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The Raising of Lazarus
John 11
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This story is about Lazarus, who was the brother of Martha and Mary who lived in the town of Bethany. Now at this time, Lazarus was sick, and so his sisters sent for the Lord Jesus. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he said "this sickness is not unto death, but so that the Son of God might be glorified." Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus very much, but he stayed where he was for two more days, and after that he told his disciples that they should go to Judea where Bethany was. He told them that Lazarus was sleeping, and that he must awaken him. His disciples said that it would be a good thing if Lazarus was only sleeping, but then Jesus told them that Lazarus was dead. And by the time that Jesus was coming to Bethany, Lazarus had been in the grave for four days.
Many of the people who lived in Bethany came to comfort Martha and Mary after their brother died, but as soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. And when Martha came to Jesus, she said "Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that even now whatever you ask of God, God will give to you." And so Jesus told her "Your brother will rise again." But Martha thought that Jesus meant that Lazarus would rise in the resurrection at the last day. And so Jesus said to her "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, though he dies, he shall live: and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" And Martha answered "Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God which should come into the world." And after that Martha went and called Mary secretly, telling her that Jesus was calling for her, and as soon as Mary heard that, she quickly came to him. Jesus was not in Bethany yet, but was in the place where Martha met him. But the people who were visiting Martha and Mary followed Mary to the place where Jesus was.
And when Mary got there, Jesus asked them where Lazarus was buried, and then Jesus wept. When the people saw that, they said look how much he loved Lazarus. But some of them wondered why Jesus couldn't have prevented Lazarus from dying because they knew how he had healed blind people.
Now Lazarus was lying in a cave with a big stone lying upon it, and Jesus told them to take away the stone. Martha said "Lord, by this time he stinks, because he has been dead four days!" But Jesus said to her "Didn't I tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
And they took away the stone and Jesus looked to heaven and said "Father, I thank you that you hear me. And I know that you always hear me, but because of the people which are standing by I said it, so that they may believe that you have sent me." And when Jesus had finished speaking, he shouted "LAZARUS, COME FORTH!!!!!" And Lazarus came out of the cave, with the grave cloths wrapped around him, and his face had a cloth around it too, and Jesus said to them "Loosen the grave cloths, and let him go." Then many of the people which had followed Mary to that place, and had seen the raising of Lazarus, believed on Jesus.
But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
Memory Verse: John 11:35 "Jesus wept."
Questions:
1. Why did Jesus stay where he was when he learned that Lazarus was sick?
2. What did Martha do when she learned Jesus was coming? What did
Mary do?
3. What wonderful thing did Jesus tell Martha about himself?
4. What did Jesus do when they got to the cave?
5. What happened to the people who came with Mary when they saw Jesus
raise Lazarus from the dead?
Answers:
1. Because he knew that Lazarus' death would be to glorify the Son of God.
2. Martha came to meet Jesus, but Mary stayed behind to wait for him.
3. Jesus told Martha that he was the resurrection and the life, and that
those who believe in him would never die.
4. He prayed to God his Father, and then he said "Lazarus come
forth" and raised Lazarus from the dead.
5. Some believed on Jesus as the Son of God, but some went and told the
Pharisees.
Vicki C. Gross/Nov'02
