Explore the Bible Lesson Preview November 24, 2013 Dealing with Death? Background: John 11:1-57 Lesson: John 11:21-27, 33-44

Transcription

1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview November 24, 2013 Dealing with Death? Background: John 11:1-57 Lesson: John 11:21-27, Motivation: Jesus most dramatic miracle was set in the midst of mourning. (Matt. 5:4) Jesus can bring gladness out of mourning in anyone s life! (Isa. 61:3) Examination: I. Death s Reality (1-20) A. The Sisters Concern Lord, the one You love is sick (3) The importance of raising Lazarus probably cannot be overstated. We read in John 12:10 that the Chief Priests plotted Lazarus death because He was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus. (12:11) Mary, Martha and Lazarus were evidently a prominent family who had a close friendship with Jesus (v. 5). He who had no home of His own (Matt. 8:20) knew He had a home in Bethany. The sisters knew that making Jesus aware of the need would elicit a response. B. The Brother s Illness This sickness will not end in death, but is for the glory of God (4) Jesus knew Lazarus would die (omniscience, v. 14); He also knew that He could heal him (omnipotence, v. 23). Jesus would gain glory not simply from the healing but also by going into Judea which would inevitably lead to the cross (12:23). C. Bethany s Location Let us go to Judea again (7) Judea was ground zero for the opposition to Jesus; His disciple s last memory was of an attempted stoning (8:59). Located about two miles from Jerusalem, Bethany was in the heart of Judea. Jesus knew He had to go back to Judea to accomplish His Father s will. (cf ) 1 / 7

2 D. Jesus Timing So when he heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was (6) Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I m on My way to wake him up (11) Why did He delay two days? Various commentators have suggested that the delay provided conclusive evidence that Lazarus was truly dead (17) so that the miracle would provide more glory to God. Citing Jesus reaction to demands at the feast at Cana (2:1-11) and to His brothers trying to dare Him into going into Jerusalem (John 7:1-10), Barclay concludes that It is always John s aim to show that Jesus did things, not because He was pressed to do them, but because He chose to do them in His own good time. It is a warning to us. So often we would like Jesus to do things in our way; we must leave Him to do them in His own way. (William Barclay, Gospel of John, vol. 2, p. 83) In verses 9-10 He reminds us that God only gives us a limited amount of time to accomplish His will. (Eph. 5:14-17). E. Thomas Courage Let s go, so that we may die with Him (16) The disciples presumed that to go into Judea would result not only in Jesus death but their own. In verse 12, they hopefully suggested that the problem would go away without their being involved. Of Thomas courage in verse 16, Barclay writes real courage means being perfectly aware of the worst that can happen, being sickeningly afraid of it, and yet doing the right thing. (p. 88) F. Lazarus Condition When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. (17) A common belief of the day held that decomposition began after four days. G. Martha and Mary s Reactions As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went to meet Him. But Mary remained seated in the house (20) Martha and Mary are two Biblical examples of different temperament types. Both grew up in the same environment; yet, Martha was the task-oriented/active type while Mary was the people-oriented/reclusive type. Both are used for God s ministry. Notice the abruptness of Martha s communication; 21, 27 and 39. Both made the same statement to Jesus (21, 32); but, notice Jesus differing responses. To the fact-oriented Martha, He gave a bottom-line response (23); to the empathetic Mary, he wept with her (35). Jesus meets us at our point of need and comforts us according to our own unique personality. 2 / 7

3 II. The Savior s Promise (21-27) A. Theology Jesus said to her I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies will live (25) This is the fifth of the seven I Am statements. In 1:4, John stated that life was in Him and that life was the light of men. In 14:6 Jesus states I am the way, the truth and the life. The seven statements: 1) I am the bread of life (6:35); 2) the light of the world (8:12); 3) the door (10:7); 4) the good shepherd (10:11); 5) resurrection and the life (11:25); 6) way, truth, life (14:6); 7) the true vine (15:1). B. Trust Yes, Lord, she told Him, I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world (27) Martha s profession of faith sounds much like Peter s profession at Caesarea Philippi. (Matt. 16:13-20) This profession may be compared to her protest in verse 39; the tension between her faith (27) and her doubt (39) is the same tension we encounter when we re challenged to trust Christ in the midst of emotional crisis. III. The Savior s Personal Concern (28-37) Jesus wept (35) Notice again that Mary uses the very same phrase as Martha to greet Jesus: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died (32b) However, Jesus response is very different, giving us the shortest verse in the Bible (35). Barclay writes: To any Greek reading this, and we must remember that it was written for Greeks, this would be a staggering and incredible picture. John had written his whole gospel on the theme that in Jesus we see the mind of God. To the Greek the primary characteristic of God was what he called apatheia, which means total inability to feel any emotion whatsoever. How did the Greeks come to attribute such a characteristic to God? They argued like this. If we can feel sorrow or joy, gladness or grief, it means that someone can have an effect upon us. Now, if a person has effect upon us, it means that for the moment that person has power over us. No one can have any power over God; and this must mean that God is essentially incapable of feeling any emotion whatsoever. The Greeks believed in an isolated, passionless and compassionless God. What a different picture Jesus gave. He showed us a God whose heart is wrung with 3 / 7

4 anguish for the anguish of his people. The greatest thing Jesus did was to bring us the news of a God who cares. (p. 88) IV. The Savior s Power (38-44) A. Dramatic Setting it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it (38) The tomb was totally enclosed (even airtight) with a stone across the entrance. Located near Jerusalem, the raising of Lazarus was guaranteed to make headlines. B. Dramatic Circumstances Lord, he s already decaying (39) After three days in the grave, a person was thought to be indisputably dead with no hope for recovery. In the Judean climate, decomposition would have already begun to occur. C. Dramatic Prayer So they may believe (40-42) Jesus prayer was for all around to know that Jesus was sent by God. Jesus prayer for their belief was answered (11:42, 12:9-11). D. Dramatic Command Lazarus come out (43) Jesus called Lazarus by name or the whole graveyard could have erupted! E. Dramatic resurrection Loose him and let him go (44) Lazarus resurrection may be seen as a type of the new birth. (1 Thes. 4:13-18) V. Some Reject the Savior (45-57) A. Process many believed in Him (45) But some went to the Pharisees (46) The word believe (or a variation) is used over 100 times in this gospel. Just as was evident earlier (6:66), some rejected Jesus even when confronted by the miraculous. 4 / 7

5 B. Purpose If we let Him continue in this way, everyone will believe in Him! Then the Romans will come and remove both our place and our nation. (48) The chief priests and Pharisees had a narrowly defined motivation for killing Jesus; even they no longer denied His miracles (47). C. Pronouncement it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people, rather than the whole nation perish. (50) HCSB, p. 1830: 11:50-51 Die for the people invokes memory of the Maccabean martyrs (2 Macc 7:37-38). In the typical double meaning used in John s Gospel, Caiaphas s pronouncement anticipated the substitutionary atonement Jesus was to render. As the Jewish high priest, Caiaphas prophesied, speaking better than he knew. D. Plan And He stayed there with the disciples (54) Jesus continued training the twelve to carry on His work after He was gone. E. Plot So from that day on, they plotted to kill Him. (53) The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, so they could arrest Him (57) Judas ultimately provided the information needed by the plotters (18:2). Application: 1. Jesus alone can grant new life. (Heb. 1:1-3) 2. We must have boldness in Christ to do His will (example of Thomas). (Heb. 4:16; 2 Cor. 5:14) 5 / 7

6 3. Jesus will comfort us according to our needs. (2 Cor. 1:3-5; Matt. 5:4) Leader Pack Item 20: Poster: Christian Perspectives on Death Biblical Illustrator: p. 29, Lazarus has Died **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: Dates: 11/17 Christmas Store Collection Day; 11/17 Mission Trip Reveal lunch; 11/18 Staff Wives Fellowship; 11/19 Staff Christmas Party; 11/22 FBA Grandparents & Special Friends Day; 11/28-29 Thanksgiving Holiday, offices closed; 12/1 NO LBS; 12/5 Women s Christmas Banquet; 12/6 Recreate: Date Night; 12/7 Deacon Christmas Party; 12/7 - Christmas Store; 12/8 Student Christmas Event AFC; 12/9 FBA Fall Fine Arts Festival; 12/12-15 Celebration; 12/19 - FBA Primary & Lower School Musical; 12/21 Candy Cane Lane; 12/24-25 Christmas Holidays offices closed; 6 / 7

7 12/29 No LBS; 12/31 Summit New Year s Eve Party. 7 / 7