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Warm Up

What are good reasons to cry?

In this story, we are going to learn about a time in the Bible when Jesus cried.

Teach the Story

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were from Bethany, a town about 2 miles outside of Jerusalem on the other side of the Mount of Olives. Jesus was good friends with all of them, and he heard that Lazarus was sick. He told his disciples that they would go back to Judea (the region Jerusalem was in), but the disciples were concerned because Jews there had recently threatened his life. But Jesus ignored that warning and told them that Lazarus had died and he was going to do something about it. Thomas, one of the disciples, was resigned to the fact that if they went, Jesus would die, and so they would die with him.

When they were coming near to Bethany, Martha came to meet Jesus. Lazarus had died and was in his tomb for 4 days at this point. She was distraught and cried out to Jesus that if he had just been there, Lazarus would not have died. Jesus reassured her that he would rise again. Martha didn't know that he meant he would rise again that very same day: "I know he will rise again. This will happen when people are raised from the dead on the last day", she said (John 11:24).

Jesus then gave her one of the clearest claims of his divinity that we have in the Bible: "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. And those who live and believe in me will never die" (John 11:25-26). Martha affirmed her belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.

Then, Mary came to Jesus, and was just as distraught as Martha. We see his incredible love for these people as he is moved by their sorrow. He knew he was getting ready to raise Lazarus from the dead, but he was still compassionate towards Mary and Martha and identified with their grief.

When Jesus and the others came to the tomb, he instructed them to move the stone from in front of the grave. Martha protested that he had already been in there for 4 days, and surely he would stink by then! But Jesus told them that if they would just believe, they would see God's glory.

They moved the stone away, and out came Lazarus in his grave clothes. This was such an amazing miracle. There was no doubt Lazarus was dead. And there were many witnesses to Jesus being the one who raised him to life. That's why we see in the next chapter of John: "A crowd had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead. So they continued to tell everyone about what had happened. Many people went out to meet him. They had heard that he had done this miraculous sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, 'This isn’t getting us anywhere. Look how the whole world is following him!'" (John 12:17-19)

Comprehension Questions

• Who were Jesus' close friends that we learn about in this story?

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

• Where did they live?

Bethany, about 2 miles outside of Jerusalem

• What happened to Lazarus?

He became sick and died

• What did Jesus do when he found out Lazarus was sick?

He stayed where he was for 2 more days

• Why didn't his disciples want Jesus to go back to Judea?

Jews there were threatening to kill him

• What did Martha and Mary tell Jesus when they saw him after Lazarus had died?

That if he was just there, their brother wouldn't have died

• What did Jesus do when he came to the tomb?

He cried, because of how sad Mary and Martha were

• Why didn't Martha want them to take the stone away from in front of Lazarus' tomb?

Because he had been in the tomb for 4 days, and he would certainly smell by then!

• What happened after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead?

Everyone who saw it told everyone they met about it, and a great crowd began to follow him

• Jesus told Martha that he is the Resurrection and the Life - and that anyone who believes in him will never die. Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that he will give you eternal life with him in heaven?

Memory Verse

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30 

Directions

1. Give each child a stick, some white string, and some googley eyes.  Let them wrap the stick in the string to make Lazarus and glue on some googley eyes. 

Directions

1. Have the kids draw, color, and cut out a huge rock (like the one seen in the picture). 
2. Have them draw and cut out a person figure on the brown paper. Then have them cut small strips of white paper and glue them on the person to make it look like they are wrapped up. 
3. Have them glue on googley eyes and then glue the person on the stone. 
4. Lastly, have the write "Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead" on the bottom.

Directions

1. Divide class into two teams.

2. Choose one person from each team to be Lazarus.

3. Each team must wrap Lazarus in strips of cloth.

4. The first team to get Lazarus fully wrapped, wins.

5. Play again, this time, have each team switch Lazarus and see who can unbind him the fastest.

Directions

1. Play "Duck, Duck, Goose" except swap out the words with "Lazarus, Lazarus, Live"