In His Image - 12: The Savior with His Friends

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

Opening Thought
Spending Time with Friends


This session and the next, we will look at some very personal time Jesus spent with His closest friends – this week, Mary, Martha & Lazarus; next week, His disciples. Both of these times are just before the final week of His death and resurrection.

Time with friends is very special. So much of that time is extemporaneous, casual, not with any real driving purpose. But in those times, repeated often in so many differest settings, your souls are mended together, your hearts and minds begin to take similar paths through life. Certainly the best picture of this for many of us today is our own special friendship with our spouse.

Then the singular times come, the defining moments for either of the friends, where a test bursts on the scene that forces us to decide and respond. In those times, the depth and clarity of your friendship is indispensable. The quality of that friendship, built through all of that unplanned time, comes to be our foundation and strength.
When Mary & Martha’s message reaches Jesus that Lazarus is sick, we see the tender heart of Jesus and His close friendship expressed. Yet we also observe His deity in action, seeking to work the glory of God and His provision in the lives of His dear friends.

Study Notes

1. Jesus Ministers to Hurting Friends

• Watch His response to people -- always eye to eye, personal, sensitive.


• Think about these examples
  -Nicodemus, John 3
  -The Woman at the Well, John 4
  -The man at the pool of Bethsaida, John 5
  -Each of the disciples


• How did He respond?
  -He always does respond, directly, immediately, never late, everything works together for good (Romans 8:28)
  -His response is always the will of the Father, to glorify Him
  -Very personally, eye-to-eye
  -His response is always "so that you may believe" (John 10:38)

2. Confessions of Struggle and Faith

• Read about Mary, Martha & Lazarus in John 11


• First assumptions - the things to have settled before the crisis happens:
  - Jesus is fully capable of healing
  - we know He will respond
  - what would you add to that list?


• "If only..." 11:21, 32 -- Mary & Martha both start with this honest human emotion. But they also express rock solid understanding of Who the Savior is and what He will accomplish. How did Jesus guide them further in their relationship with Him?


• When crisis happens and God's provision isn't what you were looking for...
  - delay: remember God has a better time and a better way
  - loss: God has a better plan and a better purpose

3. Jesus Glorified

• Compare John 3:14; 8:28


• Glorifying the Father -- John 11:40
  - When you believe and when you hurt
  - Note that the promise isn't that "everything will turn up roses". It is that God will be glorified in you.


• Lifted Up -- John 12:32, 34
  - Did the people understand “lifted up” to refer to Crucifixion?
  - Verse 33 says He intended that to be the reference


• Jesus' death was final glorification of the Father
  - John consistently portrayed Jesus' death this way
  - Take a look at each of these examples -- 7:39; ch. 8; 12:16, 23, 28; 13:31-32; ch. 17

For further study...

1. Considering how Jesus responded to Mary & Martha, is it possible for Him to respond to you the same ways? Have you seen Him do that?


2. Are there ways you can respond to others’ problems and hurts in a way that reflects how Jesus ministered to Mary & Martha?


3. Does knowing Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave have an impact on your faith similar to the impact it must have had to Mary & Martha?