Lesson 9 - Power over Death

[Daily Sunday School Readings]

Preschool  --  I am the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6

Primary  --  Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Junior  --  Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Intermediate  --  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:10

 

Power over Death

Lesson 9

January 28, 2018

Background Scripture: John ii

Lesson Scripture: John 11:1-5, 21-27,40-44

Introduction

"If a man die, shall he live again?" was the question Job asked in his sufferings (Job 14:14). The answer, when it came, was clear and filled with assurance. Job boldly said, "I know that my Redeemer is living and one day, long after my body has been consumed in the grave, I will see Him with my own eyes" (paraphrase of Job 19:25-27).

May this lesson strengthen our faith that this world is not all there is, death is not the end, and one day we will see our Redeemer face to face.

Key Verse

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Tim. 1:10).

Lesson Scripture

JOHN 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Power over Death            39

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Studying the Lesson

The relationship Jesus had with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha of Bethany is a picture of the love He has for all mankind. He appreciated their hospitality; their home was a refuge from the tumult and dangers of Jerusalem. More importantly, Jesus wanted to be with them to give them a clear picture of His kingdom.

When news came that Lazarus was at death's door, Jesus did not rush to their side. This would be an occasion to give a lesson about the power and glory of God's kingdom, so He waited in Galilee until He knew Lazarus had died.

The disciples thought it pointless to go then. Even Martha had her doubts when Jesus arrived four days after Lazarus' burial and commanded the bystanders to take away the stone that covered the opening of the cave where Lazarus was buried. She said "Lord, by this time he stinketh."

Jesus called Lazarus to come out, and the dead man came, shuffling as best he could with the burial wrappings about him. When they were removed he was found to be fully alive.

Mary and Martha saw their faith vindicated beyond anything they had hoped for. Many who witnessed the miracle also believed.

Practical Truths for Today

An elder brother who was reaching 100 years of life remarked that occasionally he wondered if God had forgotten him. Though he lived to be 102 years old, he died. A middle-aged brother remembers his school days in a classroom of thirty students. Several years after graduation four of those classmates were dead. One of them seemingly in perfect health died suddenly of a heart attack. Young parents of a seventeen-month-old child were grief-stricken when their beautiful son drowned in a small waterway.

Death is a constant backdrop to our life as, one by one, family members and friends and neighbors pass from this life. One day it will be our turn.

Some people cling to life, wanting to exhaust every medical or mystical option that might give them a chance for a little more time. A few people who are facing death want to avoid all distress, physical and emotional, and ask their doctor for help to exit this life. Some do not want it to ever end, others seek a quick and painless way out. Both seem to indicate a belief that this life is all there is.

Those who believe death is not the end must face another reality. There will be a judgment. This should make us look at our lives in the light of being morally accountable. Because there will be eternal consequences for the things I think and do and say, what must I do so those possible consequences do not cause me to live in continual fear?

We are born with a sinful nature; however, we live under God's grace as a child. As we grow from childhood to adulthood, there comes a time when we become accountable to God for the decisions we make and the things we do. We may do something similar to what we did in our innocent state. Then we brushed it off, but now we realize that we have sinned. Confessing to our parents does not remove our feelings of guilt, and becoming scrupulously careful in our conduct does not bring us peace.

We may make excuses for what we have done, blame others, or assure ourselves that we are as good as others. Some try to silence the call of God and override their conscience with feverish social activity, music, alcohol, drugs; some have even tried the occult. None of these can rid us of the fear of everlasting punishment. But the same Jesus who raised Lazarus from the tomb can raise us to a new life that removes the stench of death from our hearts, minds, and consciences.

The heavenly Father calls us. The call may be almost imperceptible, but it is real. He wants us to repent of our sins and confess them to Him so He can forgive us for Jesus' sake. When this happens, it is like we have begun life again. This is the first resurrection, which the apostle John writes about in Revelation 20. All those who pass from spiritual death to life in Christ Jesus experience this miracle.

Spiritual life, like all life, needs nourishment and care. We must have spiritual food from God's Word, speak often with our heavenly Father in prayer, listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit, and follow Him. We also appreciate the spiritual reinforcement we receive through fellowship with other Christians. Jesus, our Shepherd, wants to guide us in all this. Thoughts may come to us, suggesting that as a Christian we miss so much fun in life— God's promises for good are not real. Those thoughts come from our spiritual enemy; he wants us to turn back to the way that leads to spiritual death. We must not listen to him.

Fear of dying is normal. As we near death, we may experience an extended period of pain. We fear the unknown. We have never gone this way before. No one who has gone this way has come back to tell us what it is like. There will be sorrow at parting from loved ones, even though we know it is only temporary. And the devil, our old enemy, may make one last attempt to turn us away from our Savior and God. May we, like Job, cling to the assurance that we are going to meet our Redeemer. We need not fear the crossing.

For those who are living in the first resurrection, natural death need hold no terror. We look forward to the second resurrection, the bodily resurrection when we will see our Savior face to face. There will be a judgment, but our Savior is the one who sits upon the judgment seat. If we already know Him and are assured that He knows us, the judgment holds no fear.

Let us not be too quick to assume our life's work is ended. Many of God's children, in the midst of debilitating medical conditions or terminal illnesses, have found ways to reach out to others with a message of hope. This is evidence that although the physical body is dying, they are experiencing the power over death that only God can give.

Questions

1. Can those who observe our lives tell that we dread spiritual death more than physical death?

2. Are we truly free to live if we have not died to self?

3. Some alternative medicines and therapies are based on false religious beliefs. How can we prove what is acceptable for a Christian?

4. What little things should we do more often to encourage one another to faithfulness?