Question 1

Why did Jesus wait two days before going to help Lazarus?

Accepted Answer

Jesus’ delay was not coldness or lack of love. The passage clearly says He loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, yet He stayed two more days where He was. By waiting, Lazarus died and had been in the tomb four days, so no one could deny he was truly dead. This set the stage for a greater work. Jesus explains that the sickness and delay were “for the glory of God” and so that the disciples and the crowd “may believe.” God sometimes allows waiting and hardship so that our faith is strengthened and His power is seen more clearly.

Question 2

What does Jesus mean by I am the resurrection and the life?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus says, “I am the resurrection, and the life,” He is telling Martha that resurrection is not just a distant event, but is found in Him as a person. He gives life to those who believe in Him. He adds that whoever believes in Him, even if they die, will live, and whoever lives and believes in Him will never truly die. Physical death is not the end for those who trust Him. This saying is tied to what He is about to do with Lazarus and also points to the future hope of believers being raised.

Question 3

Why did Jesus weep at Lazarus’s tomb?

Accepted Answer

Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus, yet He still wept when He saw Mary and the others crying. This shows He is deeply moved by human sorrow. The passage says He groaned in His spirit and was troubled, then “Jesus wept.” People watching said, “Behold how he loved him!” His tears show real love and compassion. He does not rebuke them for grieving, but joins them in it. God does not ignore our pain. At the same time, His weeping comes just before He shows His power over death, so love and power appear together.

Question 4

What is the significance of Lazarus being dead four days?

Accepted Answer

The detail that Lazarus had been in the grave four days underlines that he was truly dead. Martha even warns Jesus that by that time there would be a bad smell. This removes any thought that Lazarus was only asleep or fainting. When Jesus raises him after four days, it is a clear public sign that He can give life where death is settled and final. Many people from Jerusalem had come to comfort the sisters, so there were many witnesses. This strong proof led many to believe, but it also stirred the leaders to plan Jesus’ death.

Question 5

Why does Jesus call Lazarus’s death “sleep”?

Accepted Answer

Jesus first tells His disciples that “our friend Lazarus sleepeth,” meaning he has died. The disciples misunderstand and think Lazarus is just resting, so Jesus then tells them plainly that Lazarus is dead. Calling death “sleep” shows that, in God’s hands, death is not final for His people. Just as a person can be awakened from sleep, Jesus can awaken the dead. This picture fits with what He later tells Martha about being the resurrection and the life. For believers, death is like a temporary sleep before God raises them to new life.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about God’s timing in suffering?

Accepted Answer

This story shows that God’s timing may feel slow to us, but it is wise and purposeful. Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to come at once and heal their brother. Instead He waited, and Lazarus died. Yet Jesus explains that the sickness is for God’s glory and that He is glad He was not there, so the disciples may believe. God’s love and His delays are not opposites. He can love someone deeply and still allow pain for a time, using it to show His power and to grow faith. This helps believers trust Him when answers seem late.

Question 7

Why did some people believe in Jesus and others plot to kill Him after this miracle?

Accepted Answer

After Lazarus was raised, many who had come to comfort Mary saw what Jesus did and believed in Him. The sign led them to trust that He truly came from God. Others, however, went to the Pharisees and reported what happened. The chief priests and Pharisees feared losing their position and their place with the Romans, so they gathered a council and began to plan Jesus’ death. The same miracle exposed hearts: some were drawn to faith, others hardened themselves and chose to oppose Him, even while admitting He did many works.

Question 8

Who was Caiaphas and what did he mean about one man dying for the people?

Accepted Answer

Caiaphas was the high priest that year. In the council he says it is better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish. On the surface, he is arguing that Jesus should be killed to protect the nation from trouble with Rome. But the passage explains that, without knowing it, he was speaking a kind of prophecy. Jesus would indeed die for the nation, and not only for that nation but also to gather together God’s children who are scattered. God used even the words of a hostile leader to point to Jesus’ saving death.

Question 9

How can this passage comfort someone facing death or grief today?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that Jesus both cares and can act. He loved Lazarus and his sisters, He was moved by their tears, and He wept with them. He did not shame them for grieving. At the same time, He showed that death does not have the last word by calling Lazarus out of the tomb. His words, “I am the resurrection, and the life,” are not only for Martha. They point to the hope of all who believe in Him. When facing death or the loss of a loved one, a believer can cling to His love, His tears, and His promise of life beyond the grave.

John 11:1

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

The Death of Lazarus

Jesus Comforts Martha and Mary

Jesus Raises Lazarus

The Plot to Kill Jesus

The Death of Lazarus

Cross References

John 11:1

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

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The Death of Lazarus

Jesus Comforts Martha and Mary

Jesus Raises Lazarus

The Plot to Kill Jesus

The Death of Lazarus

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