SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
OVERVIEW
“Our quirky minds thwart psychologists’ efforts to find durable theories. But terror-management theory has held up quite well since three psychologists proposed it more than 30 years ago. It holds that fear of death underpins many of our actions and convictions. We cling to our beliefs more tightly when reminded of our mortality, especially if those beliefs connect us to something transcending our puny mortal selves.” (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/death-physics-and-wishful-thinking/)
Fortunately, as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we have strong Biblical evidence that not only transcends popular culture but provides a firm basis for understanding what happens when a person dies. Our lesson today explores the scriptural basis of what happens when a person dies.
OPENING ACTIVITY: RANDOM TOPICS
Instructions
- On 3 x 5 cards or slips of paper, write a topic that you want a person to speak about for one minute. This is not rehearsed ahead of time, but a spur of the moment activity. If you want, you could give them a minute beforehand to look up their topic on the internet.
- Have individuals speak about their topic for one minute.
- After they are done speaking, allow time for questions.
- Be creative on the topics you choose.
QUESTIONS
- What new information did you discover?
- How difficult is it to talk about a random topic on the spur of the moment?
- If someone asked you to share a Gospel presentation, how would it be more difficult/easier than some random subject?
TRANSITION
Death has been with humans since the Garden of Eden when God killed lambs to make clothes for Adam and Eve. Can you imagine what it must have been like to witness God killing a lamb? Have you ever wondered if in that teachable moment God described how this would also be the remedy for the sin problem—the killing of the Lamb? Buckle up! Our journey is about to get bumpy.
BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
Read John 11:1-14.
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,”
Have someone in the group retell the story in their own words.
QUESTIONS
- Why did Jesus say that Lazarus’ situation wouldn’t end in death?
- From this passage, compare/contrast the disciples’ feelings about Lazarus versus Jesus.
- What was Jesus talking about in verses 9 and 10?
- In what ways do these verses seem to be a change in subject?
- Why does Jesus tell the disciples that He is glad they weren’t with Lazarus?
Read John 11:17-27.
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
QUESTIONS
- How did Mary and Martha feel about Jesus’ arrival?
- What differences do you see in the way Jesus and Martha viewed death?
- How can someone who believes in Jesus never die?
Read Psalm 146:4.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Read Isaiah 38:18, 19.
18 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness. 19 The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today;
parents tell their children about your faithfulness.
QUESTIONS
- Where do people go when they die?
- According to these passages, how is being alive different from being dead?
- Describe how Jesus was feeling and why He was feeling that way.
- Why did people doubt Jesus’ feelings about Lazarus?
- Is there any evidence that Lazarus went someplace during the time he was in the tomb?
Read John 11:39-44.
39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
QUESTIONS
- Did Mary and Martha really believe Jesus was the Messiah? Explain your answer.
- Why did Jesus pray before inviting Lazarus to come out of the tomb?
- Describe what you would have been thinking when Jesus asked Lazarus to come out of the tomb.
- In what ways would your understanding of Jesus’ ministry change if you had been one of those crowded around the tomb?
APPLICATION
Death is difficult. During the Covid-19 pandemic thousands of people died without the benefit of family surrounding them. Thousands of families weren’t able to properly say goodbye to their loved ones. How did it feel for the families, healthcare workers, funeral home workers, and the scores of other people who were impacted by death during this timeframe? Jesus came to shake up the traditional view of death. Scripture is very clear that death is a sleep which those who believe in Jesus will wake up from when Jesus comes again. However, even with this assurance, death isn’t pleasant. Saying goodbye even for a moment causes many to struggle and sometimes question their faith.
The story of Lazarus is an illustration of how Jesus feels and acts when one of His friends, which we all are, dies. It’s not some impersonal situation that goes unnoticed in the courts of Heaven. Jesus wept, not because Lazarus was dead (He knew how the story would unfold), but because He saw the sorrow that Lazarus’ death created. Jesus wants His children to know that death is ugly and the result of sin, but that He has conquered the grave and all those who believe in Him shall not die but be prepared to spend eternity with Him after the second coming (John 3:16-17).
FOLLOW UP
Write your life sketch. A life sketch gives people a glimpse into one’s life. In this version, you get to tell others what has already happened and what you envision will happen in the future. If you are brave enough, share your life sketch, but if you want to keep it private, stash it someplace that will be safe and look at it in a few years to see if what you thought would happen has occurred.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
LEADER’S NOTE
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
OVERVIEW
This week’s Sabbath School lesson in Cornerstone Connections deals with the topic of spiritualism and the danger of being sucked into even playing around with something so fraught with negative supernatural elements.
With this being Halloween season, the potential of direct exposure to spiritualism once again presents itself. Is it just a time for community fun and being neighborly by dressing up in costumes and collecting cheap candy in response to the required request in the form of “trick-or-treat”? Will a few five-year-olds really do a trick if you don’t give them a treat?
At what age are you too old to go trick-or-treating? Those old enough to be in your Youth Sabbath School are probably pushing the limits of going door-to-door to ask for candy. But they are old enough to actually do some nasty tricks if someone doesn’t give them what they want. They’re also old enough to start asking questions like, “Who started this tradition?” and “What’s it really all about?” and “Is it pagan or Christian or a combination of both?”
One source for answers is the history.com website. Here’s a link for the topic: https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween. Based on a change in seasons and a time of harvest, it also was a time when the line between death and life could be crossed. While that scares some, it intrigues others.
Throughout history, there has been a curiosity and wonder about what happens after a person dies. Some people believe in reincarnation based on something within you that never dies. You might come in another form, such as another person or an animal or maybe even a plant.
Others say, “This life is all you have, and when it’s over, it’s over—no more.” There’s no heaven, no hell, no such thing as an “afterlife” or anything else.
Most Christians believe in a heaven and maybe a hell, but there isn’t full agreement on when a person goes there. The majority of Christians today believe that a person goes to heaven right after they die (few will talk much about going to hell). At a funeral they will say something like, “I’m sure Johnny is in heaven looking down on us right now and he wants us to know that he’s happy to be in heaven, so we can stop crying now.”
Seventh-day Adventists believe in heaven, but we don’t think people naturally are born with something in them that lives forever. Only God has that power, and only God can give us eternal life. He gives it to someone who accepts Jesus into their life as their Savior and Lord. When you agree to that, your eternal life begins now, and it’s a gift from God, not something you get on your own. What we consider “death” Jesus referred to as sleep. When Jesus returns, He will wake His followers who are “asleep” in what we call “the resurrection.” Again, only God has the power to do this.
If that’s true, then the idea of ghosts or talking with those who have died makes no sense. Such phenomena tap into one of Satan’s traps of engaging with the negative supernatural.
Many people don’t like to talk about death, whether it’s because they deny their own mortality or it scares them, or they have experienced how horrible it can be. A young person may have lost a grandparent or other loved one. Occasionally a parent dies before old age, and sometimes even a teen dies. This shocks everyone, but especially teens, because they expect they won’t die for decades. We tend to think that everyone deserves to live to be at least 70 or 80 years of age, maybe even 100.
Studying what the Bible has to say about death can help us deal with death when it crosses our path. If it hasn’t crossed your path yet, it’s only a matter of time until it does.
We could turn to some key Bible verses like Genesis 3:4 when the serpent/Satan, in the Garden of Eden, lied to Eve by saying, “You surely won’t die” in response to Eve’s explanation that touching or eating from the forbidden tree would not result in death. But it did. We could go to Ecclesiastes 9:5 which tells us, “The living know they will die, but the dead know nothing.”
There are other verses as well, like 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. But for our RBS (Relational Bible Study) this week, we’ll take the story in John 11 about the death and resurrection of Lazarus. We could also call it the power of Jesus to resurrect the dead. Let’s have this story from Scripture inform our understanding of death, what happens after death, and how we can relate to death when it grabs our attention.
“Dealing with Death”
What do you plan to do (or not do) this Halloween?
Read John 11:1-57.
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
1. What fascinates people about death?
- Every person will die sometime.
- Stories about people who died and came back to life to tell about it.
- Stories about people who communicated with dead people.
- It takes us from the natural to the supernatural.
- Trying to find out when we will die.
- A recent death of a friend or loved one forces us to deal with death.
- Each culture has its own way of relating to death.
- Halloween is more than candy for children.
- Other.
2. How did Jesus relate to death in the story of Lazarus?
- He seemed oblivious to it.
- He orchestrated it to reveal God’s glory.
- What we usually think of as “death” is only “sleep” to Jesus.
- Jesus has the power to resurrect humans from the dead.
- Jesus stayed away for fear of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem (vs. 8).
- Jesus wept (vs. 35), which means ______________.
- The BIG resurrection happens at the end of the world (vs. 24).
- Jesus turned tragedy into God’s glory and Christ’s divinity.
- Other.
3. Why did the disciples object to returning to Judea?
- They didn’t have any friends there.
- Lazarus was sleeping, so there was no need for Jesus to heal him.
- They had left when the Jewish leaders tried to stone Jesus.
- The disciples feared for their own lives.
- They had no idea that Jesus could resurrect someone from being dead.
- They felt jealous about all the attention Jesus gave Mary and Martha.
- They preferred the Sea of Galilee.
- It’s a very long walk.
- Other.
4. What does this chapter tell you about the resurrection of the dead?
- Not much.
- Much.
- It’s real.
- Jesus is the One who makes it happen.
- You have to die before you get eternal life.
- Resurrection happens at the end of time.
- God gives eternal life to believers the moment they believe.
- Believers might “sleep” but they won’t “die.”
- Other.
5. Why did Jesus weep?
- Sorrow over the death of Lazarus.
- Sadness because nobody believed He could resurrect Lazarus.
- He faced so much constant pressure that this was a breaking point.
- No one knows for sure.
- No one believed Jesus had the power to resurrect right then.
- His disciples remained clueless, fearful of their own survival.
- He knew some of the people there would soon crucify Him.
- Other.
6. How do you relate to death?
- Death scares me.
- I hardly ever think about it.
- I think about death a lot.
- Death seems inevitable and unstoppable.
- When a young person dies it really shocks me.
- I think something about a person goes on after that person dies.
- This takes us into supernatural powers—good and evil.
- There’s a “death” like sleep, and there’s an “eternal death” forever.
- Other.
7. How is your life affected by someone else’s death?
8. How is your life affected by the death and resurrection of Jesus?
SUMMARY
Ever since sin entered the world, death has come to everyone and everything. We also see the miracle of life repeatedly. Each of us will face our own death at some point. But Jesus has the desire and the power to give us not just life, but eternal life. It only comes from Him. What seems like death to us is merely like sleep to Jesus. That changes how we relate to death, how we relate to life, and how we relate to Jesus. Once again, Jesus makes all the difference in the world.
APPLICATION
Some people put off the topic of death until it becomes unavoidable. Here are ways for you to engage in this topic now so when you face the impact of a death to someone close to you, your Biblical foundation and focus on Jesus can orient you the way God intended. Here are some ideas for you to apply this passage this week, or modify these ideas for your particular setting.
- LET’S TALK
We often think about old people when it comes to death and dying. Of course, people of all ages die, whether there is sickness, disease, or accidents, but we tend to associate death with “old people” whether “old” is 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or even 100. We’ve been reminded of the deaths of many people in their late teens or 20s when it comes to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- Make arrangements or set appointments to have a conversation with someone significantly older than you to talk with them about death. This can include questions such as:
- “Do you fear death?”
- “What were your thoughts about death and dying when you were my age?”
- “What counsel or suggestions do you have for me when it comes to the topic of death?”
- “How does your understanding of God impact your beliefs about death and how you live now?”
- Have those in your Youth Sabbath School share the responses they received as part of next week’s Sabbath School.
- BEFORE I DIE
Morticians deal with death on a daily basis. This includes a variety of individuals and families and causes of death. They have an abundance of stories that they can’t necessarily share for privacy reasons. But invite a mortician to come to Youth Sabbath School next week to share responses to this one key question:
- Based on your experiences with death, what counsel do you have for teens when it comes to finishing this statement, “Before I die . . . .”
- During the coming week, have the youth come up with additional questions they could ask the mortician, and pass those along to the mortician the day before Sabbath School.
- A “COME TO JESUS” MOMENT
- While young people rarely think about death (and that’s okay), invite them to address their mortality without being weird or morose. Such an invitation is a “come to Jesus moment” because we acknowledge our mortality and Christ’s immortality and his desire to give us immortality—eternal life.
- But Jesus requires us to give Him everything. In a sense, it is like we are dying. That is why baptism by immersion represents a person’s death, burial, and resurrection (see Romans 6:3-4 ).
- This is NOT a suicide pact, but Jesus does ask us to die in terms of our hopes, dreams, and plans, and then accept from Christ a new life of his hopes, dreams, and plans for us.
- You can read about that in Ephesians 2:10 . Use these as meditation texts this week and “come to Jesus” by giving Him your life in exchange for the life He has for you.
#OneTeam Challenge
By Vandeon Griffin, Tracy Wood, and Armando Miranda
The #ONETEAM CHALLENGE is a 21-day devotional written by leaders for leaders. As co-laborers in the Seventh-day Adventist Church commissioned to lead and serve the youth and young adult generation, we share the burdens and triumphs of ministry.
In this devotional, we will walk together through scripture and journey through the lessons of life and ministry. Daily, you will be challenged with reflective questions and to share your affirmations on social media to encourage and inspire others. We are #ONETEAM!
