YEA Lesson Library

The Lesson

We all enjoy a good smelling fragrance. And we all know how expensive they can be. One day Mary poured costly perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her long hair. The fragrance permeated the entire house. Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, didn’t like it a bit that Mary was being so extravagant.

The perfume was worth a fortune and he thought it should have been sold and given to the poor. Considering the price of expensive perfume, Jesus was very important to Mary – she loved Him very much. Jesus had a deep love for Mary, Martha and Lazarus their brother. These four were such good friends that it wasn’t unusual for Jesus to visit their home in Bethany.

Lazarus became ill, so Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus telling Him that His good friend was very sick. When Jesus received this message, He said that the purpose of Lazarus’ illness was to glorify God, it was not for him to die.

A couple of days passed and Jesus told His disciples, “Let’s go to Judea.” The disciples were willing to go with Jesus, but they were not at all enthusiastic about returning to Judea. The Jewish leaders had tried to kill Jesus only a few days earlier. So they not only feared for Jesus’ life, but for their own lives as well.

Jesus was determined to return to Jerusalem in spite of the danger. He told His disciples that Lazarus was asleep and He would go and waken him. Once again the disciples were on a different wave length. They assumed that Jesus meant Lazarus’ health had improved and that he’d had a good night’s rest. But Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus is dead.”

As Jesus approached Bethany, Martha came out to meet Him. When she saw Jesus, she could hardly contain her grief and disappointment: “Lord, if only you would have been here, my brother would not have died.”

Now, Martha knew without a doubt that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus from dying! Yet, when she and Mary sent word to inform Him that Lazarus was ill, Jesus stayed where He was for two more days. Why would He do this?

Jesus understood her grief and responded, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha believed Jesus. She knew Lazarus was a righteous man and he would rise again in the resurrection. But this wasn’t what Jesus was talking about. While she believed that Jesus could have prevented her brother’s death, she didn’t have the faith to believe that Jesus could raise him from the dead.

Seeing Martha’s lack of faith, Jesus was even more direct, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25- 26).

Jesus remained on the outskirts of the village while He sent Martha to go get Mary. When Martha got there, she found friends and family members trying to comfort Mary. As Mary reached Jesus, she fell at His feet weeping. “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died!” Jesus looked at her as she wept. He looked at Mary’s friends and family who were also weeping. Deeply moved and troubled, Jesus asked, “Where have you laid him?”

He was led to Lazarus’ grave – a cave with a large stone laid across the entrance. Jesus too, became overwhelmed with emotion and He wept. Why did Jesus weep when He knew that He was going to resurrect Lazarus? He wept because of their unbelief and their seeming inability to fully believe in Him.

“If there was one thing Jesus wanted, it was that they believe in Him. For their salvation’s sake, they would have to come to understand who He really was.

“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus commanded. Martha immediately objected because by now the smell would be terrible. Lazarus had already been dead four days. Jesus asked her, “Didn’t I tell you that you will see a wonderful miracle from God if you believe?”


They rolled the stone back and Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed. Then He shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”

Can you imagine the faces of Martha, Mary and those who were with them when Jesus gave this command? Can you imagine their shock, amazement and even fear? What was He daring to do? Would God give Jesus such authority and power?

Some of those who were there had actually witnessed healings and miracles performed by Jesus. Others had heard the numerous reports. But this was something they had never considered. As their minds raced with anticipation, a figure wrapped in burial clothes began to emerge. It was Lazarus! Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead.

At last, many of the Jewish leaders who were with Mary and saw this miracle finally believed on Christ. What about you? Do you believe that Jesus is your Savior? Do you believe that Jesus can bring people back to life? Do you believe He can resurrect you? What do you have to do before He will?

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

He loves you the same as He loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. He’ll do the same for you that He did for Lazarus. But you must believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life with a faith that is consistent with Christ-like behavior.