Jn 11

Warm-up: How often and when do you think about death?

1) How did Jesus react when he heard of Lazarus’ illness? Jn 11:4; 11:6; 11:7; 11:11

=> What did Jesus think how serious Lazarus’ illness was? Jn 11:4; 11:13-14

2) What did the disciples think about the idea to visit Lazarus on his sickbed? Jn 11:8; 11:16.

3) What did people think when Jesus let his friend Lazarus die? Jn 11:21 (Martha); Jn 11:32 (Maria); Jn 11:37 (friends):

4) Read again Jn 11:33-38: What moved Jesus to tears?

The death of Lazarus, or the grief of the relatives, empathy, or what? Jn 11:33; 11:35; 11:38
What is Jesus’ attitude towards death? cf 1Cor 15:26
Why couldn’t he generally destroy death right away? 1Cor 15:50
What does this (and the whole chapter) offer to those who struggle with the question of why God allows so much suffering?

5) What was the purpose of the sign when Jesus called Lazarus back into life? v15,25,40,42,48

Note the frequency of the word “believing

6) v25: Why did Jesus tell Martha: I am the resurrection and the life?

7) Personal & application

Jn 11 is in the middle of John’s gospel (10 chapters before, and another 10 chapters after). If you write a book or a story, what part would you put in the middle of it?
If John treated the subject of the resurrection in the center of his gospel because it is central, what could have made that subject central for him? Is the resurrection central for your own faith and in how you share and communicate the gospel? Why or why not?
(How) is the Christian doctrine of the resurrection practically relevant for how you live, and especially for how you live a ‘righteously’? (chapters 16 and 17 will say more about this topic)