Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (John 11:28-37), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [32] Mary laments at Jesus’ feet. Can you think of some Psalms that are laments? Or even a whole book of lamentations found in the Bible? What is a lament? How do you feel about laments? Does the reality that we live in a world where lamentable things happen shake your faith? Why or why not?

• [33-35] Jesus—the one who is the resurrection and the life—gets angry at his archenemy: death. He is the only one who truly knows what death is, the only one with the perfect human response to death (and its causes / effects in the world). Have you been around death much? How have you struggled in your response to death? Do you struggle more with the idea of physical death or spiritual death (alienation from God)? How are those two things related?

• [35] “Jesus wept.” When you read this, what do you think about? Do you consider that the God-man weeping 1) reveals God and 2) redeems our humanity? When you read the Bible, are you looking for how Jesus 1) reveals God and 2) redeems our humanity? Or are you looking for something else? What else do we tend to look for from our Bible reading, and why?

• [36-37] Jesus’ love for the world would mean his addressing all death through his own death and resurrection. What does this mean for you as you consider your own (physical/spiritual) death? What does it mean for you as you consider the death of your loved ones? What does it mean for others you know as they face death in themselves or loved ones? Can you share the comfort of the Gospel with others from a passage like this in a way that addresses the reality of death?