what is said about the Lord's feeling toward this family - Lazarus, Martha, and Mary? (John 11:5) -
Yet, what did He choose to do according to verse 6 after He heard this sad news? (Remember, He has already said "this sickness is not unto death, but the Son of God will be glorified by it...", but the family sure doesn't know that!)
When Jesus finally arrives, Lazarus will have been dead for 4 days, so Lazarus must have died the very day that Jesus got the message! Here would be the schedule, allowing one day for travel by foot to the village......
Day 1 - Messenger comes to Jesus (Lazarus dies)
Day 2 - The messenger returns to Bethany (one day travel/by foot)
Day 3 - Jesus WAITS another day before leaving!
Day 4 - Jesus arrives in Bethany
So when the messenger arrived with the news that "This sickness is not unto death"....Lazarus had already DIED and had been buried! How hopeless they must have felt. Yet, Jesus sends this word! He was urging them to believe His Word no matter how discouraging the circumstances might appear. He knew what the future held, but they only knew the moment of their despair.
Think of all the questions the disciples who have been with Him this whole time could have had:
1) If Jesus loved Lazarus so much, why did He permit him to be this sick?
2) Even more, why did He purposefully DELAY going to the sisters to comfort them?
3) Also, couldn't He have healed him from a distance with just a spoken word as He did with the nobleman's son? (See John 4:43-54)
God's ways and timing cannot be put into a formula, can it? The record shows that Jesus had a strong love relationship with this family (John 11:3, 5, and 36). Does Jesus' behavior seem to "possibly" contradict His LOVE for them in "their" eyes? Does it seem that way sometimes when our prayers are delayed?
He finally decides to go back to Judea again (vs.18 tells us that Bethany was near Jerusalem about 2 miles off, and many Jews will be there to comfort the family during this death of Lazarus). Jesus has just left there when the Jews were trying to KILL Him. The disciples can't believe He is going to go back again! (John 11:8) Jesus said Lazarus had fallen asleep and He was going to awaken him.
What did the disciples think? (vs.12)
In vs.13,14 - What does Jesus tell them PLAINLY?
What does Jesus tell them in John 11:15?
What did the disciple, Thomas, assume would happen to them as well if they all went back to Judea? (vs.16)
When Jesus came to Bethany, how long had Lazarus already been in the tomb? (vs.l7)
When we find ourselves confronted by disease, dissapointment, delay, and even death, our only encouragement is the WORD OF GOD. We must live by FAITH and not by sight. Their situation seemed hopeless, yet the sisters knew and we should remember that Jesus is the Master of every situation, no matter how hopeless it may seem.
Psalm 50:15 -"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." Do we wonder about the Lord's delay in this situation?
Jesus Was On The Father's Divine Time Table
He only did what the Father showed Him to do and He did it when the Father told Him to. The fact that Lazarus had been dead for four days gave greater authenticity to the MIRACLE (sign) and greater opportunity for people to believe, including His OWN Disciples! (John 11:15) Yes, returning to Judea was risky and this miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead would precipitate into the ARREST AND DEATH of Jesus. Soon, His hour would finally come. Yet, Jesus must perform the greatest SIGN of all before His own death. This miracle could not be denied or avoided by the Jewish leaders themselves. No matter what other SIGNS Jesus has performed that point to Who He Is - "the Christ", "the Son of God", and even "one" with the Father..... it means NOTHING if He can do NOTHING about the enemy of DEATH.
Death for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is compared to sleep...we simply close our eyes and awaken into the presence of the Lord! "Absent from the body, at home with the Lord"! (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
Take time to look at these references to what happens to believers when they die:
Now let's turn our attention to the two sisters of Lazarus. Jesus loved this family!
What do we learn about these two in Luke 10:38-42?
Describe their very different personalities from the account given in Luke 10:
Note: Jesus did not 'condemn' Martha's service, but He did rebuke her for being "torn apart" by so many things! She needed to have priorities and center her activities on the things that God would approve.
Which sister do you identify with most and why?
When Jesus arrived in Bethany after Lazarus had already been buried for four days, which of the sisters came out to meet Him first? vs. 20 -
What did she say to Jesus? (vs.21,22)
Jesus told her "Your brother will rise again".
Martha reminds Him that she does know about the resurrection on the last day. She, like her Jewish family, knew the Old Testament teachings about the resurrection of the dead on the last day. Jesus took it out of the 'book' and put it into a 'person' - HIMSELF!
He asked Martha: "Do you believe this?"
She had not yet "seen" her brother be raised from the dead. She heard these words and she believed. Once again, why did the apostle John write this Gospel? (rewrite John 20:30,31)
Now, Mary and the Jews that were with her comforting her...come out to where Jesus is.
She was weeping and the Jews were weeping. Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled...He asked "Where have you laid him?"....they said "come and see..."
Think about it. He knew the outcome would be glorious, yet He wept. I think we need to stop and realize somethings about our God here. Yes, He is Sovereign. He is the creator, the ruler of all the earth. He is the beginning and He is the end. Yet, the God of all creation is moved by emotion. He created our emotions. He realized that He had not stopped the suffering when He could have. He realized the pain this family had faced, the pain of the mourners in their broken hearts. Yet, many times we don't realize that when He chooses the best path for us and not understanding, we are brokenhearted. He also sees our tears and he is moved deeply within for us.
The Bible says in Romans 8 that when we don't even know how to pray, the Holy Spirit groans so deeply in prayer to God on our behalf, it cannot even be expressed in words. Our God is a God of emotion. He cries! Jesus also wept over the city of Jerusalem. God speaks in the Old Testament of how His heart was broken over the people's sins and rebellion after He had been a father to them. When we see how we have BROKEN the HEART of GOD, then we will realize how much He desires to mend our broken hearts!
It is like with our own children. We want them to realize the "why" when we put boundaries up for them not to cross. We 'see' what would happen if they disobey. We can see from our experiences of life what the consequences will be. God knows the end from the beginning. He does what is the best for us, but when we can't understand the 'why', He just may be 'crying' WITH you until you realize it for yourself.
I have been SO MINISTERED to in this chapter. I hope you will respond back on the message board when you finish working on it! Thanks.
What did Jesus tell them to do with the stone that was over the tomb (cave)? vs. 39 -
What was Martha's response?
What did Jesus remind her of?
So they removed the stone. JESUS then raised His eyes and PRAYED.
After this, he cried out with a loud voice "LAZARUS, COME FORTH!"
Yet, others went away to tell the Pharisees what Jesus had done!So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council. Rather than be amazed and come to faith in Him themselves, what did this SIGN make them afraid about concerning themselves? (vs.48)
This is how unbelief is. This is how strong false doctrine can be. You are literally blinded from the TRUTH. As Jesus said after He had healed the blind man in John, Chapter 9...He told the Pharisees "because you say we have no sin, you still remain blind......"
Caiaphas, the high priest that year, spoke out a prophesy (not even of himself)...without his own will, he just spoke it out!
A very critical statement is made in John 11:53 - "So from THAT day on - the PLANNED together TO KILL HIM."
Verse 54: Jesus therefore no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to a country near the wilderness, into a city called EPHRAIM; and there He stayed with the disciples. (check your maps)
Those who went to Jerusalem to purify themselves before this festival were wondering where Jesus was.
Jesus will actually die on the day they celebrate the Passover this time. He will be their Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, but their devotion to their religious tradition will blind them from the truth.
What about you?
Is God a set of rules, a book of regulations, a list of things to do...or have you come to know Him through the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who said "I AM the resurrection and the life." ?
He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. Have you believed? Share what you believe and why you believe it with your summary and prayers today.
Summary & Prayer:
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