THEME: THE
WORD WILL BE
TEXT: JOHN 11:17-27, 41-44
MEMORY VERSE: Jesus said to her, “I am
the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he
dies.” — John 11:25 (NIV)
LESSON AIMS: After participating in this lesson, each
student will be able to:
1.
Recount the sequence of
events in the account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
2.
Tell how Jesus’ raising
of Lazarus proves the truth of Jesus’ claim in John 11:25.
3.
Contrast the life lived
in confidence that Jesus is “the resurrection and the life” with the life lived
without such confidence.
INTRODUCTION
The phrase the point
of no return originated in the early days of flight. Technically, it is
that place on a flight path where the amount of fuel remaining makes it
impossible to return to the airfield of takeoff. When we use that phrase in
other contexts, we usually mean that we’ve reached a point where it is
impractical or even impossible to turn back and start over.
Our Bible story today
is about a person named Lazarus who seemingly had reached the ultimate point of
no return: death. Death is the last stop for all our hopes and dreams in this
world, the final and unavoidable end to every plan and purpose. As we’ve all
been told, the only two things that are certain in this life are death and
taxes. While we theoretically can avoid taxes, there’s simply no coming back
from the grave.
Or is there?
[Please
note that you are free to reproduce this lesson for your Sunday school classes.
The talk points (in red prints) are to help your
discussions.]
A. FAITH
AT A FUNERAL – John 11:17-27
1. How have others tried to comfort you
when someone close to you died? What lessons did you learn from those
experiences? [Proper, helpful ways; Improper, unhelpful
ways (even though well intended).]
2. Where do you find the best help for
your faith when God doesn’t work on your time table? (Scripture;
Prayer; The counsel of another Christian; The comfort of a group of other
Christians.)
3. How have the deaths of friends and
family members tested your faith? (Deaths that follow a
long illness; Quick, peaceful deaths; Deaths from accidents; Murder; Suicide.)
4. What differences have you noticed in
the ways believers and unbelievers respond to death? Should there be a
noticeable difference? Explain. (Expressions of anger; Expressions
of hope; Questions of Why? Expressions of grief.)
B. FREED FROM THE GRAVE –
John 11:41-14
1. How
does your confidence in Jesus’ (and your) resurrection make a practical
difference in how you live? (In terms of your
priorities; In your response to illness; In the way you grieve.)
CONCLUSION
While it’s always nice to get what you’ve
worked for, sometimes a pleasant surprise goes a long way. Things we don’t
expect—like a bonus at work or a letter from an old friend or a word of thanks
from a surprising source—make us feel appreciated because they show that
someone cares for us. In our story today, Martha got the ultimate pleasant
surprise as she saw something unfold before her eyes that was humanly
impossible. Since Jesus really does have power over death, power to call his
people back from the grave, why should we fear anything? Since he secures our
eternal destiny, can he not also provide everything else we need in this world
now?
PRAYER
Father, death is a fearful thing. We’re
afraid of the thought of leaving people behind, of leaving things undone, and
we miss loved ones who have died. Please help us trust you more in the face of
death. In Jesus’ name, amen.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER
The grave is not the
end.
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