SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 29, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 13.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

LESSON 2.—APRIL 9.—THE RAISING OF LAZARUS.

Lesson Scripture, John 11:32-45, A. R. V.

(32) "MARY therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw Him, fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. (33) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, (34) and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto Him, Lord, come and see. (35) Jesus wept. (36) The Jews therefore said, Behold how He loved him! (37) But some of them said, Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die? (38) Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself cometh to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. (39) Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time the body decayeth; for he hath been dead four days. (40) Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst thou shouldst see the glory of God? (41) So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me. (42) And I knew that Thou heardest Me always; but because of the multitude that standeth around I said it, that they may believe that Thou didst send Me. (43) And when He had thus spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. (44) He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. (45) "Many therefore of the Jews, who came to Mary and beheld that which He did, believed on Him." Golden Text.—"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the Life." John 11:25.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) When Mary came out to Jesus, what attitude did she assume? What did she say? Verse 32. Note 1. (2) Who besides Mary were weeping? How was Jesus affected by their sorrow? Verse 33. Note 2. (3) What did Jesus say to the weeping company? What was their reply? Verse 34. (4) How did Jesus further manifest His love and sympathy? Verse 35. (5) What did the Jews say when they saw Jesus weeping? Verse 36. (6) What significant query was raised by some who were present? Verse 37. Note 3. (7) How did Jesus manifest His deep feeling? In what kind of tomb was Lazarus laid? Verse 38. Note 4. (8) What command did Jesus give? Then what protest did Martha make? Verse 39. Note 5. (9) Of what did Jesus then remind Martha? Verse 40. (10) Then what was done by the company? And what did Jesus do and say? Verse 41. Note 6. (11) What did He say concerning His purpose? Verse 42. (12) When He had thus spoken, what did He do? Verse 43. Note 7. (13) In answer to this call, who came forth? In what condition did he come? What command did Jesus then give? Verse 44. Note 8. (14) What was the effect of this miracle? Verse 45. Note 9.

NOTES.

1. Martha had previously heard that Jesus was coming, and had gone out to meet Him. She had greeted Him with the words, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." After a brief interview she returned to the house, and secretly informed Mary where Jesus was, and that He desired to see her. On Mary's coming where Jesus was, she repeated the words of Martha, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." The sisters had sent a message to Jesus, telling Him that Lazarus was sick, and expected Him to come and heal His friend, their brother. But their faith did not grasp the fact that He could do anything unless He were present; so they also thought that His coming at this late day was of no avail, as far as Lazarus himself was concerned. They didn't even expect Jesus to do anything for the "repose" of the dead man's soul.

2. The strong sympathy of Jesus for the mourning ones, His strong sorrow over the work of the adversary, caused even His great powers of self-control to give way to audible grief. "He groaned in the spirit." His whole being was agitated.

3. It was a cause of wonder, and naturally, too, that Jesus had not come to the rescue of Lazarus before he died, inasmuch as He had notice of the sickness. And some were disposed to believe that, for some reason, it was a case that baffled the power of Him who never before had met defeat. But the death of Lazarus was working out a greater victory than the mere healing of a sick man.

4. As they approached the tomb, the great soul of the sympathetic Saviour again burst out in audible groans. But, much as Jesus loved Lazarus, great as was His friendship for the family, there was no intimation that "Death is the gate to eternal bliss." There was no proffer of comfort because the soul of the dead man was now in heaven, having entered his eternal rest. Nor, as he said to the disciples before starting from beyond Jordan to Bethany, "Lazarus is dead."

5. "Take ye away the stone."—Jesus could have removed the great stone with a word, without a hand being stirred. But He always makes His disciples laborers together with Him as far as lies in their power. "Dead four days."—There is no doubt in the mind of any one that "Lazarus is dead." There could be no caviling on that score, but Martha's faith was still limited to the bounds of that which had been demonstrated by sight in the past. And so many disciples are even yet walking by sight rather than by faith.

6. The faith of Jesus—which must be the faith of those who stand at His coming (Rev. 14:12)—is shown in His thanking God for being heard before He had asked anything. Such faith never asks in vain, for it is always guided by the Spirit in what to ask.

7. Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb; He did not call the spirit of Lazarus from heaven, or any other spiritual abode.

8. "He that was dead came forth."—There was no living entity called back from some other sphere of activity. It was Lazarus that was called; Lazarus was dead when he was called; and it was Lazarus that came forth. Moreover, that which was called came forth "bound hand and foot with grave-clothes." There was nothing called but that which was dead and in the tomb; and only that which was dead and in the tomb came forth. No part of Lazarus came from anywhere else than the tomb. There was no intimation that anything should be again confined that had been loosed; the command was to "loose him [that had been bound], and let him go."

9. This miracle caused many to believe who had resisted all previous evidence that Jesus was the Christ. But those who had steeled their hearts with a determination not to accept any evidence whatever, were the more determined to condemn Him. Having rejected the Word of God, they would not be persuaded even when one rose from the dead. See Luke 16:29-31.