John 11:1-44 | Sermon Resources | 15 June 2025
Summary
The Bible is full of stories of God’s last-minute, eleventh-hour deliverance. The Israelites are nearly defeated by Pharaoh and his army when at the last minute the Red Sea was parted. Abraham almost went through with slaying his son Isaac when at the last minute an angel intervened. But what happens when the eleventh hour comes and goes? The story of the raising of Lazarus shows that Jesus is capable of working even beyond the eleventh hour. Jesus says: I am the resurrection and the life.
Discussion Questions
- Jesus’ Love: How does John’s statement in verses 5 and 6 that Jesus loved the family and therefore he delayed, help us to make sense of the passage?
- Jesus’ Delay: Why do you think Jesus chose to wait before going to Lazarus, even though He knew of his illness? How does this reflect on God’s timing in our own lives, especially in times of difficulty?
- The Role of Belief: In verses 25-26, Jesus asks Martha if she believes he is the resurrection and the life. What does this question reveal about the connection between faith and eternal life? How does this challenge or encourage your own understanding of belief in Jesus?
- Jesus’ Emotional Response: In verses 33-35, we see Jesus deeply moved in anger and weeping. What does this tell us about his compassion and his identification with human suffering? How does knowing that Jesus was angry at the death of Lazarus affect your view of him?
- Lazarus’ Death: How does the fact that Lazarus had been dead for four days impact the significance of Jesus’ miracle? What does this teach us about the power of Jesus over death and hopeless situations?
- The Power of Jesus’ Word: Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb with just his words (verse 43). What does this teach us about the authority of Jesus and the power of his spoken word in our lives?
- Application of Jesus’ Resurrection Power: How can the truth of Jesus being the resurrection and the life influence how we live today? In what areas of your life can you experience his resurrection power?
Quotes
“What John tells us, in point of fact, is that Jesus approached the grave of Lazarus, in a state, not of uncontrollable grief, but of irrepressible anger…The spectacle of the distress of Mary and her companions enraged Jesus because it brought poignantly home to his consciousness the evil of death [and] its unnaturalness…It is death that is the object of his wrath, and behind death him who has the power of death, and whom he has come into the world to destroy. Tears of sympathy may fill his eyes, but this is incidental. His soul is held by rage”. -BB Warfield, The Emotional Life of Our Lord
“Christ does not approach the [tomb] as an idle spectator, but as a champion who prepares for a contest; and therefore we need not wonder that he again groans; for the violent tyranny of death, which he had to conquer, is placed before his eyes.” -John Calvin, Commentary on the Gospel of John
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