Bible Reading
John 11:1-44 “Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
[23:00]John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;”
[21:16]John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”
[48:10]Observation questions
- What details in John 11 show that Martha and Mary trusted and loved Jesus even though Lazarus died before Jesus arrived? [27:16]
- How does Martha respond when she meets Jesus, and what does her response reveal about the grief she is carrying? [28:20]
- What happens in the story before Jesus commands the stone to be moved, and who is involved in moving it? [57:13]
- What does Jesus’ weeping at Lazarus’s tomb show about the way he responds to grief and loss? [48:10]
Interpretation questions
- Martha believes that resurrection will happen someday, while Jesus points her to his presence in the moment. What difference does that make for a person facing a situation that has not changed yet? [36:23]
- Why is Martha’s honest question not the same thing as a lack of faith? How can grief, disappointment, and trust in God exist together? [47:45]
- The delay in Jesus’ arrival did not mean that he had abandoned the family. What are some ways God may be present and at work during a season when people cannot yet see a solution? [51:33]
- Jesus alone brings Lazarus out of the tomb, yet others are told to move the stone. What does this teach about the difference between trusting God and avoiding responsibilities that are within reach? [56:38]
Application questions
- Is there an area of life where you know God can act but are tired of wondering when God will? What would it look like to bring that question to Jesus honestly instead of pretending everything is fine? [23:44]
- Who is a “strong person” in your life—the one who keeps showing up, serving, helping, or encouraging others? What is one specific call, text, thank-you, or act of care you could offer them this week? [39:39]
- When have you received an encouraging word at just the right time, perhaps in an ordinary place or from an unexpected person? How might God want to use your words to strengthen someone else now? [41:37]
- What “seed underground” have you been tempted to dismiss because you cannot yet see results—such as a prayer, a relationship, service, mentoring, or faithful work? What would help you remain faithful without needing immediate proof? [45:23]
- Where might disappointment be tempting you toward bitterness, despair, or the belief that God has forgotten you? As you look back, what are a few ways God has kept you, provided for you, or carried you through before? [53:38]
- What is one “stone” within your reach to move for someone who is hungry, lonely, hurting, or facing injustice? What practical step could you take this week while trusting God to do what only God can do? [57:24]
