The footprints of our Lord are getting deeper as, carrying our load of sin, He gets closer to atoning the world. Then, once and for all, He can shed the burden that was destined to be His from the earliest of times. Consider walking alone. And in the dark of night with trouble surrounding your every move, everything seems to be closing in around you from all sides. Suddenly, someone dumps a heavy burden on your shoulders. How can I escape? That’s the human view.
Now, as our Lord approaches His ultimate sacrifice, watch as He resolutely approaches Zion to be slaughtered as The Sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world.
John tells us that Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother was sick, “the one you love is sick.” The story may be strange to some, yet glorious to others. Let’s take a look.
Jesus’ friends: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11)
- Read verses 1-6
- Describe what you see from these beginning verses
- What does it mean to you, “this sickness will not end in death?”
- What does John tell us about Jesus’ feelings toward this family?
- Read verses 7-10: Jesus shows great courage
- After at least two days, Jesus says, “let’s go.” What does this show about His courage?
- Verses 9-10 talk about light and darkness. This rhetorical question by Jesus is in response to the disciple’s concern over the fate of Jesus at the hands of the Pharisees. What darkness is Jesus referring to in verse ten?
- Read verses 11-16
- Verse eleven tells us “Lazarus had fallen asleep.” How did Jesus know this?
- The disciples misunderstood the “waking up” statement. How does the world misunderstand death today? And how can Christians show them the light?
- Read verse 17-27: How human was Jesus?
- Mary, Martha, and Lazarus must have been somewhat popular as many Jews came from Jerusalem when they heard of Lazarus’ demise. How does John confirm this in these verses?
- Martha meets Jesus before He gets to Bethany. How does this dialog in verses 21-27:
- Show faith?
- Show comfort?
- Show reassurance?
- Read verses 28-37
- Mary, the one who attended Jesus earlier, came to Jesus. In verse thirty-two, how does she show her faith and her humility?
- How does John tell us that Jesus was human?
- Read verses 38-44
- Verse thirty-eight is particularly important to us as human beings. Why? Because Jesus shows us that it is okay to show emotion. What phrase does St. John use to describe Jesus? (Note: Greek word is “groaning”)
- At first, they were reluctant to remove the stone from the face of the tomb where Lazarus was laid to rest. What response did Jesus make to Martha following her lack of faith? How was God’s glory manifested in this miracle? Was it raising Lazarus or was it God’s power resting on His Son performing God’s will?
- There are many elements in this story that are recorded here for history so that those who would read it through the ages would believe this was not a hoax. List the elements that are important here.
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- Read verses 45-47
- What was the result of this miracle? Consider the timing in light of Jesus’ journey and explain its importance to believability.
- Verse forty-seven reminds us that the Jews were now very concerned over “our place and our nation.” What was their real issue?
We are going to skip the Chief Priests and Pharisees discussion and go to John 11:54 where we are told that Jesus and His disciples went from Bethany to Ephraim. Ephraim is a small village about seventeen miles north of Bethany.
Judea beyond the Jordan:
PEREA (Peh ree’ uh)A Roman district in Transjordan which became a part of Herod the Great’s kingdom. The capital was Gadara, where KJV says Jesus healed the demoniac. (Modern translations follow other manuscripts reading Gerasenes.) Other important sites in the province were the fortress of Machaerus, where John the Baptist was beheaded, and Pella, where Christians from Jerusalem fled just before the Roman destruction of the Holy City in A.D. 66. Perea was the area through which the Jews traveled to avoid going through Samaria. Although not referred to by name in the New Testament, it is mentioned as “Judea beyond the Jordan” in several texts (Matt. 19:1; Mark 10:1 RSV). See Gadara; Machaerus; Pella; Transjordan.
Jesus leaves Ephraim for Perea (Mark 10:1) – Mark tells us that Jesus and His disciples left for Perea from Ephraim. While there, He performed more miracles.
Jesus heals a crippled woman (Luke 13:20-27)
- A crippled woman of eighteen years is healed.
- Luke describes this woman’s afflication as physical in nature, yet Luke also tells us the source. What is it?
- Jesus did another “no-no” by healing the woman on the Sabbath. Verse fourteen describes the synagogue rule’s attitude. Describe in your own words.
- What argument did Jesus use to counter the ruler’s complaint?
Jesus leaves Perea for Bethany (John 12:1-9)
- Describe the scene at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. List what each of the host/hostess was doing:
- Mary____________________________
- Martha___________________________
- Lazarus__________________________
- How expensive was Mary’s gift and service to her Lord? What was the greater gift–>the value of the Nard or the act of servant hood?
- The Jews were present were there to see Jesus and Lazarus. Do you suppose that Lazarus held a high position? Or were they simply still astounded at his miraculous resurrection?
NARD An expensive fragrance derived from the roots of the herb nardostachys jatamansi. The term appears twice in the Song of Solomon (1:12; 4:13-14) and in two of the gospel accounts of the woman anointing Jesus at Simon’s house in Bethany (Mark 14:3; John 12:3; “spikenard,” KJV). The disciples rebuked her for this action, stating that the ointment could have been sold for a sizable sum and the proceeds donated to the poor.