Ever since God judged Adam and Eve, death has plagued humanity. It separates us from those we love and looms over our own lives like a menacing spirit. In this chapter Jesus reaches out to a family struggling with the pain of death. He shows us why we need never fear death again.
Warming Up to God
When is it difficult for you to feel that God is with you? Talk to God about your feelings of abandonment.Read John 11
Discovering the Word
- How can we resolve the apparent conflict between Jesus’ love for Lazarus and his deliberate delay in helping him (vv. 4-5)?
- What additional insight into God's purposes can we gain from Jesus’ statement in verse 15?
- What elements of doubt and faith do you see in Martha's statements to Jesus (vv. 17-27)?
- How should Christ's statement in verses 25-26 radically alter our views of life and death?
- Why do you think John emphasizes that Jesus was deeply moved by Mary's grief and the anguish of those with her (vv. 28-38)?
- How would you explain the fact that the people who see the same miracle respond in two totally different ways (vv. 45-57)?
Applying the Word
- How can those verses help us when we feel abandoned by God in a time of great need?
- In what ways will this chapter change the way you respond to personal difficulty or the apparent delay of God?
