Jesus Recalls Lazarus to Life

John 11: 1 - 45

Jesus was a frequent house guest in Bethany at the home of Martha, who lived with her brother Lazarus and her sister Mary.

Bethany lay about two miles east of Jerusalem in Judea in Palestine. The modern village is called el Azariyeh in Arabic, taking its name from Lazarus.

Jesus and Lazarus were good friends. When Jesus tells the parable about the rich man and Lazarus, the story may have come from Lazarus' near-death experience.

1. What did Jesus say was the purpose of Lazarus' illness?

[Jesus said the purpose of Lazarus' illness was to glorify God.]

2. Did the disciples want to go Bethany?

[No, the disciples thought it wasn't safe to go to Bethany. The people of Judea had threatened to stone Jesus to death if they saw him again.]

3. Who encouraged the disciples to go to Bethany?

[Thomas encouraged the other disciples to go.]

4. What did Martha say to Jesus?

[Martha said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."]

5. What did Jesus tell Martha?

[Jesus told Martha that if she had faith, she would see the glory of God.]