The Point The Passage The Bible Meets Life The


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The Point Jesus is the Resurrection who gives us life now and forever.

The Passage John 11:17-27

The Bible Meets Life From the moment we are born, our physical bodies are on a road that leads to death. We can eat right, exercise, and make healthy choices, but our bodies still wear out and die. A physical death, though, does not need to mean the end of life. Jesus offers us a life that never ends. Jesus died and rose again, conquering death. He is the Resurrection and offers us a resurrected life.

The Setting Throughout the progression of the Gospel of John there had been growing opposition to Jesus from the religious establishment. In chapter 11, we’re given the overwhelmingly significant teaching that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. However, the contextual importance of the chapter comes with the death of Lazarus, his resuscitation, and the ensuing fallout over the event, which led the religious authorities to definitively determine Jesus must die (v. 53).

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What does the Bible say?

John 11:17-27 (HCSB) Believe (v. 26)—To believe is to entrust oneself to something, not just to assent to a mental proposition, in a process that assumes action will result and all of life is affected. Messiah (v. 27)—This term refers to the Anointed One God promised in the Old Testament who would come in the future and who would be instrumental in inaugurating the kingdom of God.

17 When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb

four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem (about two miles away). 19 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about

their brother. 20 As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. But

Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t

have died. 22 Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” 23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. 24 Martha said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me,

even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you

believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told Him, “I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who

comes into the world.”

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SESSION 4 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

Jesus is the Resurrection who gives us life now and forever.

GET INTO THE STUDY ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): To introduce

10 minutes

Notes

the topic of hope, post the following sentence on a white board or large piece of paper: “I hope _____________.” Ask each person to think of one thing they’re currently hoping for. Then, invite group members to gather with three or four others to share their answers. (Note: Answers may include things such as a beach vacation, a job promotion, and so on. However, some may answer with

TIP: This session is a great opportunity to talk about salvation with any group members who aren’t yet believers. Use the inside front cover of this Leader Guide for assistance.

a more serious need such as a positive health diagnoses. Be prepared for both.) DISCUSS: Invite your group members to discuss Question 1 on page 37 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG): “What helps you feel hopeful about the future?” Allow time for each person to respond. RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 38): It happens every April. Thousands of baseball fans tell themselves, “This is the year my team wins the pennant.” Within a matter of months, the number of fans who hang on to that optimism will have greatly dropped off. But they’ll all be back again the next year. To borrow from Alexander Pope, “Hope springs eternal.” SAY: “Faltering hope is far more serious in other areas of life, such as: damaged relationships, medical diagnoses, or bleak job prospects. Thankfully, we aren’t left powerless when these experiences come. John 11 offers us ultimate hope.” GUIDE: Call the group’s attention to The Point on page 38 of the PSG: “Jesus is the Resurrection who gives us life now and forever.” PRAY: Transition into the Bible study with prayer. Thank God for the ways He displays His power on behalf of His people every day.

PLAYLIST PICK: “My Hope Is Built” by Shane and Shane BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE John 11:17-24

Notes

17

When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb

four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem (about two miles away). 19 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. 20

As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him.

But Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 22 Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” 23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. 24 Martha said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” READ: Ask a group member to read aloud John 11:17-24. SUMMARIZE: Lazarus had been sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, were devoted followers of Jesus, so they sent a message to Him hoping for a miraculous cure for their brother. ]]

When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days.

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Jewish folklore believed a person’s spirit hovered around the body for three days (until decomposition started) before departing for the afterlife. It was believed that recovery was possible during this time.

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Because Lazarus was “completely dead”—as the four-day waiting period underscored, the assembled mourners would clearly recognize that anything Jesus did after arriving was truly miraculous.

ALTERNATE QUESTION: What emotions do you experience when you’re waiting for something good to happen?

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DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 40 of the PSG: “What do our responses to tragedy reveal about our expectations of God?” TRANSITION: Even in her grief, Martha displayed faith that Jesus could heal her brother if only he’d arrived earlier. Jesus replied, “Your brother will rise again.”

SESSION 4 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

Jesus is the Resurrection who gives us life now and forever.

John 11:17-24 Commentary There is a sure hope for resurrection and life after death. Verse 17: The account of Lazarus, recorded only by John, was the crucial event precipitating the death of Jesus. Bethany, where Martha and Mary and their brother, Lazarus lived, lay on the hill to the east across a valley from Jerusalem. Lazarus became gravely ill. His sisters sent word to Jesus (11:1-3). After receiving the news, Jesus delayed two days before proposing to go to Judea again. Because of the danger awaiting in Jerusalem, His disciples were amazed He would go there (11:5-8). We learn Jesus delayed so He could work God’s glory for the sake of the disciples’ faith (11:15). As Jesus understood, Lazarus already had died. When they arrived in Bethany, “Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.” Four days may be significant if later Jewish tradition can be traced back into the first century. Rabbis entertained the idea that the spirit of the deceased hovered near the body for three days seeking to return. In later rabbinic tradition, four days dead was really dead, without any chance even for a highly unusual and inexplicable return to life. Verses 18-20: Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, a crucial detail, because numerous Jerusalem friends and relatives easily could come to comfort them about their brother. Also, a Jerusalem crowd to witness the miracle meant a quick return of this information to Jesus’ opponents in Jerusalem. Since Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him as He arrived. That Mary remained seated in the house is not unusual. Jewish custom was to mourn and to receive mourners in a seated position, so someone had to remain at the house as a matter of social necessity. Verses 21-23: When Martha met Jesus, she noted, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” Martha appears fully prepared to accept that Jesus could have healed a sick person. That Jesus could do something with a dead person, however, would have stretched any person’s belief beyond its limits. Yet, even at that moment, Martha was ready to believe that whatever Jesus asked God, “God will give You.” There is a double meaning in Jesus’ response to Martha’s sadness: “Your brother will rise again.” Jesus was referring to the miracle He was about to perform. Verse 24: Martha, however, naturally thought Jesus was referring to what had become common belief among many Jews: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” This doctrine of the resurrection is central in the teaching of the New Testament. Therefore, we may have a difficult time understanding Martha’s confusion over what Jesus meant. While clear to us, we need to be reminded that we are looking at the question from the perspective of Easter already having happened. We have a huge advantage that Martha did not.

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE John 11:25-26a

Notes

25

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes

in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever.” READ: Ask a group member to read aloud John 11:25-26a. SUMMARIZE: Jesus made His boldest and most direct claim about His power over life and death: “I am the resurrection and the life.” This is the fifth of Jesus’ seven “I am” statements in the Gospel of John. Jesus was making two significant claims: ]]

“I am the resurrection.” Jesus overcame death by going through it Himself and coming out alive on the other side.

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“I am … the life.” Jesus established His power to give life—not just quantity of life (perpetual life forever), but quality of life (full and meaningful life now and forever).

ALTERNATE QUESTION: How would you describe the hope of heaven to someone who’s never heard about it?

DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 41 of the PSG: “What does this ‘I am’ statement teach us about Jesus’ nature and character?” DO: Divide your members into subgroups of three or four people each. Within each subgroup, direct members to take turns sharing aloud their responses to the activity on page 42 of the PSG. Life in Christ: Jesus said that the one who believes in Him will live. What are some truths you believe about Jesus? In your own words, how would you describe the eternal life Jesus gives? DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 42 of the PSG: “How does Jesus’ statement in these verses produce hope?”

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SESSION 4 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

Jesus is the Resurrection who gives us life now and forever.

John 11:25-26a Commentary Jesus offers us hope of a new life now. Verse 25: Jesus made a stunning declaration in response to Martha’s acknowledgment of the general belief in the resurrection of the dead: “I am the resurrection and the life.” We have to allow for how shocking this statement had to have been to Martha. No one ever had spoken of resurrection in this manner. No one ever had said resurrection was a person. Resurrection traditionally was just an event to happen out in the future that God would accomplish. Resurrection tied to a person was a radical and revolutionary thought. Notice three things about Jesus’ statement. First, Jesus spoke in the present tense. He did not say “I will be the resurrection and the life” but “I am the resurrection and the life.” The end time event Martha anticipated would indeed be a future occurrence. But with Jesus, there was already a present reality to the resurrection and the life. Believers do not have to wait until the end time to experience the eternal life implied by “resurrection and life.” Second, Jesus is the “Resurrection.” This conveys to us the truth that Jesus, even prior to His own death and resurrection, had the power over death necessary to negate death. Lazarus was dead. He had been dead for four days. Death had worked its dreaded mastery over him just as it had countless times before him. But for all its skill and competency at its craft, death was no match for Jesus, the Resurrection. Third, Jesus is the “Life.” Though closely associated with resurrection, “life” is yet distinct from it. Resurrection reflects power over death, but “life” reflects the quality of that existence. In the upper room just a few chapters later, Jesus would again emphasize to the disciples that “I am … the life” (John 14:6). He had already told His followers that He had come to give life and to give it with great abundance (10:10). Jesus then put this radical truth on a radical basis: “The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.” Resurrection to eternal life does not just happen. Such resurrection is founded on believing faith. But with that faith, even death does not end life. Verse 26a: Jesus reemphasized His teaching, but then added a strong affirmation. He claimed all who believe in Him “will never die—ever.” Jesus has said this before (John 8:51). This affirmation is expressed strongly in the original Greek. The “ever” strategically placed at the end of the statement accurately reflects the original language, which is the emphatic double negative in Greek. In teaching this verse we should be sure to emphasize this wording of strong emphasis. The stunning reality is that if resurrection faith is more about a person than a point in time, this truth can be appropriated now. Jesus actually offers us the hope of a new life now. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE John 11:26b-27

Notes

26b

”Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told Him, “I believe You are the

Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.” SAY: “We can place our hope wholly in Christ because He is who He claims to be: the Son of God.” ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Invite your learners to divide into pairs and triads to answer the following question. As Christ-followers, what does it look like to actively place our hope in God in our daily lives? What steps can we take to do this? READ: Ask a group member to read aloud John 11:26b-27. SUMMARIZE: Verses 39-44 tell the rest of the story. ]]

Jesus spoke to Lazarus and he came out of the tomb, fully alive.

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When Jesus resuscitated Lazarus, it served as a miraculous object lesson to demonstrate the resurrection awaiting every person who believes in Him. (It’s important to note that a resuscitated person ultimately dies again; a resurrected person never dies.)

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Jesus brought Lazarus out of the grave with the power of His voice.

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Jesus has the power to give life and to sustain it—even through death. He is our Source of life—now and forever.

ALTERNATE QUESTION: What obstacles prevent us from sharing the hope of eternal and abundant life?

DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 43 of the PSG: “How does the hope of eternal life influence your daily decisions?” TRANSITION: While we may or may not get everything we are currently hoping for, as Christ-followers, we have a sure hope in Christ. His power, His authority, and His resurrection have supplied all we need for life with Him.

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SESSION 4 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

Jesus is the Resurrection who gives us life now and forever.

John 11:26b-27 Commentary We receive the hope of a new life when we believe and trust in Jesus. Verse 26b: Martha was learning that resurrection as a doctrine is one matter, while resurrection as a faith commitment is entirely another. Jesus challenged Martha to make a decision: “Do you believe this?” (11:26b). “This” is not a reference to the doctrine of resurrection. Martha already had said she believed what many Jews of her day believed, that a resurrection would occur at the end of time. The “this” in Jesus’ question is a direct reference to the truly radical claim that He is the Resurrection and that this truth can be appropriated now. Verse 27: Martha’s response shows she was having difficulty absorbing what she had just heard. No wonder. Jesus just rocked her world. Martha defaulted to what she knew was a rock-solid confession that should be pertinent, and hoped this confession moved her along in the right direction of the new teaching of Jesus. She knew Jesus had made resurrection personal; that is, He had made resurrection doctrine about Himself. Thus, the most pertinent element was what she already knew in her heart and personally was ready to confess about Jesus. First, she confessed, “I believe You are the Messiah” (11:27). This confession was a good start. The Messiah or Christ was the expected anointed agent of the coming kingdom of God. Resurrection, as she saw it, was about the future kingdom of God, so Martha brought her belief in Jesus as Messiah into the answer (see 1:41). Martha then confessed that Jesus is “the Son of God, who comes into the world.” Whatever Jesus teaches has to be the truth of the kingdom of God, which now has to include what He has said about resurrection. Such a faith also is in line with Jesus’ own statement to Pilate: “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice” (18:37). Martha had learned the beautiful truth that we receive the hope of a new life when we believe and trust Jesus. Was Jesus right? Is He the Resurrection? Absolutely. One would do well to finish the exciting story in this chapter. The climax was Jesus’ call to the truly dead man to come out of the grave, and he did (11:43-44). Lazarus came out of the tomb. Of course, this miracle was a resuscitation, not resurrection. Lazarus lived to die again. Yet, the miracle is so stunning and unbelievable that the event serves as another of John’s “signs” to the truth of who Jesus is. If Jesus can bring a dead man out of the grave, He is the Resurrection and the Life, just as He said. We can trust Him for future eternal life. Faith in Jesus is the key to that future.

Read the article “The Tomb of Lazarus” in the Spring 2016 issue of Biblical Illustrator. Previous Biblical Illustrator articles “Lazarus Has Died” (Fall 2013), “Bethany in the First Century” (Spring 2011), “Grief Practices in New Testament Times” (Summer 1993), and “Martha: All We Know” (Winter 1991) relate to this lesson and can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator. Look for Bible Studies for Life.

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5 minutes

LIVE IT OUT SAY: “Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. How can you put that truth into practice?” GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 44 of the PSG. ]]

Accept the life Christ offers. If you’ve never placed your faith in Christ, ask your group leader or a mature Christian friend to talk with you about what it means to be a Christ-follower.

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Think of one way your past religious experiences might have limited what you expect Jesus to do in your future. Ask Jesus to enlarge your vision and increase your faith.

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Celebrate the abundant and eternal life you have in Christ. Get outdoors, gather with friends, or just spend time in worship as you travel to work. Thank Him for being the Resurrection and Source of eternal life.

Wrap It Up
 SAY: “Life will always have its share of desperate experiences, but they’re no match for Jesus’ power and authority. Only Christ can give life that’s abundant and eternal.”

Grow with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog (lifeway.com/groupministry).

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