Single lesson
Jesus Raises Lazarus
John 11:1–44
In this lesson, children trace the order of John 11:1–44 and notice how Jesus responds to sickness, grief and death. They will identify what different people say and do, and what this passage shows about Jesus.
Before you teach
John 11:1–44 tells about Lazarus of Bethany, his sisters Mary and Martha, and Jesus’ journey to them after Lazarus became sick. The passage includes Jesus’ words to his disciples, Martha’s confession, Mary’s grief, Jesus’ prayer, and Lazarus coming out of the tomb.
Students will be able to sequence five main parts of John 11:1–44 and name two truths from the passage: Jesus cares deeply, and Jesus says he is the resurrection and the life.
Welcome: Who is in this account?
4 minShow children the title and ask them to listen for the main people in the passage. Introduce Lazarus, Mary, Martha, Jesus and the disciples. Explain that the class will follow the story in order and watch for choices people make, words Jesus speaks, and what happens at the tomb.
John 11:1, John 11:3, John 11:7, John 11:20
Read and explain: Sickness, delay and the journey
7 minRead John 11:1–16 aloud. Explain that the sisters sent word to Jesus because Lazarus was sick. Jesus said the sickness would serve the glory of God, yet he stayed two days before going. The disciples were worried about returning to Judea, and Jesus spoke plainly that Lazarus had died.
John 11:3, John 11:4, John 11:6, John 11:8, John 11:14, John 11:15
Discuss: Martha, Mary and Jesus’ words
7 minRead John 11:17–37. Help children compare Martha’s meeting with Jesus and Mary’s meeting with Jesus. Both say Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had been there. Notice Martha’s statement of belief and Jesus’ words, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ Also notice that Jesus wept.
John 11:21, John 11:22, John 11:25, John 11:26, John 11:27, John 11:32, John 11:35
Make and respond: Put the events in order
8 minChildren make simple sequence cards and place them in order: the message about sickness, Jesus waits, Martha speaks with Jesus, Mary weeps and Jesus weeps, Jesus calls Lazarus out. As they order the cards, ask what choices people made and what happened after those choices.
John 11:3, John 11:6, John 11:20, John 11:32, John 11:35, John 11:43, John 11:44
Closing: What does this passage teach?
4 minReview the ordered events together. Ask children to say one thing this passage shows about Jesus and one thing it shows about people. Finish by repeating Jesus’ words about belief and God’s glory, and remind children that the class answers should come from what this passage says.
John 11:40, John 11:42, John 11:25, John 11:26, John 11:44
Questions to explore
Why did Jesus stay two days after hearing that Lazarus was sick?
Guide children to answer from Jesus’ own words about the glory of God and belief, rather than guessing extra reasons.
John 11:4, John 11:6, John 11:15
What did Martha say she believed about Jesus?
Invite children to find Martha’s own confession and connect it with Jesus’ words, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’
John 11:25, John 11:26, John 11:27
What do Jesus’ tears and his command at the tomb show in this passage?
Help children observe both parts of the passage: Jesus wept with those who were grieving, and he called Lazarus to come out.
John 11:35, John 11:43, John 11:44
Make, think or respond
Lazarus Story Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or scrap card
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Write or draw five moments from the passage on separate cards: the message, the delay, Martha meeting Jesus, Mary and Jesus weeping, Lazarus coming out.
- Mix the cards and ask children to place them in the order John 11 gives.
- Read the matching verses after each card is placed to check the order.
- Ask children to tell one choice and one outcome from each card.
This activity helps children follow the sequence of John 11:1–44 and connect the people’s words and actions with what happens next.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare the five card labels in advance and let them draw the pictures instead of writing full captions.
- For older or more confident children, add short verse quotes to each card and ask them to explain why each moment matters in the passage.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: ‘Lord Jesus, thank you for this passage. Please help us trust your words, notice your care for people, and learn from what you said and did. Amen.’
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
John 11
1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.
2 It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3 The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
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.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”
8 The disciples asked him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”
9 Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
10 But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”
11 He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.”
12 The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.
14 So Jesus said to them plainly then, “Lazarus is dead.
15 I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”
16 Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s also go, that we may die with him.”
17 So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.
19 Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house.
21 Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.
22 Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
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?”
27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here and is calling you.”
29 When she heard this, she arose quickly and went to him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
32 Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled,
34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept.
36 The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!”
37 Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?”
38 Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
41 So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me.
42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude standing around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
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.”
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.
Source passages
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