Lessons from Jesus: Friend of Grievers
Reconnecting with One Another
- When you think about times of grief in your own life, what has helped you feel truly seen or understood by someone else?
Reflections on Sunday’s Scripture and Sermon (See "Key Themes..." Below)
Scripture Reading and Discussion Questions for John 11:14-44
C - Connect with Life Experience
1. What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Jesus wept”? How does it shape your understanding of God’s nearness to us during times of sorrow?
O - Observe the Text Together
2. In John 11, what do Mary and Martha each say to Jesus when He arrives, and what does this reveal about their emotional state?
3. What details stand out to you in the scene where Jesus weeps? Who is present, and what reactions do you notice from the crowd?
4. As Jesus approaches the tomb and commands, “Lazarus, come out,” what actions, movements, or responses in the passage catch your attention?
R - Reflect on the Meaning of the Text
5. What do you think John wants his readers to understand about Jesus by including the detail that He wept?
6. How does Jesus’ statement, “I am the resurrection and the life,” connect to the larger message of John’s Gospel?
7. What does this story reveal about God’s character—both His compassion and His authority?
E - Engage in Life Application
8. How does this passage affirm, challenge, or expand your earlier reflections about how God meets us in grief?
9. Where do you sense Jesus speaking into your current season—inviting you to trust His compassion, His timing, or His power to bring life where something feels lost?
10. What are some takeaways from this discussion?
Closing Prayers -----------------------------------------------------
Key Themes from the Sermon: Jesus, Friend of Grievers
1. Jesus meets us in our sorrow
-When Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has already been dead four days. Mary and Martha are overwhelmed with loss, disappointment, and unanswered questions. Each sister says, “Lord, if you had been here,” a sentence many grievers know well.
Jesus does not rebuke their pain or rush them past it. Instead, He steps into it.
The sermon highlighted one of the shortest and most profound verses in Scripture: “Jesus wept.”
-Jesus’ tears are not a sign of weakness but of love. He grieves with those who grieve. He is not distant from human sorrow; He enters it fully.
2. Jesus brings truth into grief
-To Martha, Jesus speaks words of hope that reach beyond the moment:
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
-Grief often narrows our vision to what has been lost. Jesus widens Martha’s vision to who He is.
-Jesus offers Himself—His presence, His identity, His promise.
3. Jesus carries divine authority even while He shares human tears
The sermon held these two truths together:
-Jesus is fully compassionate.
-Jesus is fully powerful.
-Standing before the tomb, Jesus commands, “Lazarus, come out.”. The One who weeps is also the One who conquers.
4. Jesus is a friend who stays with us through the whole journey of grief
Listeners see that Jesus does not merely comfort us in grief or rescue us from grief—He walks with us through it.
He knows the ache of loss. He honors our tears. He promises resurrection. He brings life where death seems final.
5. The story points forward to Jesus’ own death and resurrection
-The raising of Lazarus is a signpost. It shows what Jesus came to do for all who trust Him.
-The sermon connected Lazarus’ story to the larger gospel story:
-Jesus will soon enter His own tomb and He will walk out of it—not by another’s command, but by His own authority.
-Because He lives, grief is never the final word.
A Closing Emphasis from the Sermon
Bring their grief honestly to Jesus. He is not only the Savior of the world, He is the Friend of grievers, the One who weeps with us, the One who calls us to life, and the One who promises that death will not have the last word.
Comments on John 11: Jesus, Friend of Grievers
John 11 is carefully structured to reveal both the humanity and divinity of Jesus.
“Jesus wept” (John 11:35): The Greek verb dakryō indicates quiet, heartfelt tears, not loud wailing. Jesus is not grieving because He is powerless — He is grieving because He is present. His tears affirm that divine compassion is not theoretical; it is embodied.
“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25):
This is the fifth of the seven “I AM” statements in John. Jesus does not merely promise resurrection; He locates resurrection in Himself. Martha is invited to shift from believing in a future event to trusting in a present Person.
“Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43): This command is short, authoritative, and personal. Early Christian writers noted that if Jesus had not specified Lazarus by name, every tomb might have opened. The miracle is both a sign and a preview — a sign of Jesus’ identity and a preview of His own resurrection.
“This illness… is for God’s glory.” (John 11:4): In John’s Gospel, “glory” is not spectacle but revelation — the unveiling of who Jesus truly is. The raising of Lazarus becomes the climactic sign that leads directly to the plot against Jesus (John 11:53). The gift of life to Lazarus sets in motion the path to Jesus’ death.
Sources:
Greek lexicon: BDAG (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich)
“I AM” statements: Andreas Köstenberger, John (Baker Exegetical Commentary)
Early Christian interpretation: Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John
