BIble study week 7 : John Ch11
Bulake
8:32 PM
0
Real Life, Real Suffering, Real Hope: John 11
Notes by Mark
Q: why does it say Jesus loves them and yet he delays in going over to heal Lazarus?
- he loves them so he has something better to give to them, better even than being prevented from dying (for Lazarus), and absence of grief (for the sisters). We will find out what these "better things" are.
Points to communicate:
- people often ask God this question: "if You did something, it wouldn't have happened" or "God, if You are true, it wouldn't have happened".
- Jesus grieves with us in suffering. His heart was moved and he wept.
- This life and absence of grief, suffering is not of ultimate value. Jesus' love for the siblings and disciples is that
- They would see God’s glory
- They would believe (v14) and hence have eternal life (v25-26)
- Martha believed Jesus’ words but cannot comprehend its meaning truly (v39), not until she witnessed it herself
- Martha believed in resurrection, but she didn’t know the basis and source of resurrection is Jesus. Jesus tells her that, and we see it in his own resurrection. This is the solid basis for our hope.
- Faith:
- Enables one to see glory of God (v40)
- Leads to resurrection and life (v25-26)
- This life is not all there is about, and this death is not the end of all. There is indeed a spiritual death, and there is eternal life, abundant life Jesus speaks of (follow-up from “I am the good shepherd” in John 10)
Q: What does v9-10 mean?
- Jesus is that light (cfc h 9). Disciples see the world through the lens of the natural person and see Judea as dangerous. When seeing through the light of Jesus, we will not stumble.
Q: Do you feel you have said or echoed v21, 32?
Points to communicate:
- I am the resurrection and life:
- Jesus is the source, giver of resurrection and life
- Jesus is the definition, embodiment of resurrection and life.
- Jesus is not just the means we go to in order to obtain the prize of resurrection and life. He is the very prize, whose goodness includes resurrection and life.
Q: do you think “Jesus wept” is significant?
- Jesus sympathizes with our suffering. He himself takes on our suffering (Isa 53:4-12)
- He was troubled by unbelief leading to hopeless despair.
Points to communicate
- The resurrection of Lazarus: dead, called to life.
- Rebirth is the same: dead, called, alive, unbind, with the help of the community
Summary:
- Preserving this life and absence of suffering is not of ultimate value
- God loves you that He wants you, through any circumstance possible, to believe in Him so you would
- See His glory
- Obtain resurrection as Jesus’ into eternal life
- Jesus is the source and embodiment of resurrection and life.
- Jesus’ resurrection is the example of the same kind of resurrection we who place faith in him will obtain in the last days
- Lazarus serves as an example of conversion: dead, called, alive, unbind
- Faith is how we
- See God’s glory
- Obtain eternal life
- Follow Martha’s example: even if you don’t understand, trust and obey, and you will experience Jesus
- Follow Martha and Mary’s example: when you don’t understand, rather than denying Jesus, cry out to him
- Review of good shepherd:
- He gives abundant life
- He preserves and protects and give life
- He lays down his life so we may have life
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