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Home , John 1, John 10, John 11, John 4

THE OF JOHN Small Group Discussion Guide

Text: :1-16

Theme/ Big Idea: John 11 covers the story of the raising of Lazarus. John 11:1-16 provides the context for ’ relationship to Lazarus and sets the stage for the glory of God to be displayed in Jesus.

Context/ Background Information: John 11 and 12 serve as a significant transition point in the . On the one hand, the raising of Lazarus from the dead is the last of Jesus’ signs intended to reveal him as the and . While on the other hand, this particular sign points forward to Jesus’ death and resurrection, which is the primary focus of the remainder of the Gospel of John.

While many might wrestle with believing the miraculous healing of Lazarus, John intentionally provides a number of biographical details to verify that Lazarus was a real person in time and history. These details provide information that could be verified by John’s audience and therefore authenticate the reality of Lazarus’ miraculous resurrection. John says, “a certain man” named “Lazarus” from the village of “,” “the village of Mary and her sister .” John then provides even further details saying that he was the brother of Mary “who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair” (John 11:2). Mary’s anointing is not going to be discussed until chapter 12; however, John uses it as an identifying detail because Mary’s actions were apparently widely known. All of these details provide verifying evidence for the miracle that is to come.

FRIENDSHIP ROOTED IN LOVE The emphasis in the first six verses of chapter 11 is on Jesus’ relationship and love for the family of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Three times Jesus’ love for this family, and their love for him is expressed. First, in verse 2, John hints at a story we will later read in . It is the story of Mary anointing Jesus and washing his feet with her hair. This is an extraordinary expression of love and loyalty. Then, John says the request from Mary and Martha was, “Lord, he whom you love is ill” (John 11:3). Their plea is rooted in their knowledge of Jesus’ love for them and their brother Lazarus. Then John says in verse 5, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.“ John is intentionally drawing our attention to the deep friendship and great love Jesus has for this family. Because of what is about to happen, John wants his readers to know full well and make no mistake that Jesus loves this family.

From a macro view, chapter 11 reveals Jesus’ humanity and his deity/ his empathy and power. Why then would this not also be on display in his relationships? These are friends AND sheep. From a human perspective, we see gospel-centered friendship. Jesus has people in his life (disciples and friends) he cares for, weeps for, and loves. From a divine perspective, we see a visible display of chapter 10 and what it looks like for the to know his sheep intimately, care for them deeply, and rescue them fully, even going to great lengths to rescue just one at great cost to himself.

AN URGENT PLEA BASED ON LOVE The sisters sent word to Jesus, “the one whom you love is ill” (John 11:3). Their request is simple yet remarkable. First, they do not say, “our brother” or “the one whom we love” but “the one whom you love.” Their plea is rooted in Jesus’ love for their brother. They are confident of his care for them, and they base their appeal on that alone. Secondly, there is no request for Jesus to come to them. Nor is there even a request for Jesus to heal Lazarus from afar or in person. Instead, they simply make their concern known to Jesus. As Augustine notes, it is enough for the sisters that Jesus knows their concerns. They know that Jesus does not “love and abandon.”1 It is because of their great confidence in his love for them that they make their concerns known to Jesus. They know they can trust him and that he has far more care for them than anyone in this world. If you were one hundred percent certain of Jesus’ love for you and God’s favor toward you, how different might your prayers be?

LOVING DELAY TO DISPLAY THE GLORY OF GOD John makes it clear that Jesus loves this family. It is because of this love that the sisters make their plea known to Jesus. Jesus could most certainly have healed Lazarus immediately; after all, he healed from a distance in :50. Jesus could have appeared miraculously; after all, he disappeared miraculously in :59. Instead, Jesus responds with an omniscient, loving delay. Jesus says, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4) Just as with the man that was born blind, Jesus makes clear that Lazarus’ suffering is for a purpose. Jesus says it will not “lead to death.” If we read ahead, we see that Lazarus does die (John 11:13-14). So what is Jesus saying? He is saying that Lazarus’ illness does not terminate or find its ultimate culmination in death. Instead, his illness and subsequent death terminate in the display of God’s glory in the Son of God.

God’s glory in the Gospel of John is God’s self-revelation.2 And how has God revealed himself most fully and most clearly? It is in the flesh and blood reality of the Son of God, Jesus. Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God” (Heb 1:3). Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). Therefore, what Jesus reveals in verse 4 is that Lazarus’ illness, coming death, and coming resurrection are all intended to reveal and display the reality and presence of God in the person and work of Jesus. As Calvin notes, “God wishes to be acknowledged in the person of his Son in such a manner, that all the reverence which he requires to be given to his own majesty may be ascribed to the Son.”3

When Jesus received news that Lazarus was ill, he did not act immediately. Instead, John tells us Jesus “stayed two days longer in the place where he was” (John 11:6). If his answer in verse 4 and his physical response in verse 6 seem calloused and uncaring, John goes out of his way to correct that notion. In verse 5, John reminds, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” In other words, John is making it clear that Jesus’ delay is not motivated by a lack of love. In fact, the language of the text indicates that Jesus’ delay is precisely because he loves Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

Lazarus’ illness, death, and resurrection all serve a purpose. Namely, to display the glory of God in the Son of God. As Josh Moody states, “It is a strange thought that the Lord’s love sometimes means delayed answers to the most urgent of requests. Such, though, was the experience of Lazarus and his sisters, and such is the common experience of Christians today.”4 We do not always receive answers for why God delays, but this story makes clear even in illness, delay, and death Jesus still loves and is still powerfully upon his throne. In this story, it would seem by the numerous reminders (vs. 4, 6, and 14-15) that the purpose of Jesus’ delay is to ensure that no one would doubt the immensity of this miracle and the person performing it. And by removing all doubt, the result would be that many would see and believe the glory of God displayed in the Son of God.

RESURRECTION POWER OVER SPIRITUAL DEATH The entire story of Lazarus and his miraculous resurrection is intended to display God’s glory in Jesus and verify Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus does, indeed, have the power to resurrect Lazarus (John 11:43). But we are not intended simply to see raw power for power’s sake. No, we are intended to get a glimpse of the resurrection power Jesus has over the spiritually dead. In other words, if he is able to resurrect the physical dead, this means he can also resurrect the spiritually dead. Our assurance and confidence that he can do that is in the fact that he, himself, has resurrection power over his own death (:17-18; 1 Cor. 15).

Interestingly, we see this from the outset of the story. Lazarus’ name is an abbreviated form of the Hebrew name Eleazer which means “the one whom God assists”5 While Bethany means “House of Suffering.”6 What is John teaching us by capturing this story? What is it that Jesus reveals throughout the miracle of this story? God has come to rescue his people from the house of suffering. How does he do this? He took on flesh and blood and revealed himself through his one and only son, Jesus . It is through his death and resurrection that we are reconciled to God, and redemption is accomplished. Jesus knows the cross is his purpose and mission. He also clearly knows resurrecting Lazarus will make that purpose and mission even more clear. Though the disciples do not understand, Jesus encouraged them to make the most of the opportunity before them while they still could (John 11:9-10).

Jesus’ decision to return to (John 11:7) at great cost to himself (John 11:8) in order to resurrect Lazarus from the grip of death is the catalyst that leads the religious leaders plotting to kill Jesus (John 11:53). So quite literally, Jesus gave his own life so that Lazarus might live. Likewise, it is by Jesus’ death on our behalf that we are set free from the grip of sin and death. It is because of Jesus this story does not end in death but life. And through Jesus, it is possible for our stories to not end in death but life.

Quotes To Consider: • “Was it unloving for Jesus to stay two extra days? If you were Mary and found out Jesus delayed, would it have felt unloving? It would have felt like betrayal. But your feelings are fallible. They are pathological liars. Your feelings say, ‘Jesus doesn’t love you. See? He won’t come. He won’t act.’ Don’t trust your feelings. Let the truth shape your emotions, not your emotions the truth.” — Matt Carter

Discussion Questions: 1. How would you have felt if you were the sisters and found out Jesus delayed two more days? Despite their feelings, and our own, what does the truth of the text tell us about Jesus’ motive for delaying according to verse 3, 4, & 5? 2. Even though Jesus may not always act in our timing or in the way we would like, what assurance is given in this text that we can bank on during our own times of pain and suffering? 3. If you were one hundred percent certain of Jesus’ love for you and God’s favor toward you how different might your prayers be? 4. Are you growing in your trust towards Jesus as your Shepherd who knows you intimately, cares for you deeply, and rescues you fully? How is this displayed in your life? 5. Are you extending that sort of love and gospel friendship towards others? Do you weep when they weep, love despite circumstances and flaws, come to their aid when in need?

Footnotes: 1. Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John 28–54, ed. Thomas P. Halton, trans. John W. Rettig, vol. 88, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1993), 243. 2. D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 406. 3. , Commentary on the Gospel According to John, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Software, 2010), 426. 4. Josh Moody, -12 For You (S.l.: The Good Book Company, 2017), 178. 5. George R. Beasley-Murray, John, vol. 36, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1999), 183. 6. Gerald L. Borchert, John 1–11, vol. 25A, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 349.