Jesus resurrects Lazarus
key words
biblical reference
John 11:1-23, 34-35
lesson objective
To help the children understand that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
memory verse
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16b, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Jesus had many friends during his time in the world. Some of them were his twelve disciples. Others include Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, who lived in Bethany. He visited their home and shared meals with them, conversed, and expressed his love. Through his friendship, Jesus revealed himself as the Son of God to his followers.
This biblical story shows the two natures of Jesus: as a friend who suffered and as the God who restores. He was not present when Lazarus died, yet his absence gave him the opportunity to reveal his divinity.
When Jesus arrived at Martha and Mary’s house, he showed his care for them and wept with them. Then, as the Son of God, he did what no other friend could do. Jesus called the dead Lazarus out of the tomb, and Lazarus came out alive.
It was a key moment in the ministry of Jesus, in which many Jews became convinced that he was different. He could make the dead come back to life. Through this, they began to have faith in Jesus. At the same time, it was a step toward the cross, because the opposing religious leaders responded to this with persecution and planned Jesus’ death.
Jesus’ friends and many religious leaders responded differently to the miracles he performed. How do you respond when listening to this Bible story? How do you respond to the gift of love that he offers?
Remember that life and death are a mystery to children. Death does not seem to be something that can happen to a person who has only lived a short time, and so for them the story of Lazarus may seem hard to understand.
Some time ago when this same story was taught, a four-year-old girl was very attentive while she heard that Jesus said “Lazarus, come out.” And, Lazarus walked out of the tomb.
Afterwards, she raised her hand and said, “Teacher, my grandfather is dead and I know that when someone dies, he really dies.” This little girl knew death and knew it was irreversible. When a person dies, he is no longer among us, even though he lives with Christ.
The teacher asked her children: “Why do you think Jesus was able to raise Lazarus?”
“Maybe Lazarus was not dead,” a child answered loudly.
“My dad says that Jesus is the only one who can do that because he is the Son of God,” said another girl.
“That is the true answer,” the teacher said. “Jesus can give life to the dead because he is the Son of God.”
I learned that theological truths that seem difficult are simple for children. It is true that when we die we are really dead, but none of that stops Jesus, the Son of God.
introduce the lesson
Joyful or sad?
During the week, cut out a circle of paper for each child in your group. In class, bring them and ask the children to do the following: on one side, draw a sad face and on the other side, a happy face. If you wish, you can bring wooden sticks to glue to the circles.
Tell them: “Jesus is the Son of God. He takes care of us all the time. Today I will tell you a real story about two sisters who were very sad. Jesus visited them and helped them. He changed their sad faces (show sad face) to smiling faces (show happy face).”
teach the lesson
Use these activities to help children understand today’s biblical truth.
Jesus and his friends in Bethany
For this activity, you will need some long cloth bandages (or toilet paper). Gather the children to hear the Bible story. Wrap the bandages around your hand and arm, and ask them: “Why do you think I put on the bandage?” (Allow them to respond).
Then say: “I do it as a reminder of today’s Bible story. We will talk about a man named Lazarus, who along with his sisters, Mary and Martha, were friends of Jesus. Jesus cared very much for them. But one day something happened to Lazarus that made all of them very sad.”
What is a tomb?
Ask: “Have any of you looked inside a cave? This is a large hole in a hillside that can be small or as big as a house. In the time of Jesus, people would place the body of someone who had died in one of these cave-like openings in a hillside. They called it a tomb. You will hear that word in our story today.”
What happened to Lazarus?
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived in a town called Bethany, and they were very good friends of Jesus. They loved him and knew that he loved them too.
One day Lazarus became seriously ill. Mary and Martha were very worried. They knew that Jesus was the only one who could help their brother, so they asked a friend to go and tell him.
This friend walked for a long time looking for Jesus. He finally found him and said, “Lazarus is very sick. Mary and Martha need you to go to Bethany as soon as possible.” However, Jesus stayed two more days in the place where he was. On the third day he told his disciples, “We need to go to Bethany because our friend Lazarus is dead.”
Jesus and his disciples walked a long time to reach Bethany. Lazarus had been dead for four days, and his sisters were very sad.
When Martha saw Jesus, she said to him, “Sir, if you had arrived earlier, my brother would not have died. But, I also know now that whatever you ask of God, he will give it to you.” Martha was confident that Jesus could help her brother.
Then Jesus approached Mary, who was weeping, and asked her to take him to Lazarus’s tomb. When he came near the tomb, he asked them to move the stone that covered the entrance. Martha told him that Lazarus had been there for four days and the tomb would not smell good. “Do not worry,” said Jesus, “Just believe in me.” The people moved the stone. Then Jesus prayed to God and said, “Father, thank you because I know that you always listen to me.”
Then he stood at the entrance of the tomb and shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” Instantly, Lazarus walked out of the tomb, and the people were very surprised to realize the great power of Jesus.
connect the lesson
Lazarus’ labyrinth
Hand out Student Activity Sheet #13-A and colored pencils. Let the children trace the words, “Jesus lives!” And follow the path for Jesus to reach the tomb of Lazarus. In the white cloud on the right, they must draw Lazarus who leaves the tomb.
As they work, emphasize that Jesus took care of his friend Lazarus, bringing him back to life. Only the Son of God can do such a miracle.
Provide the children Student Activity Sheet #13-B, and encourage them to draw a picture of what they think Lazarus looked like when he came out of the tomb. Encourage them to take home their activity sheets to share the lesson with their families and friends.
practice the memory verse
The memory verse is very important. Preschoolers learn through their senses. For this reason, it is important to visualize the activities so that they can be meaningful to them. Write the biblical text with large letters on a chalkboard or poster board. Make sure the letters are clearly written, so that those who are starting to learn to read have no difficulty. Explain it, and help them to read it slowly. If they do not know the meaning of a word, clarify it for them. Repeat it several times until they become familiar with it. Let the younger children trace the letters with a finger.
Keep this so that the children can see it.
wrap-up
Pray
Gather your children in a circle and hold hands. Pray for each one of them and their requests. Encourage the children to pray for each other during the week, and tell them you pray for them. This is a good opportunity to pray for any of their family members and friends who are sick.
Encourage
Thank each child for coming to your class. Remind them of the wonderful power of Jesus. He brought Lazarus back to life because he is God’s Son.
Invite
Invite the children to come again for the next session. They will learn how Jesus helped a blind man named Bartimaeus.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™