FOR PRESCHOOL AND YOUNG ELEMENTARY CHILDREN:
Read or summarize the story of Lazarus from John 11, or read it from a Bible storybook.
Last week, as we talked about Easter, we learned that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. Did Jesus stay dead?
No! Easter is a celebration to us because Jesus did not stay dead. He came back to life and is alive even today. That is great news!
The story of Lazarus from the Bible also talks about a man who died. How did Lazarus’s sisters, friends, and even Jesus act when they found out Lazarus was dead?
What do you feel when you think about someone dying? (If your child has experienced the death of a loved one, talk to them about that loss. Share your own feelings and experiences, too.)
John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the whole Bible, and it tells us how Jesus felt when his friend died: “Jesus wept.” Jesus—along with Mary, Martha, and all of Lazarus’s friends and family—cried when Lazarus died. Death is very sad. It can also make us feel scared or angry. This is because death was not supposed to be a part of God’s creation.
When God made Adam and Eve and put them in the garden of Eden, they were going to live with him there forever. Like we sing in catechism, God made them “holy and happy.” But then they sinned, and sin is why people and things die. That is why it is such good news that Jesus didn’t stay dead—His resurrection corrects what went wrong in the garden.
Did Lazarus stay dead? What does this story teach us about Jesus?
This story describes one of many miracles Jesus did while he was on earth. Jesus did not let Lazarus stay dead. He brought him back to life. Jesus used Lazarus’s death to show everyone there (and all of us who read the Bible today) that God is powerful, and he is in control of everything, even life and death. Jesus wants people to believe that he is the Son of God.
Read John 11:25-26 again, and have your child listen for the things Jesus calls himself in this passage. What words did they hear?
What does Jesus say will happen to people who believe in him? Does this mean we will never die if we love and follow Jesus?
When Jesus comforted Martha after Lazarus’s death, he called himself the “resurrection and the life.”
Sadly, everyone will someday die. But if you believe in Jesus, then when you die you will get to be with him forever in heaven. This is the good news of eternal life we talked about last week!
To help your child understand how a person can live with God in heaven even after they die, use Catechism Q&A 19-21:
What else did God give Adam and Eve besides bodies? He gave them souls that will last forever.
Do you have a soul as well as a body? Yes and my soul will last forever.
How do you know your soul will last forever? Because the Bible tells me so.
John 11 also teaches us that one day, Jesus will bring back to life the bodies of all who believe in Him, just like He did for Lazarus. A day will come when our bodies will rise as Jesus did.
Review these songs we sing in Sunday School and Catechism worship:
Is there more than one true God? No, there is only one true God.
In how many persons does this one God exist? In three persons. Name the persons. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
What else did God give Adam and Eve besides bodies? He gave them souls that will last forever. Do you have a soul as well as a body? Yes and my soul will last forever. How do you know your soul will last forever? Because the Bible tells me so.
“My God Is So Big”
“All Creatures of Our God and King”
FOR OLDER ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN:
If your child used the listening guide to follow along with the sermon, take a few minutes to talk through his or her notes.
Read through John 11:1-48 again as a family.
This is probably a story you have heard before. Share some of the parts of the story that stood out to you when we read it together.
In John 11, we learn that Jesus was sad (he “wept”) and angry at the death of Lazarus, even though Jesus knew what was about to happen. What words describe the way you feel when you think about the death of a loved one, or the reality of death in general?
Jesus knew he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, but he still felt sadness at the death of his friend, grief because Lazarus’s friends and family were sad, and anger because of the sin that leads to death. Because Jesus felt these things, it’s OK for us to feel them too. Death is the ultimate consequence for the sin and brokenness of our world.
If you have been in the “Faithful to All His Promises” Sunday School class (currently 2nd Grade), then you might remember one of our promises: “God will not bring any unnecessary suffering into your life.” Jesus could have healed Lazarus before he died, and prevented the suffering of Martha, Mary, and many others. Why didn’t he? Why was their suffering “necessary”?
In the sermon, Jonathan pointed out that Jesus’ glory is on display in the death and resurrection of Lazarus.
“God tells us all through the Bible that He is great. But when He shows us, we really know that it is true because we see it, we experience it. Mary and Martha and their friends might have had an idea that God is great . . . but when they saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead they knew He is great! He did something no one else can do! Jesus’ miracle gave them a stronger faith in Him. They knew He could do anything.” (Sally Michael, Faithful to All His Promises, pp. 218-219)
What does this miracle show us about Jesus?
From this miracle and the events surrounding it, we get a clear picture of Jesus’ power over death and his promise to give resurrection to everyone who trusts in him.
Jesus used the death of Lazarus to show the people his glory and power as the Son of God. Where have you seen God’s glory and power on display in your life this week? In the world around you?
The story in John 11 ends with two responses to Jesus—choosing to rely on Jesus (v. 45) or choosing to reject him (v. 46). Talk with your child about why believing in Jesus is the only right response to this and everything the Bible teaches about him.