John 11:1-45
Lead in #1: Lazarus was a dear friend of Jesus. So when he heard that Lazarus was gravely ill, it seems odd that Jesus would put off going to see Lazarus for two days. Why would he do that? The answer may be found in John 1:4 when Jesus says, “This illness is not to end in death but is for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified.” In that moment Jesus was trusting that God, his Father, could use this situation to bring about a greater good, that of glorifying His Son so that more might come to believe.
Prompt #1: Reflect on a time when God brought good out of a situation that, at the time, didn’t look good at all.
Lead in #2: When Jesus arrived at their home, Martha said to him, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” This must have been hard for Jesus to hear because he knew it was true. Most of us have had times when we failed to act and later felt badly about it because we knew the blame was on us.
Prompt #2: Reflect on a situation where you had a chance to act, and you later regretted not doing anything about it. How did you work through your regret?
Lead in #3: There are two recorded times in the Gospel when Jesus weeps. One is shortly before his passion and death, Jesus looks out at the city of Jerusalem and weeps. The other time is when Jesus weeps at the tomb of his beloved friend Lazarus. These vivid descriptions of Jesus’ humanity stand in sharp contrast to what some people grew up with, God the demanding judge whom you could never quite trust.
Prompt #3: Growing up, what was your image of God, a demanding God or a forgiving God, a God you could trust, or a God you needed to stay on your toes for?
Prompt #4: What is your image of God today?
Lead in #4: As Jesus stood at the tomb of Lazarus, he said the words that must have shocked those present: “Lazarus, come forth.” We can almost hear the reaction that must have stirred in people, “Lazarus, come forth? Jesus, he’s been dead for four days and you’re telling him to come forth?”
Prompt #5: Reflect on a time when you were called on to do what seemed like the impossible, but by some miracle you made it through.
Lead in #5: Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth from the tomb. It may be said that Jesus says the same to us, “Come forth from your tombs of indifference. Come forth offering comfort and healing to all who grieve.”
Prompt #6: What tomb of indifference in your life do you need to come forth from?