Dave looks at the story of Lazarus and reminds us that Jesus has a plan; He knows what’s ahead. We can trust Him.

When we encounter God’s delays, it isn’t because He doesn’t love us.

We are all affected by death – it is a shadow upon our lives. We need to be ready and have faith as we walk into those things.

We shouldn’t accept death as something natural – it wasn’t God’s original purpose. Eternal life was. That’s why we struggle with it – because something in us rejects it.

Instead of trying to accept death as something natural, we should:

Grieve with faith and hope
Know God’s love
Accept God’s grace

Questions to consider:

1. Jesus delays leaving to see Lazarus when he hears he is ill. What delays have you experienced / are experiencing and how have you dealt with it?

2. What differences do you see in how Martha and Mary interact with Jesus after the loss of their brother? What can we learn from them? (1 Thes 4:13-14)

3. What do we learn about Jesus from this passage? In how he responds and what he does?

4. God’s grace shown to Lazarus is like what happens to us when we get saved. How is it a picture and how can we learn to accept God’s grace?