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Adult Bible Study
May 9, 2021
God Is with You in the Valley
What comes to mind when you consider death? It’s probably not a topic you are dying to think about, but it is nevertheless important. Have you experienced the death of loved ones in your life? Have you come to terms with your own? Or do you avoid it and try to numb yourself to its reality? It’s true that the surest fact in life is also the one we fear the most: death.
However, if you’re a follower of Jesus, you have a sense of what it is like to be dead and now live. You know what it is like to move about his earth being a slave to your sin, guilt, and regret, and then meet Jesus on the road. Suddenly, your life is filled with grace, peace, and a sense of forgiveness. This is the transition of death to new life. And it happens to be Jesus’ specialty.
Jesus’ miracles are all amazing—healing, turning water to wine, making a blind man see—but the miracle of Lazarus is perhaps the most awe-inducing. In this miracle, Jesus actually raised a dead man to life. And he didn’t do so immediately after the man had died. He raised Lazarus after he had been dead for four days. There can be no mistake the man’s heart had stopped beating and his breath had ceased. Jesus raised a man from death to life.
Don’t miss the metaphor. Jesus didn’t do this simply to amaze us. Rather, it speaks to his ability to raise each of us. His desire is to move us from a life of darkness and death to one that is vibrant with life. He wants to redeem us and forgive us of even the worst of sins that we have committed. This is why the cross parallels the miracle of Lazarus so beautifully. One proves Christ’s victory over death. The other proves Christ’s victory over our individual sin.
As we will see in this week’s study, no miracle is more personal to each of us than the one that occurred when Jesus finally said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
- Share
What tends to be your reaction when you think about death and the end of your own life? Why do you think you react in this way?
- Read John 11:1-44
- Discussion
- Look at John 11:21-27 again. What promises did Jesus make to Martha in this passage? How did Martha respond to this promise?
- Why do you think Jesus allowed Lazarus to die before he went back to Bethany?
- How were the witnesses affected by seeing Lazarus raised from the dead? How did this accomplish Jesus’ purpose that the miracle would result in bringing God glory?
What happens when you die?
Talking about death is an uncomfortable topic. But talking about death in the context of Christianity is different. This is because Jesus brings us hope in the face of our greatest unknown: the end of our lives. So, what does the Bible really say about what happens after death?
Promise 1—Death Isn’t Final
Read John 14:1-4. Why does Jesus say the disciples do not need to be troubled about death?
Promise 2—Jesus Will Be with You
Read 2 Corinthians 5:6-8. In what does Paul say we can be confident? When will we be present with the Lord?
Promise 3—Jesus Will Be with You for Eternity
Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Jesus is eternal—“without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be.” How does this help you understand the concept of eternity?