1. What do we learn of Bethany from the following verses?
2. Why was Lazarus sick?
Jesus said in verse 4: ”it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
3. What do verses 1-5 reveal about the character of Lazarus, Mary and Martha? Why do you think so?
Because it says Jesus loved them all, they must have loved him also and been his sheep. They were obviously disciples of Jesus.
1. Why did Jesus wait 2 days before going to Bethany after he heard Lazarus was sick?
Becuase he wanted to make sure Lazarus was dead so that he could raise him from the dead and by so doing demonstrate that he was the Son of God
2. What does the disciples reply to Jesus in verse 8 demonstrate?
3. What does Jesus mean in his response to the disciples in verse 9?
That he is walking by the spirit and will therefore not stumble
1. Compare Jesus’ expectation of what was to happen when he returned to Judea to Thomas’ expectation.
Jesus’ expectation was to raise a friend from death Thomas’ expectation was to be killed along with Jesus
2. What is peculiar about Martha’s response to Jesus’ question in verse 27?
She really did not answer Jesus’ question. Jesus never asked her who he was, he asked her if she believed that those who believed in him would receive eternal life. Maybe she knew the Christ would raise the dead…
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
3. Both Martha and Mary tell Jesus when they meet him "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." What did they not understand?
That Jesus intended to arrive after Lazarus’ death
1. Why do you think Jesus was so deeply moved when he knew Lazarus would be raised from the dead?
Perhaps because of the suffering he saw caused by death and the sorrow it brings to man, perhaps because he saw how honest sorrow is and the despair that accompanies man when he has no hope of eternal life
2. Why did Jesus speak to the Father before he raised Lazarus and what did his speech imply?
3. Who else did Jesus raise from the dead?
1. Why do we become so sorrowful when faced with the death of a loved one if we believe in eternal life?
YOUR OWN ANSWER HERE
2. What did the Sanhedrin not understand or wrongly presuppose?
3. Why did Caiaphas wish to kill Jesus?
Because he thought Jesus threatened his office as High Priest, the political power of the Sanhedrin and the nation of Israel
1. Do you think Caiaphas understood he was prophesying? Why or why not?
No. He was unknowingly prophesying because his intent was evil yet his actions were ordained by God. As in the story of Joseph, what men intend for evil, God can use to His purposes and turn to good
2. What did Caiaphas himself not realize about the statement he made: “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” or, what truth did his statement foreshadow?
His statement was a foreshadow of the truth of the world’s eternal salvation.
In a spiritual sense it was better that one man die for our sins on the cross, had Jesus not done so, we would all perish forever at death – all mankind not just the nation of Israel.