This page gives you questions and leader’s notes for a study of John 11, the account of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. It suits a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study. You can work through the three sets of questions in order or pick the ones that fit your group.
John 11 at a Glance
The chapter opens with a message from Mary and Martha that their brother Lazarus is ill. Jesus waits two days before going to Judea, tells his disciples that Lazarus has died, and then travels to Bethany, where he finds Lazarus already four days in the tomb. Much of the chapter is an extended conversation with Martha and then with Mary, full of grief, confession and questions about who Jesus is.
The story reaches its peak when Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb. Its aftermath divides the crowd: many believe, while some report to the Pharisees, and the chief priests begin plotting to kill Jesus. Verses 47 to 53 show how the miracle moves the story toward the cross.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the exact words in the text, and keep the discussion on what the chapter plainly says before moving to meaning.
John 11:4
But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
(WEB)
Read this verse early in the session to set the frame for the whole chapter. It states that the sickness is not the end of the story and that God’s glory is the purpose behind what happens. Ask the group to hold it in mind as they work through the delay and the grief that follow.
John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. 26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
(WEB)
These are the central claims of the chapter, spoken directly by Jesus to Martha. Reading them aloud slowly helps the group hear the weight of the statements. Pause after each sentence and let people respond before moving on.
John 11:35
Jesus wept.
(WEB)
The shortest verse in this chapter is among the most memorable. Read it on its own, then ask the group what they notice about the moment. Its brevity invites reflection on the humanity of Jesus at the tomb.
John 11:43-44
43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”
(WEB)
This passage carries the climax of the story, when Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb. Read it with a steady voice so the group hears the command and the response. It makes a good anchor for discussing what Jesus’ power looks like in the chapter.
John 11:49-52
49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” 51 Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
(WEB)
Reading the words of Caiaphas and the narrator’s comment helps the group see how the story turns toward the cross. These verses show that the miracle has consequences beyond the family at Bethany. Give time for the group to respond, because this passage often prompts strong questions.
Memory Verse for John 11
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
(WEB)
This verse gives the chapter’s core claim in one sentence. Ask the group to repeat it together a few times, then to say it from memory without looking. Encourage people to keep it close during seasons of loss or waiting.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that you are not distant from our grief. You wept with Mary and Martha and you called Lazarus out of the tomb. Help us to trust you in the delays we do not understand, and to believe that you are the resurrection and the life. Give us honest hearts when we are afraid, and steady hands to comfort those who mourn around us. May the faith we have spoken about in this session grow in each of us, and may others see your glory in the way we live. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
