Primary Text: John 11:1-54; Luke 17:11-37
Memory Verse: Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:23-26
Introduction:
The raising of Lazarus from the dead occurred as Passover was approaching. It was one of Jesus’s last miracles before His death. It was a climactic miracle to Jesus’s earthly ministry. There were certainly others that He had raised from the dead, but this one was so great that it aroused powerful responses from His friends and His enemies. This was a miracle that couldn’t be ignored or denied by the religious leaders.
The miracle of Lazarus proved that Jesus had power over death. Without that, whatever else He could do would amount to nothing. The raising of Lazarus was a type of the events that would soon take place in Jesus’s life. He too would die, be buried for three days, and then rise from the dead. Death was man’s last enemy, but Jesus’s resurrection defeated death utterly, completely, and permanently.
The miracle also showed that Jesus had the power to restore life. When He made the statement, “I Am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus was bringing a light to the doctrine of resurrection (2 Tim. 1:10). In the Old Testament, death was often considered the end. Verses in Psalms and Ecclesiastes leave one with the impression that there is no hope beyond the grave. Jesus brought that doctrine out of the shadows and into the light.
He also showed that this doctrine wasn’t just something written in a book but was put into a person—Himself. When He proclaimed that He was the resurrection and the life, He was proclaiming that all power over life and death are within Him.
Jesus affirmed that like Him, one day believers would also be raised from the dead. This is what Martha understood Jesus to mean when He told her that Lazarus would rise. But He also brought out that the resurrection power is not just for the future, it is available to those who believe right now.
Studying the Word
Lesson Study
- What were the purposes of the miracles Jesus performed? John 11:15; 2:11; Acts 8:6; 4:16; Hebrews 2:4.
- What did Jesus mean when He claimed to be “the resurrection”? John 11:25-26; 6:20; 1 Corinthians 15:22.
- What did Jesus mean when He claimed to be “the life”? John 11:25-26; Romans 5:21; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 John 5:12.
- What did Jesus’s reaction to Lazarus’ death show about who Jesus was? John 11:33, 35, 38; Isaiah 53:3; Hebrews 4:15.
- Discuss the implications of Christ conquering death for believers today. John 11:43; Romans 1:4; Revelation 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:25-26.
- Contrast the responses of the nine lepers and the tenth leper to their healings. Luke 17:14-19; Romans 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:2.
- What conditions existed in Noah’s day that are precursors to the Second Coming? Luke 17:26-30.
- How will the Great Day unfold? Luke 17:31-37.