Sermon Response Guide

The Center Register for GriefShare

Guia del Sermon en Espanol

PRIMARY SCRIPTURE: 
John 11:17-27, 32-44 ESV

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Key Points

• Jesus is the I AM.
• Jesus is the resurrection.
• Jesus is the life.
• Grief confronts our faith.
• Grief clarifies our faith.
• Jesus comforts us in our grief.

Memory Verse

Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” -John 11:25-26 ESV

Questions for Reflection

Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:

1: When have you experienced the sort of grief that confronted your faith?

• How did that time of grieving clarify your faith?
• How did Jesus comfort you as you grieved?

2: What are you grieving right now?

3: What do you know to be true of Jesus in your past that gives you hope for who Jesus will continue to be for you now and always?

4: With so much Scripture included in today’s message, what most resonates with you from John 11?

5: What is the primary truth God revealed to you today?

• How will you respond?
• Who do you know who you can encourage with the truth this week?

Pray

Lord, you are the resurrection and the life. Just as death has no hold on you, neither does grief. In our deepest valleys, in the darkest shadows, and in moments we feel we are suffocating from sorrow, you are there. Though it sometimes seems you are far off and silent in our suffering, you are there. In you, there is always a reason for hope. You are our hope. Let us see your hope rising in our grief. Help us believe true life is found in knowing you.