Showing posts with label Lazarus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lazarus. Show all posts

03 March 2016

Sunday School Lesson—The compassionate Savior

The wait was worth it!


Theme. The compassionate Savior

Text. John 11.1-44

A1 Outline

B1 Lazarus dies John 11.1-16

B2 Jesus comforts sisters John 11.17-37

B3 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead John 11.38-44

B4 The Jewish authorities want to kill Jesus John 11.45-57

A2 Notes and questions

B1 Bethany

C1 2 miles east of Jerusalem

C2 East side of the Mt of Olives

C3 Home of Simon the leper

C4 Home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

C5 A favorite place for the Lord Jesus

C6 Today is called al `Azareyeh (the place of Lazarus)

B2 Lazarus (source here).

C1 Brother of Mary and Martha

C2 Died and buried twice

C3 Resurrected once and will be again

C4 Was a tourist attraction (people wanted to see the man who was dead but resurrected). John 12.10

B3 Mary (source here).

C1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus was at dinner with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus at Simon the leper's house.

C2 Mary poured very expensive perfume on Jesus's feet and wiped them with her hair.

C3 Judas became outraged at this. John 12.1-3

C4 Sat at the feet of Jesus to learn.

C5 Not the

D1 Mary the mother of Jesus

D2 Mary Magdalene

D3 Mary, the sinful woman of Luke 7.36-50

B4 Martha (source here).

C1 Owned the home where Mary, Lazarus, and her lived in. Luke 10.38

C2 Was burdened in preparing the meal.

C3 Was reminded by the Lord Jesus that other things are more important than physical food. Luke 10.39-42

C4 Some have suggested that Martha was either the wife or widow of Simon the leper.

B5 Lazarus dies John 11.1-16

C1 John 11.3. The word "love" is the Greek word φιλέω phileō. It means to be a friend. Being a friend is another person whom you like to be with, enjoy, due to many common interests.

C2 Why do people get sick? Answer according to the Christian idea. (The universe and world is cursed because of sin).

C3 Why wasn't the message, "Lazarus is sick"?

C4 According to many famous modern day "apostles and prophets," a person is never to be sick. How do we reconcile this? (Modern day apostles and prophets are fake and false. Reality shows us this).

C5 Why wasn't Lazarus chosen to be an apostle? He was loyal, faithful, a man who was raised from death. One would think this is a great qualification.

C6 John 11.4. Jesus says that this sickness does not result in death, but Lazarus died. Is this a contradiction?

C7 John 11.5-6. Why did Jesus wait 2 days before leaving to go to Lazarus? Wouldn't this disappoint the sisters? Why would Jesus increase their sorrow and distress?

C8 John 11.7. Where did Jesus want to go? They are in Perea, on the eastern side of the Jordan.

C9 John 11.8. Why are the disciples worried? Does this show foreknowledge and wisdom?

C10 John 11.9-10. What is the meaning of this verse? What is He referring to when He says "day" and "night"? What light is Jesus speaking of in John 11.10?

C11 John 11.11. Why did Jesus use the word sleep, when He knew the Lazarus was dead? Is this a proof text for soul sleep? (See here for more information).

C12 Are you afraid to die? Consider, for those who trust in Jesus Christ...

D1 Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints. (Psalms 116.15 NKJV)

D2 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. (Luke 16.22 NKJV). Most likely we are too.

D3 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1.21 NKJV)


D5 The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness. (Isaiah 57.1-2 ESV) The righteous (those, whom God made righteous through the death of the Lord Jesus and their trust in Him, never have anything evil, bad, sad, depressing, pain, etc. again).

D6 The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death. (Proverbs 14.32 ESV)

D7 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me. (Psalms 23.4 NRSV)

D8 but we are confident and prefer rather to be away from home from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5.8 EMTV)

D9 For I am hard pressed by the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. (Philippians 1.23 EMTV)

C13 John 11.15. Why would Jesus say, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there?"

C14 John 11.16. Was Thomas an optimist?

B6 Jesus comforts sisters John 11.17-37

C1 John 11.17. Why 4 days? If it would have been the same day as Lazarus died, would there be a difference? Jesus and the disciples traveled approximately 40 miles in 2 days.

C2 John 11.18. Bethany was about 2 miles from Jerusalem. So it would have been accessible to people in Jerusalem to come and comfort the sisters.

C3 John 11.20. Why did Martha come to see Jesus, but Mary stayed inside? (It was common for Jews to be in a sitting position when mourning. Mary may still be in shock and not wanting to meet anyone).

C4 John 11.20. Jesus could have healed Lazarus and not allowed all this grief. Does this make Jesus evil? Why did He allow them this emotional pain?

D1 Possibility 1. If Jesus had resurrected Lazarus the same day, many would have said that Lazarus had not really died. To have this resurrection after 4 days of burial, when many people saw it and knew of the death and burial of Lazarus, would definitely show Lazarus to be truly dead.

D2 Possibility 2. Their faith needed to grow. They had enough faith that Jesus could have healed Lazarus but not enough that Jesus could raise Lazarus. We learn that Jesus can heal and also can resurrect from the dead.

C5 Why did Jesus wait? How do we react to waiting?

C6 John 11.23. Would it have been easy for Martha to have missed the meaning of "...your brother will rise again?"

C7 John 11.25. What is Jesus teaching Mary, Martha, and us? Why did Jesus say, "I am the resurrection and the life," instead of saying, "I will raise up Lazarus?" What does "I am the life" mean? (Only Yahweh has life in Himself and can give life. See John 5.21.

D1 The Seven "I Ams" of Jesus

E1 "I am the bread of life" John 6.35, John 6.48

E2 "I am the light of the world" John 8.12

E3 "I am the door" John 1.7-9

E4 "I am the good shepherd" John 10.11, John 10.14

E5 "I am the resurrection and the life" John 11.25

E6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life" John 14.6

E7 "I am the vine" John 15.1 and John 15.5

C8 John 11.25. Why does Jesus say, "Those who believe in me will live, even though they die"? Is belief simple? (Yes, it is just accepting what Jesus says as truth).

C9 John 11.26. People die, so why does Jesus say, "those who live and believe in me will never die"? (He is speaking of spiritual and eternal death. The believers will have a resurrection).

D1 Clarke in his commentary on this verse states,


D2 Some translate the verse as "and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die forever. Do you believe this?" (John 11.26, LEB). Compare "Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death forever." (John 8.51, LEB).

C10 John 11.27. This is a very strong statement of belief. Jesus accepts it.

C11 John 11.28-31. How long did it take for Mary to get up and go to Jesus?

C12 John 11.32. Is Mary angry at Jesus for not coming sooner? (No, she is simply making a statement).

C13 John 11.33. What did Jesus see Mary doing? (Crying). Does He know these things about us?

C14 John 11.34. The word translated "groan" or "deeply moved" has the idea of snorting with anger. Does Jesus like death? (No! It was in intention of His for people or creation. Death is a punishment for sin. The word for "troubled" conveys "passionately stirred up" in emotions. The calmness of our minds is disturbed. Jesus is not angry at Mary, Martha, or the people, for we see Him weeping, not rebuking).

C15 John 11.36. Are the people angry at Jesus? (Maybe, but they are more likely just venting their feelings in ignorance. They were sincere, not sarcastic. Mary and Martha had the same question).

B7 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead John 11.38-44

C1 John 11.38-40. Was Martha asking a question of doubt (You can't do this. It is scientifically impossible.) or curiosity (I believe you, but how). Mary the mother of Jesus asked the angel a question from curiosity ("Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" (Luke 1.34, EMTV). Zacharias asked the angel a question from doubt ("And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." (Luke 1.18, EMTV). Mary asks, "Huh, how can this happen? Zacharias asks, "I don't think you know what you're talking about."

C2 John 11.41-42. Why did Jesus pray?

C3 John 11.43. Why did Jesus shout, instead of speaking in a still, small voice like He did to Elijah? (After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. (1 Kings 19.12, HCSB)

C4 John 11.44. What did Jesus do, and what did the people do? (The people moved the stone and unwrapped Lazarus).

B8 What have we learned today?

B9 If Jesus showed care and compassion, so should we.