Sunday School Lesson
September 27
Lesson 4 (KJV)
Revealed Love
Devotional Reading: John 14:1–14
Background Scripture: Genesis 43; 45:1–15
Genesis 45:1–8, 10–15
1. Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
4. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
10. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
11. And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
12. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
13. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
14. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
Key Verse
Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.—Genesis 45:5
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Recount the occasion on which Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers.
2. Explain the importance of Joseph’s understanding of God’s plan when seeking to reassure his brothers.
3. Plan and implement best steps and actions in modeling love and forgiveness.
HOW TO SAY IT
| Canaan | Kay-nun. |
| Egyptians | Ee-jip-shuns. |
| Goshen | Go-shen. |
| Pentecost | Pent-ih-kost. |
| Pharaoh | Fair-o or Fay-roe. |
Introduction
A. “[Luke,] I am your …”
How does that sentence end? In the Western world, even people who haven’t seen any of the Star Wars movies probably know to fill in “father.” Yet Darth Vader shows Luke Skywalker no love; he shows his son no mercy. They are mortal enemies, and it becomes clear that one of them must die. This fact becomes all the more tragic because Luke didn’t know the truth about his parentage until Episode V (the second movie of the original trilogy). Darth Vader’s also being Dad did nothing to weaken the enmity with Luke. It only complicated it, made it all the sadder because of the truth it reveals: our families are sometimes the origin of our greatest enemies.
Joseph had experienced just that. At the root of all his struggles in Egypt were those who had sent him to that place to begin with: his brothers. So like Darth Vader (in this one respect), Joseph hid his identity. Yet the revelation of Joseph’s true identity had quite a different outcome from that of Darth Vader’s revelation.
B. Lesson Context
Lesson 3 covered the first trip that Joseph’s brothers made to Egypt without Benjamin (Genesis 42:6–25). Though they returned with food, it inevitably ran out, and the brothers were faced with traveling to Egypt again. But they knew they could not return without Benjamin. Jacob, however, was still very reluctant to allow Benjamin to go. Finally, after Judah guaranteed Benjamin’s safety and offered to bear the blame should Benjamin not return, Jacob relented (43:1–14).
When the brothers arrived in Egypt, they first spoke to Joseph’s steward about the silver they had found in their sacks. He assured them all was well (Genesis 43:19–23a). Later, after Joseph released Simeon (43:23b) and fed the brothers a meal (43:31–34), he sent them back to Canaan with more supplies. But he also instructed his steward to place each man’s silver in his sack and, in addition, to put Joseph’s special silver cup in Benjamin’s sack (44:1–2).
Following the brothers’ departure, Joseph sent his steward to catch up with the men and accuse them of taking Joseph’s cup. When the cup was discovered in Benjamin’s sack of grain, the brothers tore their clothing in despair and returned to Egypt to face Joseph (Genesis 44:3–13).
After Joseph told his brothers that Benjamin would have to remain in Egypt, Judah stepped forward and voiced an impassioned plea not to keep Benjamin in Egypt. Such an action would break his father Jacob’s heart to the point of hastening his death. Judah offered himself in place of Benjamin (Genesis 44:17–34). This act represented a drastic departure from the way Judah had treated Joseph those many years before (37:26–27).
I. Revealing Identity
(Genesis 45:1–8)
A. Privacy Demanded (vv. 1–2)
1. Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
At this point, it appears that Joseph had finally gathered enough evidence to be confident his brothers were not the scoundrels they once were (see lesson 3). Listening to Judah’s heartfelt plea not to keep Benjamin in Egypt and his offer to take Benjamin’s place was more than Joseph could take (see Lesson Context).
Joseph demanded that all his servants and attendants leave the room. Perhaps this was because the reunion was so emotional for Joseph that he didn’t want anyone other than his brothers to witness his breakdown. Or maybe he wanted to be able to speak openly without letting his Egyptian household know immediately everything that would be told.
| What Do You Think? Under what circumstances, if any, could a masquerade like Joseph’s be justified today, given God’s hatred of lying (Exodus 20:16; Proverbs 6:16–17)? Digging Deeper |
And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.Joseph had been moved to tears on two occasions prior to this one (Genesis 42:24; 43:30), but at this moment his emotions were fully released. The house of Pharaoh must have wondered why they heard such intense weeping.
B. Truth Acknowledged (v. 3)3a. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph.
We easily imagine the emotional shock wave that rippled through the room as the brothers heard this high Egyptian official claim, in their native tongue, to be their long-absent brother. Up to this point, Joseph had been conversing through an interpreter (Genesis 42:23). The brothers must have found the statement incredible, even unbelievable. Yet who other than Joseph himself would say such a thing to them—and in Hebrew no less?
3b. Doth my father yet live?
The brothers had no time to digest the shocking news before Joseph inquired as to the welfare of his father. Not long before this, the brothers had reported that Jacob was “in good health” (Genesis 43:28). Perhaps Joseph thought the brothers were simply being polite, not wanting to tell a powerful governor the truth of any family difficulties.
3c. And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
The brothers had been stunned into silence. They seem to have assumed Joseph to be dead, given their statements in Genesis 42:13, 32. When we do the math from the time references in Genesis 37:2; 41:29–30, 46, 53–54; and 45:6 (below), we conclude that what Joseph revealed had been some 22 years in the making. That’s how long it had been since the brothers sold him into slavery at age 17. So Joseph was now about age 39.
Furthermore, the brother they had mistreated was now in a position of enormous power. He could throw them all into prison (which he seemed quite willing to do; Genesis 42:16). Or he could starve them by withholding aid. Would Joseph take revenge for mistreating him?
C. Brothers Assured (vv. 4–8)4. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
The brothers were probably standing at a respectful distance from the governor of Egypt before Joseph called them forward. They may have even stepped backward in fear on hearing this man’s incredible claim. Joseph’s reference to their cruel deed bolstered his claim further.
5. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Joseph had heard his brothers’ remorse over what they did to him (Genesis 42:21–22; 44:18–34). But they didn’t need to harbor negative feelings or bear a burden of guilt any longer. What had happened to Joseph was being used of God … to preserve the lives of untold numbers of people via Joseph’s preparation for the famine that was underway. Like Esther in Persia hundreds of years later, Joseph had come to his position in Egypt “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).
The verse before us offers the first of three declarations by Joseph that God’s sovereign hand had been carefully guiding all that had happened to him (see Genesis 45:7–8 and commentary below). God’s work redeemed Joseph’s sale into slavery and his experiences in Egypt. The brothers were indeed culpable for Joseph’s servitude in Egypt, and the Ishmeelites really had brought him there. But Joseph had come to understand that God had used these circumstances for His own good purposes. In that way, it was as though God himself, not the jealous brothers, did send Joseph.
Joseph’s conclusions were undergirded by his experience with divinely given dreams and the ability to interpret them (lessons 1–3). In one sense, Joseph is simply stating Romans 8:28 in his own way: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Joseph’s words to his brothers can be applied to our understanding and acceptance of the forgiveness Jesus offers. So often the issue with which we wrestle is not that of accepting Jesus’ forgiveness; rather, it’s in accepting that we have been forgiven. We continue to beat ourselves up over the sins we’ve committed and the mistakes we’ve made. Such an attitude smothers any sense of joy or peace in having been forgiven—blessings that are among the many promised to followers of Jesus.Dealing with a Guilty Conscience
Most of us can speak from experience about the pain of a loved one’s hurtful, impulsive actions or even a cruel pattern of behavior. Perhaps we are even willing to admit the times we have been the ones who hurt others.
It’s important for transgressors to confess and repent of what they have done. It’s also important for the repentant to realize and accept the fact that they have been forgiven. Looking ahead to Genesis 50:15 gives us a glimpse of how heavily the troubled consciences of Joseph’s brothers continued to weigh on them after Joseph’s kind words in our text.
Yet this reconciliation story doesn’t focus on the sins of Joseph’s brothers or even their remorse. Instead, the story highlights Joseph’s response. That response suggests that God may be as interested in the conscience of the victim as He is in the conscience of the perpetrator. What’s your conscience saying to you right now?
—C. R. B.6. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
Joseph continued by placing events on a time line of sorts. The bottom line was that things would get worse before they got better. Over the coming five years, agricultural activity would remain at a standstill. The desperation of famine would continue to be the case in many places, including Canaan. Earing means “to plow” (compare Exodus 34:21)
7. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
For the second time, Joseph stated his conviction that God sent him to Egypt (see commentary on Genesis 45:5, above). Despite the brothers’ intent to do away with Joseph and his dreams, God’s sovereign plan was being fulfilled. God’s purpose in protecting Jacob’s family is in keeping with His promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3; 17:1–8). Joseph’s declaration indicated that there would be difficult times ahead but not total destruction.
| What Do You Think? What are some ways, if any, to distinguish between what God “allows” versus what He “causes” today? Digging Deeper |
The manner in which Joseph treated his brothers is similar to how Jesus treats us by way of His death on the cross for our sins. We need not be troubled at His presence (see commentary on Genesis 45:3c, above) even though He has every right to condemn us. He is willing to forgive. This was the attitude of Joseph, both at this occasion and later following the death of Jacob (50:15–21).
8. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
For a third time Joseph emphasized that the brothers were not the ones who ultimately put him in Egypt (see Genesis 45:5, 7, above). God had sent him there. Joseph had entered the land as a slave to end up in a position of great authority within Pharaoh’s household and throughout all the land of Egypt. God is able to work through wrong attitudes and actions, and this is one example of that fact.
That Joseph referred to himself as a father to Pharaoh is in keeping with usage of the word father in ancient times to describe someone who served as an adviser to another (perhaps in giving what would be considered “fatherly advice”; compare Job 29:16). The image may also reflect Joseph’s role as a fatherly provider for Egypt during a time of great need.
| What Do You Think? How can we ensure that God has sanctioned someone as a leader today? Or is that even possible? Why do you say that? Digging Deeper |
Relaying Instructions
(Genesis 45:10–13)A. To Come to Egypt (vv. 10–11)
10. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast.
Verse 9, not in our printed text, records Joseph’s plea to the brothers to return quickly to Canaan and convey a message to his father, Jacob. Joseph’s message began with the statement that God had made him “lord of all Egypt” (Genesis 45:9) to urge Jacob to come at once to Egypt. In this way, Joseph provided an enduring example by giving credit to God for the things that have happened. Joseph might have been good-looking (39:6), intelligent, capable, and powerful, but he knew that it is God who deserved the glory.
It would not be easy for Jacob to leave the land of Canaan, since his grandfather Abraham migrated there over 200 years prior. Joseph made the new situation more attractive by telling them that they were to settle in Goshen. This is the first mention of Goshen in the Bible. It was located in the northeastern section of the Nile River’s delta, which is a series of tributaries resembling a fan as they appear on a map. Goshen was a very fertile region, excellent for grazing and for growing crops. It would be more than adequate for the numbers of flocks and herds that Jacob and his family possessed. The entire family would have plenty of room to reside.
Joseph had been separated from his beloved father, Jacob, for more than 20 years (see commentary on verse 3c, above). He eagerly anticipated Jacob’s being near him after such a long time. Joseph’s hopes ended up being fulfilled (see Genesis 45:25–46:30).
| What Do You Think? Under what circumstances, if any, should Christians sequester themselves and live apart from the larger unbelieving society? Why? Digging Deeper |
And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.Joseph promised to take care of both Jacob and his household through the duration of the coming five years of famine. This would save them the trips back and forth for the remainder of the famine and deliver Jacob from living his final years in poverty and perhaps dying as a result.
B. To Confirm His Identity (v. 12)12. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
Joseph resumed addressing his brothers directly. In a manner similar to how the risen Christ would reassure His disciples that He really was standing before them (Luke 24:39), Joseph told his brothers to believe what they were seeing.
If they could not believe their eyes, they should believe their ears. Joseph had spoken to his brothers in their native Hebrew tongue, without need for his interpreter (Genesis 42:23). The specific mention of Benjamin—who was Joseph’s only full brother of the 11, by Jacob’s wife Rachel (46:19)—reveals the closeness that Joseph still felt toward him (see commentary on 45:14, below).
C. To Convince His Father (v. 13)13. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
Joseph wanted Jacob to know that, far from being “rent in pieces” (Genesis 37:33), Joseph had risen in glory, or to an esteemed position, in Egypt. The brothers were to report all that they had seen in order to verify that what they said of Joseph was true. Joseph again urged them to bring Jacob to Egypt as quickly as possible (45:9). There was no time to waste!
The “great deliverance” (Genesis 45:7, above) that was being accomplished by God would foreshadow the greater deliverance that He later brought about under Moses (Exodus 12:31–36). Ironically, the migration of Joseph’s extended family to Egypt was to set the stage for that event (1:1–14; 2:23–25).“A Picture Is Worth …”
I have a picture taken more than 30 years ago at a family reunion. On that occasion my grandmother was celebrating her 96th birthday. That picture shows Grandma, my father, me, my daughter, and her first child—all five generations of us in one photo!
I could tell so many stories about the occasion and of each person in the photograph. For those of us pictured, the photo triggers memories of the occasion that make words unnecessary. As we say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
How much would Joseph have loved to have had a picture of his father, taken just before the brothers’ second journey began! And how his father would have loved to have received a picture of Joseph! But everything had to rely on the testimony of his brothers. The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” therefore not applying, Joseph had to anticipate a face-to-face meeting with his father. What parallel does this have for us? (Hint: see 1 John 3:2.)
—C. R. B.
III. Reaching Out in Love
(Genesis 45:14–15)A. To Benjamin (v. 14)
14. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
Joseph’s emotions once again came to the forefront as he embraced Benjamin. The feeling was mutual, for Benjamin wept upon his neck.
B. To His Brothers (v. 15)15. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
Joseph then showed deep affection for all his brothers. This is quite a contrast to the first time he saw them in Egypt, when he “spake roughly” to them (Genesis 42:7; see lesson 3). One can only surmise what was spoken when Joseph’s brothers talked with him. Joseph’s forgiveness made reconciliation possible.
| What Do You Think? Under what circumstances, if any, are emotions best kept private? Why? Digging Deeper |
These exchanges were followed by extensive preparations for the trip to Canaan and back (Genesis 45:16–23). Joseph’s final directive before the brothers leave is rather humorous: “See that ye fall not out by the way” (45:24)—meaning, “Don’t argue on the way back!”
Conclusion
A. “Don’t Be Angry with Yourselves”
Imagine yourself standing before Jesus, who has asked you to draw near, as Joseph told his brothers to draw near to him (Genesis 45:4). Jesus speaks and says, “I am Jesus, whom you crucified. Your sins are the reason I gave my life as a sacrifice on the cross. But don’t be angry with yourself. I want to forgive you, not condemn you.” Jesus does indeed say this—and He means it.
Joseph’s words about God’s higher purpose being carried out can also be applied to Jesus. Men killed Him because they wanted to reverse His influence, dishearten His followers, and destroy the movement He had begun. But God accomplished a great deliverance through the cross and the empty tomb. As Peter told the crowd gathered on the Day of Pentecost, “[Jesus], being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up” (Acts 2:23–24).
Salvation is truly a gift of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). It must be received as such, without our placing conditions on it that God himself has never placed. Don’t be angry with yourself. Like Joseph’s brothers, you need to accept forgiveness.
B. Prayer
Father, thank You for revealing Your loving forgiveness to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection! Help us to forgive others as we have been forgiven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
God has revealed His love to us. Are we revealing it to others.
KID’S CORNER
Signs That Point to the Savior
Sunday, September 27, 2020
John 11:38-46
John 11:38-46
(John 11:38) So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
Jesus received a message that Lazarus was sick, but Jesus knew Lazarus had already died. Jesus could have healed Lazarus or raised him from the dead from a distance even before the messengers reached Him, but Jesus chose to do something better than heal Lazarus before he died or do so from a distance. Jesus chose to go to Bethany to glorify God the Father and also himself so those who believed in Him (the disciples and His friends in Bethany) would have more reason to trust Him and their future to Him as the Son of God. Jesus knew He would soon be temporarily taken from them, suffer, die on a cross, and then rise again. By going to the home of Martha and Mary to raise their brother from the dead, He would also influence those mourning, who did not yet have enough evidence to believe in Him, to believe in Him with a reasonable faith. Though all hope of the mourners that Lazarus could be healed or come back to life had been crushed, Jesus would soon prove that believers in Him always have reason to keep hoping in Him, for He will always do what is best for all concerned. John’s description indicates that Lazarus’ tomb was like the tomb in which Jesus would soon be buried after His crucifixion. When Jesus was “once more deeply moved,” Jesus simultaneously expressed His grief and anger at death, the last enemy to be defeated (see 1 Corinthians 15:26). Perhaps He grieved because He saw those He loved grieving at the death of Lazarus, and perhaps He looked ahead and saw the grief He knew they would suffer when He was unjustly crucified at the hands of sinful men who would crush their hopes that He was the Messiah and Son of God. The words and actions of sinners always grieved Jesus, but He died on the cross that sinners might come to believe in Him, be saved from their sins, and receive the gift of eternal life.
(John 11:39) Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
Jesus loved Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha, and Jesus knew that raising Lazarus from the dead would endanger all their lives. Jesus knew the Jewish leaders would want even more to kill Him and even want to kill Lazarus, because Lazarus could speak as a living example of Jesus’ power as the Son of God to raise the dead (John 12:9-10). To raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus could have moved the stone with a word and made a big display before the crowd, but Jesus never did things just for show to impress people as magician might do—some might only think of Him as a great magician, and then think raising Lazarus from the dead was only a magic trick. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the writers of the gospels never exaggerated about Jesus’ abilities just to impress people and make believers. Love for His Father and others motivated Jesus to say and do whatever He did to help people believe the truth. Jesus commanded the mourners to move the stone as an act of faith on their part. Did they have the faith to trust and obey Jesus in this situation, in every situation, and even in “hopeless” situations? As Martha said, after four days the body would have been in a state of decay and cause a stench, so those who moved the stone at Jesus’ command needed to trust that Jesus knew what He was doing and had a good reason to ask them to move the stone.
(John 11:40) Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
Jesus did not ask Martha for permission to move the stone. He told her that by believing in Him and by moving the stone she would see the glory (at the very least, the loving power) of God. In some sense that John did not record, Jesus’ question of Martha increased her faith and she trusted more in Jesus. When people believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and their Lord and Savior, they will see the glory of God all around them every day. Jesus planned to demonstrate the glory (the loving power and truth) of God when He spoke the word of God as the Son of God and raised Lazarus from the dead. Later, Jesus would demonstrate the glory of God when He died on the cross for our sins, when He rose from the dead on the third day, and later when He ascended into heaven. As children of God, we see God’s glory in special ways and all around us and no situation is hopeless in Jesus: for as He promised, if we die we will with rise again on the last day and be with Him until and forever after that day.
(John 11:41) So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
As they rolled away the stone from the cave, a cave like Jesus’ burial place, those who moved the stone and those nearby could tell by the odor that Lazarus was truly dead. Some have speculated that Lazarus’ body did not decay in answer to a previous unrecorded prayer of Jesus, because John did not report an odor; however, if there had been no stench, some might have thought that Lazarus had not really died and Jesus was only performing a trick to deceive people. As the Creator with the Father through whom all things existed, Jesus could certainly completely and instantaneously restore a body that had decayed and smelled after four days in a tomb. We know that Jesus’ body did not decay in the tomb (see Psalm 16:10, and Acts 2:27, 31 in the NASB and NIV). Jesus’ body was the first known dead body not to decay. Most believe that Lazarus’ body did see decay and there was a real odor. The odor affirmed that there could be no doubt that Lazarus was dead and not in some type of coma. Lazarus truly died physically and was resuscitated by Jesus to die again and await the resurrection on the last day. Jesus truly died physically, but Jesus rose from the dead in a resurrected and glorified human body to never die again because He is the Resurrection and the Life. Jesus prayed to the Father previously and the Father and the Son always agreed in everything. The power in Jesus’ prayer came from the perfect agreement between the Father and the Son to pray and do according to the will of God. Jesus demonstrated His power and the power of praying to His Father. Jesus probably did not pray His complete prayer aloud before the crowd, because some might take His words as magic words that anyone could pray to raise the dead. Jesus did not teach special prayers for healing or prayers for raising the dead. We know Jesus acted and prayed according to what He preached in Matthew 6:5-7, “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.” In one short sentence, Jesus thanked the Father for having heard His prayers, even His silent prayers on the way to Lazarus’ tomb. Jesus and the Father together would bring Lazarus back to his family alive. The crowd learned that Jesus prayed and thanked His Father for hearing His prayer, and that is an example He set for all who believe in Him.
(John 11:42) “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”
Jesus thanked God the Father aloud for the benefit of those who heard Him. The Bible tells us to always give thanks in our prayers: “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Jesus gave this last miraculous sign before His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead to lead more to believe in Him personally as the Person He said and showed He was and is. He showed that true believers can pray aloud for the benefit of others to show the loving power of the Father and the Son to answer prayers if they do not do so hypocritically to be seen and applauded by others. Since the Father had sent the Son and the Son and the Father always worked together, the Father answered the prayers of the Son. Jesus wanted everyone to believe these facts. Jesus also showed that it can be appropriate to pray aloud before a crowd. Jesus’ motive was sincere and approved by His Father, and the motive of those who pray aloud can be the same as Jesus’.
(John 11:43) When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
Jesus did not need to pray a long prayer. His prayer included an address to the Father who answers prayers, thanks to the Father, acknowledgment that the Father hears His prayers, and the reason He prayed aloud before the crowd. Our prayers can address God the Father, as in the Lord’s Prayer. Our prayers can give thanks to God, acknowledge that God hears our prayers, and the reason we are praying to God aloud or silently. Without hypocrisy, Jesus prayed for the focus to be on the Father and on the sign that the Father had sent Him so many might believe in Him as He is, the Resurrection and the Life. After Jesus prayed, He called in a loud voice for everyone to hear Him call, “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus did not need to shout for Lazarus to hear Him, but for the crowds to hear Him call to Lazarus so they could hear and see the sign that He is the Messiah and Savior of the world.
(John 11:44) The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
In obedience to Jesus’ command, Lazarus came out, still wrapped in his grave clothes. John did not describe in detail how Lazarus was wrapped. If he were wrapped with his legs bound together, perhaps he was miraculously drawn out of the tomb, because he could not have walked until he was unwrapped. Unlike a mummy’s wrappings, perhaps his legs had been wrapped separately and not together so he could walk, and perhaps he could see enough of the light through the cloth wrapped around his face to walk toward the light. Jesus himself is the Light of the world, so perhaps Lazarus walked out toward Jesus. Jesus ordered that Lazarus be unbound. Jesus also unbinds those who are slaves to sin and Satan so they can walk freely with Him. Through their faith in Jesus, believers in Jesus find freedom and receive the power to love and obey God. Lazarus was a friend of Jesus, and Jesus set Lazarus free, free from the chains of death to live again. Jesus frees and becomes friends with those who honestly believe in Him and they come into a new life as from the dead. In some sense, what Jesus did when He raised Lazarus proved the truth of His promise to all believers, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32). The fact and truth that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life set Lazarus free. Jesus commanded the people to take the grave clothes off Lazarus, which enabled everyone to see that Lazarus was not a ghost but a real, live, flesh and blood person (whose body would die again someday). Spiritually, Lazarus would never die again, because in John 11:26, Jesus promised, “everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” The Gospel of John keeps the focus on Jesus, but no doubt Lazarus could report what he had seen in heaven because he had believed in Jesus and had not died even though his body had died and was buried in a tomb. He could report having seen Abraham and others, even as the Lazarus in Jesus’ parable had seen Abraham and others (see Luke 16:24-25).
(John 11:45) Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.
As with some of His other teachings and miracles, some believed in Jesus and some did not. Many of the mourners had heard Martha and Mary talk about Jesus during four days of their grieving together. When they saw what Jesus said and did when He raised Lazarus from the dead, they believed what they had been told. They had good and sufficient reasons to believe that Jesus was all Mary and Martha said He is, because they had seen Jesus confirm what they had told them.
(John 11:46) But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.
In Luke 16:29-31, as Jesus concluded His parable about a rich man and Lazarus, both of whom had died, the rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers about the place of torment where he suffered, but “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” The results of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (not the Lazarus of His parable) proved the truth of Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. Despite all the evidence, some would not believe in Jesus even though He had raised Lazarus from the dead, so they rushed off to tell Jesus’ enemies what He had done. Neither they nor the enemies of Jesus listened “to Moses and the prophets,” so they would not believe. Their actions were like the man who could not walk and who had been ill for thirty-eight years. He really did not want to be healed, so after Jesus healed him, he rushed to tell the Pharisees that Jesus had healed him. So, when Jesus saw him again, in John 5:14, Jesus warned him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” Jesus never forced people who did not want to believe in Him to believe, nor did His signs and wonders compel those who did not want to believe in and obey God to believe. The same response of belief or unbelief is true today among people who learn the truth about Jesus.
Signs That Point to the Savior
Sunday, September 27, 2020
John 11:38-46
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done (John 11:45-46—KJV).
Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done (John 11:45-46—NASB).
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done (John 11:45-46—NRSV).
If you see a sign pointing toward a city, that sign does not compel you to go there. You choose to go there or not. In his gospel, John called Jesus’ miracles “signs.” Jesus did not intend for His signs to compel anyone to believe in Him, but they did help people believe in Him. Believers do not irrationally place their faith in Jesus. His miracles pointed to who He is and who He claimed to be as the Messiah, the Son of God, and Savior of the world. His signs told people that if they chose, they could go to Him, believe in Him, follow Him, and receive the gift of eternal life from Him. Jesus’ signs and teachings give people good and sufficient reasons to entrust their lives and futures to Him. John’s gospel shows that after Jesus healed the sick or raised the dead some people believed in Him and saw His glory, while others did not. The man born blind that Jesus healed believed in Him. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, many believed in Him. However, after Jesus healed a man who had been ill for 38 years, he refused to believe and reported what Jesus did to Jesus’ religious enemies. Some who saw Lazarus raised from the dead and had the opportunity to talk to Jesus and Lazarus refused to believe in Jesus, so they rushed to report Jesus’ actions to His enemies. After they crucified Jesus, He gave His most miraculous sign when He rose from the dead.
Thinking Further
Signs That Point to the Savior
Sunday, September 27, 2020
John 11:38-46
Name _________________________
- Commentators seem to agree that the Greek word for “deeply moved” or “greatly disturbed” includes the meaning that Jesus was angry at death. How might this teaching influence how you look at death?
- Why do you think Jesus waited four days before seeing Mary and Martha?
- What is one result of our believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior according to this lesson? Can you think of other results?
- What is one reason Jesus prayed aloud for everyone to hear Him pray?
- Why did Jesus tell the mourners to remove Lazarus’ grave clothes rather than simply remove them miraculously himself when He could have easily done so?
Discussion and Thinking Further
- Commentators seem to agree that the Greek word for “deeply moved” or “greatly disturbed” includes the meaning that Jesus was angry at death. How might this teaching influence how you look at death? I, too, can be angry at death without being angry at God. I can know that Jesus knows how I feel. I can know that Jesus felt that way knowing He was going to bring Lazarus back to his family alive, even though Lazarus would die physically again someday. There are good reasons to be angry at death until Jesus returns and death as an enemy is finally defeated, as Paul wrote.
- Why do you think Jesus waited four days before seeing Mary and Martha? So everyone would know that Lazarus was really dead. So God could be glorified. So everyone could know that God the Father had sent Jesus. So everyone would know more about Jesus and His power. So He could show that He is the resurrection and the life in His very nature and character.
- What is one result of our believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior according to this lesson? Can you think of other results? We will see the glory of God in many places and ways. We will have eternal life. We will have our sins forgiven. We will be cleansed from our sins. Our sins will not be remembered. We will be given the Holy Spirit to indwell us, guide us, and empower us.
- What is one reason Jesus prayed aloud for everyone to hear Him pray? So those listening might believe that God the Father had sent Him.
- Why did Jesus tell the mourners to remove Lazarus’ grave clothes rather than simply remove them miraculously himself when He could have easily done so? To free Lazarus from the bondage of his grave clothes, the last bondages of death. So the mourners and family could see that Lazarus was a real raised person and not a ghost. So they could feel his hands and face, just as the disciples could feel the hands of Jesus after He rose from the dead.
Word Search
Signs That Point to the Savior
Sunday, September 27, 2020
John 11:38-46
Name ______________________________
M D J R A E H W Z G Z P S I L
Y W N C N Y Z H T X T O N D S
J U R Y W C F C B J G U L A E
L N V A Q K A N H U R K C M E
M B G X P Z T E G X Z A W O S
V I Y M V P H T W L V C T C Z
Q N W P S Q E S Y E O J E O I
J D B K U L R D Z P N R A R A
X H D H R K G J S B O H Y E P
B P W T A F N U E U T I N F Z
U H O O Z R G L K R S O D Y K
B J R L A H I B A N T E T O H
G Z C C L E N M W S R X J X G
D T W P V W A H R B F L B Y I
Y R Z E K X L D J A S I P D Z
Disturbed
Cave
Stone
Martha
Stench
Believe
See
Glory
God
Father
Hear
Crowd
Lazarus
Wrapped
Unbind
True and False Test
Signs That Point to the Savior
Sunday, September 27, 2020
John 11:38-46
Name _________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
- On His way to Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus quietly chuckled over the surprise He planned for Martha and Mary. True or False
- Martha objected when Jesus wanted the stone taken away saying that Lazarus had been dead four days and there would be a stench. True or False
- Because John did not report an odor coming from the tomb, everyone knew that Lazarus’ body had not decayed as Martha expected. True or False
- If Lazarus’ body had decayed, Jesus would have been unable to raise Lazarus from the dead. True or False
- If you believe in Jesus, you will see the glory of God. True or False
- Jesus prayed aloud to the Father and thanked Him for always hearing His prayers. True or False
- Jesus prayed aloud for the sake of the crowd, so they might believe that the Father had sent Him. True or False
- Because Jesus knew Lazarus was old and hard of hearing, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” True or False
- Many who came to the tomb with Mary and saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead believed in Jesus. True or False
- Some of those who saw Lazarus raised from the dead hurried to tell the Pharisees so they would believe in and worship Jesus too. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
Prayer
Father, thank You for revealing Your loving forgiveness to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection! Help us to forgive others as we have been forgiven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.