JESUS IS LOVE THE RESURRECTION & THE LIFE JOHN 11:17-27 MARCH 20, 2016
JOHN 11:17-27 MARCH 20, 2016 TEACHING PLAN PREPARATION > Spend the week reading through and studying John 11:17-27. Consult the commentary provided and any additional study tools (such as a concordance or Bible dictionary) to enhance your preparation. > Determine which discussion points and questions will work best with your group. > Pray for our pastors, the upcoming group meeting, your teaching, your group members, and their receptivity to the study. HIGHLIGHTS BIBLICAL EMPHASIS: Jesus is the resurrection and the life. TEACHING AIM: We are all confronted with the question: Do you believe? 2 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
TEACHING PLAN MARCH 20, 2016 INTRODUCTION As your group time begins, use this section to help get the conversation going. 1 Have you ever witnessed something so remarkable that you could hardly believe your eyes? If so, what was it? Notes 2 Have you ever had the opportunity to watch a baby being born? If so, would you describe it as a miracle or a normal part of everyday life? 3 How would you define a miracle? Miracles can be defined as extraordinary events that manifest divine power, are wonders to human understanding, and are therefore what human beings perceive as signs from God. Today s passage contains the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Raising the dead was even a rare occurrence in the Gospels. In fact, in all four Gospels there are only three accounts of raising the dead: the raising of Jairus s daughter, the raising of the widow s son at Nain, and the raising of Lazarus. Only John s Gospel recounts Lazarus s raising. In addition to being a spectacular miracle, the raising of Lazarus serves as a foreshadowing of Jesus own resurrection. UNDERSTANDING Unpack the biblical text to discover what Scripture says or means about a particular topic. > Have a volunteer read John 11:17-23. When Jesus arrived, how long had Lazarus been dead? Why is this significant? 3 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
TEACHING PLAN MARCH 20, 2016 Who was the first to greet Jesus as He arrived in Bethany? What did she say? Take a second look at verse 23. What was Jesus response to Martha? Notes When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus was in the tomb and had already been dead four days. This is significant because Jews believed that a deceased person s spirit remained in the body for three days. Since four days had passed, there was no question that Lazarus was dead. The fact that the text says many Jews had come to comfort Mary and Martha suggests their family had considerable social standing in the community. It might be tempting to view Martha s statement, Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn t have died as a rebuke. But it s far more likely they are words that come from grief and faith. Verse 22 indicates that Martha has not lost her confidence in Jesus. Why do you think Jesus might have waited four days until He arrived in Bethany? What does Jesus tell Martha in verse 23? It s easy to see how Martha may have interpreted Jesus statement in more than one way. When He said, Your brother will rise again, it could easily be interpreted to mean that death wouldn t have the last word and that Lazarus would be resurrected on the last day. This is what Martha understands Jesus to say. But Jesus is promising a more immediate resurrection for Lazarus. Initially, this escapes Martha s understanding. 4 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
TEACHING PLAN MARCH 20, 2016 > Have a volunteer read John 11:24-27. Jesus makes a staggering statement in verses 25-26. What did He say? Jesus followed this statement by asking Martha a question. What did He ask her? What was Martha s response? How are we faced with the same question? Resurrection The Greek word anastasis is used 42 times in the New Testament and 4 times in John s Gospel. A noun, anastasis is derived from the verb anistemi, which means literally to stand up and by extension, to rise up. Jesus claim in verse 25 echoes what was written in John s prologue that life was in Him (John 1:4). It s further supported by Jesus statement found in John 11:25, I am the resurrection and the life. Because Jesus is the life and has life in Himself, Jesus is able to give abundant life in the present and eternal life in the future to all who place their trust in Him. Jesus asked Martha the question that we and every other human being will be confronted with: Do you believe this? > Have a volunteer read John 11:38-44. Verse 38 recounts the emotion Jesus expressed. Why do you think Jesus was grieved by the death of Lazarus? What is the first thing Jesus does when the stone is rolled away? 5 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
TEACHING PLAN MARCH 20, 2016 Verse 43 says that Jesus shouted, Lazarus, come out! What was the result of His command? Bethany Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary, and Martha and was no doubt grieved by their suffering and loss. Jesus felt a full range of emotions. As the stone was rolled away, Jesus paused to pray to the Father. He commanded that Lazarus come out of the tomb and the text recounts that the dead man came out. Christianity is based on the conviction that the resurrection of Jesus and similar miracles (such as the raising of Lazarus) are historical facts. Although this was an amazing miracle and it was astonishing that Lazarus was restored to life, the greater significance is that this miracle illustrates Jesus divinity. In addition, it serves as a foreshadowing to Jesus own resurrection. Christianity hinges on this belief. If we don t believe that Christ has been raised from the dead and is still alive today, our faith is useless. Paul addressed this in his first letter to the Corinthians. A village located east of the Mount of Olives and less than two miles from Jerusalem, the New Testament identifies Bethany as the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus visited Bethany six days before the Passover and was anointed with perfume there by Mary. His ascension was near there. > Have a volunteer read 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. How does Paul describe the faith of someone who disregards the resurrection? Take another look at verse 19. What does Paul say should befall Christians if the resurrection was not true? Paul writes that if we deny the resurrection, our faith is worthless. He goes on to explain that if there was no resurrection, Christians should be pitied more than anyone. But the resurrection is true. Jesus has promised that everyone who believes in Him will live forever, and that death will not have any power over us. Jesus offers this to us because He loves us, but it was made possible because of the resurrection. This truth begs the question, Do you believe this? 6 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
TEACHING PLAN MARCH 20, 2016 APPLICATION Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. Notes 1 In today s passage Jesus identified Himself as the Resurrection and the Life. Do you believe this? If so, how does this truth change your life? 2 Maybe you are facing difficult circumstances in your own life. Today s study illustrates that Jesus brings life to the toughest of situations. In what way can you trust Jesus to bring life to your troubling circumstances? 3 Who do you know who doesn t believe the gospel? Is it because they have never been told? What can you do to share the good news with them? P R A Y Spend time thanking God for the provision of His Son, Jesus Christ. Thank Him that He brings life to even our darkest circumstances. Ask Him to provide opportunities to share the gospel in Middle Tennessee. 7 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
TEACHING PLAN MARCH 20, 2016 FOLLOW UP Midway through this week, send a follow-up email to your group with some or all of the following information: > Questions to consider as they continue to reflect on what they learned this week: Who do I know who needs eternal life found only in Jesus Christ? What can I do this week to share the good news with them? > A note of encouragement, following up on any specific prayer requests mentioned during your group gathering. > The challenge to memorize John 11:25. 8 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
COMMENTARY MARCH 20, 2016 JOHN 11:17-44 11:17-20. Their arrival in Bethany occurred at least four days later. In the cultural ostentation of Jewish funerals, the mourners, the spices, and the procession still lingered. This was a popular family in the small town of Bethany, so Lazarus funeral was a major event. But none of the Lord s followers not the disciples and not the sisters yet understood how Jesus is our life, as He was to Martha. Notes 11:21-24. Here we have one of the great conversations of the Bible. We already know the personalities of these women, so we are not surprised that Martha charged out to meet Jesus while Mary stayed at home. Her words to the Lord almost take the form of a mild rebuke: if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Yet she hinted at resurrection by adding, God will give you whatever you ask. Knowing her faith, Jesus responded, Your brother will rise again. Martha, Mary, and all these Jewish mourners responded in human fashion to death and sorrow, defeat, and abandonment. According to their words, Jesus should have been there to prevent Lazarus s death. If He were really God, He would have prevented physical death because that is God s job. They treated death as the end of life, the final defeat, a sign that God had deserted them. But He had not. 11:25-27. Jesus said, He who believes in me will live, even though he dies. Does that mean spiritual life beyond the grave as many interpreters have suggested? The context seems to demand an emphasis on physical death and physical life in other words, bodily resurrection. Verse 26 seems to indicate that whoever is still alive and believing at the time of the Lord s return will never die. Martha did not grasp the entirety of this theology, but nevertheless placed her foothold of faith directly in Jesus affirmation of His messiahship. She was not completely without faith. She still believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and that He might still be able to do something, although she did not really know what. She understood only two categories of life: physical life on earth and some future life at a resurrection. In her mind, Lazarus had neither of those at the moment. She did not think there was anything Jesus could do about His death. 9 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
COMMENTARY MARCH 20, 2016 Jesus said future resurrection was impossible without Him. Martha (as well as Lazarus) had no hope without Him in the picture. He also said that real life (life that extends beyond death) is possible only through Him. A person attains it no other way. This life is both spiritual (will live, even though He dies) and eternal (will never die), and it comes only to those who believe in Jesus. It appears to the casual reader that Martha had climbed on board theologically and would no longer have any question about what Jesus could do. Yet a few minutes later she heard Jesus call for the removal of the stone and objected, Lord, he s already decaying It s been four days (v. 39). Again Martha reminds us of ourselves willing to verbally proclaim biblical truth without applying it in our lives. Notes: 11:28-32. How interesting that Mary s opening line was identical to Martha s, although she had not heard Martha speak and there seems to be no indication in the text that the women had discussed their reaction to the Lord. Martha engaged in theological debate; Mary fell at His feet. 11:33-37. Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. This suggests anger over sin and death which could cause such agony in Bethany. The word troubled seems to emphasize agitation, perhaps over the grief of the sisters. When Jesus approached the tomb, He could no longer control himself and wept. John used a different word than the word he chose to describe the weeping of Mary and the Jews. Perhaps the intent was to show that Jesus tears emerged for a different reason not grief over Lazarus; He had that situation well in hand. Surely the same unbelief and theological ignorance that prompted His anger also produced His grief. 11:38-40. The emotional intensity deepened as Jesus approached the tomb, deeply moved. Since Martha had raised the protest, the response of verse 40 may be directed primarily at her, though it certainly established a general principle one that we have repeatedly observed throughout this Gospel: Believing is seeing. To the sisters in their grief, the disciples in their bewilderment, and to all who seek faith for life at any age since this dramatic event, Jesus calls for faith first and sight later. 10 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
COMMENTARY MARCH 20, 2016 11:41-42. The power of Jesus is also seen in His prayer. The purpose of the prayer was to create faith in the hearts of those standing around Lazarus tomb wondering what would happen next. Here we get a glimpse into the relationship of the Trinity, and particularly the Father-Son relationship within the Godhead. What exactly did Jesus mean when He said to the Father, I said this, so they may believe You sent Me. Jesus mission was to bring people to faith and John was mission- focused throughout this entire book. The unbelieving crowds of mourners heard Jesus rhetorical question of verse 40, watched Him, and heard Him pray openly to the Father. We learn later that many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what He did believed in Him (11:45). 11:43-44. Through this miracle we also see that Jesus is our power. How interesting that John should tell us Jesus called in a loud voice, for surely it was not necessary for that call to reach the ears of Lazarus. Perhaps He intended it for the crowd of mourners. Regardless, this is one of the great dramatic scenes of the Bible, but we must be careful using the word resurrection to describe it. In one sense, Lazarus did experience resurrection because he came back from the dead. But New Testament resurrection refers to a return to life in a state of immortality so that one never dies again. That was the pattern of the resurrection of Jesus, of course, but not that of Lazarus who would die again. Let us just recognize the limitations of resurrection performed in biblical times as compared with that promised to believers in a future day (see 1 Cor. 15; 1 Tim. 6:16). 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-20 15:12. Though it is uncertain what caused some Corinthian believers to deny the resurrection of the dead, Greeks viewed bodily death as final, with some saying the spirit survived disembodied. This view likely influenced the church at Corinth. 15:13-15. If Christ were not raised, then apostolic preaching of the resurrection was without foundation, the Corinthians faith was void, and the apostles were false witnesses. Faith here refers to the content of the gospel message, and is synonymous with system of beliefs. 11 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church
COMMENTARY MARCH 20, 2016 15:16. A restatement, in reverse order, of the implications of the Corinthian skepticism regarding resurrection. 15:19. Christians should be pitied more than anyone if there is no resurrection, for in that case we have placed all our hopes in a falsehood. Christianity is fundamentally a resurrection faith. 15:20. Christ s genuine, well-attested resurrection is the guarantee of our future resurrection. Firstfruits refers to the guarantee that Christ s resurrection is the first-of-a-kind resurrection that promises others will follow in the end time. In this instance, the phrase those who have fallen asleep refers specifically to those who have died in Christ. 12 The Resurrection & The Life Brentwood Baptist Church