Community Group

John 11

The Death and Resurrection of Lazarus
8:10 – 8:20 • Anonymous Poll

Do you think about your death much?
What do you think about, when you think of death?

8:20 – 8:25 • Readers’ Theater

John 11:1–44 (ESV)

Assign readers (type a name)
The Death of Lazarus
Narrator
1Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent to him, saying—
Sisters
“Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
Narrator
4But when Jesus heard it he said—
Jesus
“This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Narrator
5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples—
Jesus
“Let us go to Judea again.”
Narrator
8The disciples said to him—
Disciples
“Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”
Narrator
9Jesus answered—
Jesus
“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
Narrator
11After saying these things, he said to them—
Jesus
“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”
Narrator
12The disciples said to him—
Disciples
“Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
Narrator
13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly—
Jesus
“Lazarus has died, 15and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Narrator
16So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples—
Thomas
“Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Narrator
17Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21Martha said to Jesus—
Martha
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”
Narrator
23Jesus said to her—
Jesus
“Your brother will rise again.”
Narrator
24Martha said to him—
Martha
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
Narrator
25Jesus said to her—
Jesus
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Narrator
27She said to him—
Martha
“Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
Narrator
28When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private—
Martha
(in private) “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”
Narrator
29And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him—
Mary
(falling at his feet) “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Narrator
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34And he said—
Jesus
“Where have you laid him?”
Narrator
They said to him—
Jews
“Lord, come and see.”
Narrator
35Jesus wept.
Narrator
36So the Jews said—
Jews
“See how he loved him!”
Narrator
37But some of them said—
Jews
“Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus
Narrator
38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said—
Jesus
“Take away the stone.”
Narrator
Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him—
Martha
“Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”
Narrator
40Jesus said to her—
Jesus
“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
Narrator
41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said—
Jesus
(lifting his eyes) “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Narrator
43When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice—
Jesus
(with a loud voice) “Lazarus, come out.”
Narrator
44The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them—
Jesus
“Unbind him, and let him go.”
8:25 – 8:30 • Discussion

Why do you think Jesus waited until Lazarus had died to visit him?

8:30 – 8:40 • Discussion
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…” John 11:25 (ESV)
3“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… 5unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God… 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:3, 5, 7 (ESV)

What does Jesus mean by “die” and “live” and “born again”? How does the believer attain this kind of life?

8:40 – 8:50 • Discussion

What are some examples of how the lives of those who are spiritually dead and the lives of those who are spiritually alive differ?

How might they have differed for you?

Now we will explore other references of resurrection in the Bible to strengthen our understanding…

8:50 – 9:00 • Scripture & Poll
30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. Acts 17:30–31 (ESV)
14But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. Acts 24:14–16 (ESV)

Knowing that there is a “resurrection of the just and unjust” and “a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness,” how prepared or ready do you feel for the imminent return of Christ?

Does anyone want to elaborate on their answer? What are the kinds of things that would lead you to feel more prepared?

9:00 – 9:15 • Breakout into Pairs

Read Romans 6:1–14 together

1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:1–14 (ESV)

What are the parts of your old self that you are crucifying with Christ?

Pray for each other that sin might not reign in our mortal bodies.

Closing

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes how our faith and the forgiveness of sins are contingent on the resurrection of Christ.

12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:12–19 (ESV)

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died.

20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:20–22 (ESV)

Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we can have confidence that we too will be raised from our physical death into eternal life in communion with God.

Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we know that Jesus is who he says he is and has authority to forgive sins.

Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we have a hope that lasts beyond our short lives.