Sermon Notes
God Cares For Us
GOSPEL SCENES – Part 6
February 23, 2025
1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
John 11:1-7
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
John 11:14
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
John 11:17-27
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
John 11:38-44
- Scene 1 – God Knows
- Scene 2 – God Cares
- Scene 3 – God Acts
- Scene 4 – We Respond
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.7 “If you had known
Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
John 14:6-7
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:7-8
Small Group Discussion Questions for the Week of February 23, 2025.
Opening
1. Are there situations in life that terrify you? Are there things that you dread doing? Why? What helps you to
overcome your fear and dread?
Digging Deeper into the Scriptures
Read John 11:1-16
1. What does John say that tells us that Jesus knew exactly what was going on and was in complete control? How does
that contrast with Mary, Martha, and the disciples?
Read John 11:17-37
2. In what ways does Jesus demonstrate His love and compassion for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus? What does that tell
us about Jesus?
3. What strikes you about Martha’s confession of faith? How does it compare with Peter’s confession of faith (see
Matthew 16:16)?
Read John 11:38-44
4. What is the significance of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead?
Applying the Scriptures
1. How does John chapter 11 provide comfort to us in difficult times?
2. How can we use the message of John 11 to comfort others?