Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

KEY VERSES

John 11:17-27 (NASB)

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away; 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother. 20 So then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.”

John 11:38-44 (NASB)

38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

UNDERSTANDING

• When is the last time you volunteered to do something? Why did you do it?

• When has someone else volunteered to do something for you? How did that make you feel?

• In this week’s message, Pastor Jeff told the story of Dr. Evan O’Neil Kane who volunteered to undergo his own appendectomy, which he himself performed, under local anesthesia. What must Dr. Kane have believed in order to volunteer to do this?

• When Jesus arrived, how long had Lazarus been dead? Why do you think Jesus might have waited four days until he arrived in Bethany?

• What is it about Martha’s words that tells us she trusted Jesus?

• How can you cultivate a trust like she had?

• Why did Martha talk about “the resurrection on the last day”?

• Does Jesus’ response to the faith Mary revealed in verse 24 seem strange to you? What did He want her, and you,to know about Himself?

• In your own words, what was Jesus asking Martha to believe?

• How are you faced with the same question?

• Why must we all individually answer this question, “Do you believe?”

• What are some evidences a person believes Jesus is the resurrection and the life? What are some signs they don’t truly believe it?

• Jesus knew He could bring Lazarus back to life. So why was He grieved?

• What should we learn from Martha’s reaction to Jesus’ command to roll away the stone?

• Read verses 45-46. What two different ways did the people respond to this sign of Jesus’ identity? What different ways do people respond to Jesus’ identity today?
  

APPLICATION

• Pastor Jeff explained, “People believed that the resurrection was an event; Jesus showed
  us that the resurrection is a Person. People’s knowledge of eternal life was an abstract idea; Jesus proved that knowledge of eternal life is a personal relationship. People thought victory over death was a future expectation; Jesus corrected that, showing that victory is a present reality.” What change does the truth that Jesus is the resurrection and the life need to make in you?

• Read 1 John 5:11-12, 1 Corinthians 15:53-57, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13. What implications does the fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life have on you?

• How should a true certainty in life after death affect the way you live each day?

WANT TO DIVE DEEPER?

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GIVING

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