The Resurrection and the Life
John 11:17-27
or
John 11:17-27, 41-44
International Sunday School Lesson
May 20, 2012
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
Who benefited from the return of Lazarus to the living? Certainly it wasn’t Lazarus. I am sure he was loved and I am sure he loved but his suffering was over, he had left this mortal coil to wait for his reward.
Paul who had a passionate mission but who also suffered much knew more than most what waited for him when he said, “ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.” Philippians 1:20-26.
We see from this guidance that Paul gave us from his own life that whether he lived or died, it was about Christ. Lazarus may not have been as enlightened as Paul as Christ demonstrated through him that our lives are not our own as he demonstrated through Lazarus to the glory of God.
But God in His grace always allows us to benefit by association when He receives the glory. When Paul was in chains, guards were converted and other Christians preached the gospel more fearlessly. And here if we read the scriptures that both precede and follow those for today, again we see it is for the glory of God but others also benefit by association.
In John 11:1-3 Jesus is told of the sickness of His close friend Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary and Jesus reply in John 11:4 said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Then in verse 14 and 42 we see that the disciples and those who were there at the resurrection of Lazarus would benefit because they would believe.
We could all live our lives and return to the dust of the earth and have that be the end of the matter but Ecclesiastes 12:7 tells us that indeed the dust returns to the earth but our “spirit returns to God who gave it.” Note the word gave and I think you will have a bit more appreciation for what you have so that while here you will understand what we are to do, again it is to glorify God.
At the conclusion of the book of Ecclesiastes we read, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
But with regard to the benefit for us part as you know there is a catch if God will bring every deed into judgment, we must believe. Martha did, she said in today’s verse 24, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
I love that term, “at the last day”. Jesus stresses it 5 times personally in those words in John 6.
John 6:39
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
John 6:40
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:44
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
It seems like He wanted us to understand something clearly, huh?
But as Jesus makes abundantly clear in that same chapter of John 6 not all will benefit just as we see in the latter verses of today’s chapter 11.
Lazarus was raised from the dead. Christ did what He did and said what He said so that people would believe but then we read this in John 11:45-53, “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life.”
Yep, Jesus had an answer for that:
John 12:48
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
For Discussion:
1. How do you think Lazarus would have felt about being resurrected?
2. Discuss those who were against Jesus despite being aware of and believing in this miracle.
3. Read 1 Corinthians 15 to your group.
4. Discuss the resurrection at the last day.
5. Discuss why Jesus waited 4 days before performing this miracle.
6. Discuss the emotion of Jesus in this chapter.
7. Elijah, Elisha, Peter and Paul all through the power of God raised the dead. Discuss.
Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries
5-27-12: The Way, the Truth, and the Life John 14:1-14 for this one use the opposite meaning antichrist as found four instance in 2nd Thessalonians, not the way, a lie and so not be saved if followed.
6-3-12: Rules for Just Living (Practice Justice) Exodus 23:1-9
6-10-12: Living as God’s Just People Leviticus 19:9-18, 33-37
6-17-12: Celebrate Jubilee Leviticus 25:8-12, 25, 35-36, 39-40, 47-48, 55 or Leviticus 25:8-12, 25, 35-40, 47-48, 55
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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