Lesson 10: Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

Welcome

            Thank kids for coming.

            Just for fun, have kids double high-five four friends.

            Make announcements.

            Introduce new kids.

            Celebrate birthdays by having kids spell “happy birthday” with their arms, YMCA-style.

            Collect the offering.

Introduce the Lesson

            Say: Today we’ll meet some friends of Jesus whose brother died. We’ll discover that Jesus has power over death.

Share

            Say: Power over death would be a pretty cool superpower to have! For Jesus, it’s a real power. But in movies there are made-up superheroes with awesome powers.

            Tell about a superpower you’d like to have, and why.

            Have kids form pairs and tell about a superpower they’d like to have, and why.

            After partners have discussed, ask two or three kids to share with the whole group what they talked about with their partners.

Summarize

            Open a Bible, and say: Those are some awesome superpowers! But they aren’t real. Jesus has power over death—and his power is real! Today we’ll look at a Bible story that showed Jesus’ power over death. The Bible is an amazing book. God can talk to us through the Bible. He’s ready to talk to us right now!

            Pray, thanking Jesus that he has power over death.

Tips

• If you purchased a DVD prior to June 2018, it may not include "God of Great Wonders" (Psalm 77:14). You can still access the video at the link provided, or you can call our customer support team at 1-800-447-1070 with questions. 

Sing Songs to God

            Sing the three songs in any order.

Make a Paddle

            Have younger kids find an older partner to help them throughout this craft.

            Give each child a piece of corrugated cardboard and a pair of scissors. Have kids each cut a paddle shape out of their cardboard, using the template on the handout as a guide. They’ll want to make the handle fairly wide at the bottom so that they can cut a hole big enough to fit a ping-pong ball, as shown on the template.

            They’ll also use the scissors to poke a small hole in the center of the paddle for the string to go through later.

            When kids have finished cutting, allow time for them to decorate their paddles. Encourage them to write “Jesus has power over death” on their paddles.

Add the Ball

            Have kids each cut a piece of string about 2 feet long and tape one end of the string to a ping-pong ball. Then have kids each poke the other end of the string through the hole on the top of their paddle, tie a knot on the other side, and tape the knot down on the back of the paddle.

Play Games

            Have kids play with their paddle balls by hitting the ball with the paddle to try to keep it from dropping. Challenge them to see how many times they can hit the ball in a row.

            For a second game, have kids each wrap the string twice around the handle of the paddle and then hold the paddle with the handle facing out. They’ll try to lift the paddle quickly enough that the ball swings up, and then they’ll try to catch it in the hole. When they catch it, you can make a connection that Lazarus went into the grave. As they pull it back out, you can remind them that Jesus brought Lazarus out of the grave—alive!

Talk About It

            Ask: • What keeps your ball from falling?

            Say: Although gravity wants to pull your ball down, the paddle has the power to keep it up.

            Ask: • How does that remind you of the way Jesus brought Lazarus back to life?

            Say: Although you couldn’t see it, when you moved the paddle it created a force that could hit the ball and keep it from falling. Jesus’ power is kind of like that. You can’t see it, but you can see what it does! You can see that Jesus has power over death because he brought Lazarus back to life.

            Encourage kids to take their crafts home and make up more fun games. Kids can share the games with friends and family members and teach them how the paddleball connects to the Bible story.

Make a Balloon Friend

            Have kids form mixed-age pairs. Give each pair a balloon. Have kids blow up their balloons and hold the ends tightly to keep the air in as they draw faces on the balloons. (Have the older kids be the ones to use the markers.) Kids can name their balloon friends and introduce them to kids sitting nearby.

            Say: There’s a problem with your balloon friend. He’s sick, just like a guy in the Bible.

            Read John 11:1-3. Have kids release just a small amount of air from their balloons.

            Ask: • What can you do to help your balloon? Kids may suggest adding more air, but encourage them to come up with different ideas instead (for example, using paper towels to wipe its “forehead,” giving it a hug, or laying it on the floor, all while still pinching the opening). Have kids demonstrate their responses, but not add more air.

            Say: Jesus got the message that Lazarus was very sick, but he didn’t go to him right away. Instead, Jesus stayed where he was for two days. And in the meantime, Lazarus got worse and worse.

            Have kids release more air from their balloons. If at any point kids suggest adding more air to their balloons, tell them to keep waiting.

            Ask: • How do you feel watching your balloon friend get worse?

            • You know air would help your balloon friend, but I’m not letting you add more air. How do you feel about that?

            Say: Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters, knew that Jesus could heal Lazarus, just like air could heal your balloon friend. But Jesus wasn’t coming! Where was he? Why wasn’t he coming? While Jesus hung around where he was, here’s what happened to Lazarus.

            Read John 11:11-14. Have kids let all of the air out of their balloons.

Help Balloon Friends

            Say: Finally, now that Lazarus was dead, Jesus arrived. But doesn’t it seem like he was too late? Have kids hold up their deflated balloons.

            Ask: • How are you feeling about your balloon friend?

            Say: You might think there’s still hope for your balloon. But what if I do this? Walk around with scissors and cut slits in all the balloons. If you have a lot of kids, enlist helpers.

            Ask: • How are you feeling about your balloon friend now?

            • What would you say to Jesus if your balloon friend was Lazarus?

            Say: That’s probably how Mary and Martha felt when Jesus got there. He was too late! They had to bury Lazarus.

            Have kids wrap their balloons in paper towels and put them in the slit in the box of balloons.

            Say: Mary and Martha were sad. Their brother had died. But Jesus has power over death. Let’s see what happened.

            Read John 11:20-24.

            Ask: • How would you describe Martha’s attitude?

            Say: Martha knew that Jesus has power over death in the long run. She knew that one day, she’d see Lazarus alive in heaven. But that’s not what Jesus meant. Here’s what he meant.

            Read John 11:25.

            Ask: • What does it mean to live after dying?

            Say: Everyone was very sad that Jesus hadn’t stopped Lazarus from dying. They knew Jesus had power to heal, but they didn’t realize Jesus has power over death. So Jesus asked them to show him Lazarus’ tomb, where he was buried.

            Read John 11:39-42.

            Say: Before we see what happened to Lazarus, let’s see if cutting a balloon really means it’s beyond hope.

            Hold the scissors up to one of the balloon sets you prepared. Ask kids what they think will happen if you cut the balloon with the scissors.

            Cut the balloon near the knot, stretching it to avoid a loud popping sound. The outer balloon will either pop, leaving the inner balloon intact, or it will shrink to fit around the inner balloon. Show kids that even though you cut the balloon, there’s still an inflated balloon inside.

            Say: Jesus knew all along that he could bring Lazarus back to life. He knew he has power over death. Just as I knew that I could pop this balloon and still have an inflated balloon, Jesus knew that he could let Lazarus die and bring him back to life. In fact, he waited on purpose so his friends could see his power over death.

            Read John 11:43-44. Open the box of balloons, and toss the inflated balloons out to the kids. If you have helium balloons, the balloons will let themselves out of the box! Once all the balloons are out, have kids bat them around to celebrate Lazarus’ new life.

Ask for Life

            Say: When Jesus was talking to Martha, he said something that helps us understand his power over death. Let’s read that again.

            Read John 11:25.

            Say: Jesus said he is the resurrection and the life. He said that even though we all die, we can live after that if we believe in him! Let’s think about that. Jesus brought Lazarus back to life. But Lazarus isn’t still alive on earth today.   Eventually, we don’t know when, Lazarus died again. And Jesus brought him back to life in a different way—a way we can all experience! If we believe in Jesus, we can experience his power over death because we’ll live forever in heaven!

            Ask: • What sounds great about living forever in heaven?

            Hold up your second balloon set. Say: It’s like this balloon is our life on earth. One day, it will end. Cut the outer balloon. But when it does, that’s just our body dying. Our souls—the part of us that really makes us us—can live on forever! Jesus has power over death. When we believe in Jesus, we can live with him forever in heaven. What great news!

            Close with a prayer thanking Jesus for eternal life.

Tip 

Discuss and Watch “Lazarus, Come Out!”

            Say: When Lazarus died, it seemed like the end of the story for Mary and Martha. But Jesus has power over death. Let’s watch what happened.

            Watch “Lazarus, Come Out!”

            Ask: • What do you think about the fact that because Jesus waited so long, Lazarus died?

            • Tell about a time you thought it was the end of the story. What happened next? Share your own example first.

            Say: Jesus waited to come until after Lazarus died so that he could show his power over death. If he’d come earlier, he could’ve healed Lazarus before he died. Instead, he showed that he has power over everything—even death! It’s never too late for Jesus to work in our lives, because Jesus has power over death.

Tips

• Use ceramic magnets ¾ inch or larger.
• Instead of having kids tape the magnets to the rulers, you could use metal rulers that the magnets are naturally attracted to.

Learn About Gravity

            Have children mixed-age form groups of no more than five.

            Say: Today we heard about the miracle of how Lazarus rose from the dead when Jesus called him out of the tomb. We’re discovering that Jesus has power over death. Let’s experiment with paper clips as we think more about what rising from the dead might look like.

            Give each group a “Powerful Magnets” handout, two paper clips, string, scissors, and a pencil. Using Step 1 of the “Powerful Magnets” handout as an example, have groups each tie two lengths of string to their pencil. Then have kids tie two paper clips to the other ends of the string. Encourage kids to pass the pencil around their group, taking turns holding the pencil and gently waving it. As they do, encourage kids to notice which way the paper clips point and what happens if they tilt the pencil.

            Say: No matter which way you tilted the pencil, the paper clips always pointed to the ground. That’s called gravity.

Overcome Gravity

            Say: Gravity is what is holding each of us to the ground. When we jump, we always come back down because of gravity. Encourage kids to jump a couple of times and notice the effects of gravity. Even though gravity is incredibly strong, there are some things that can be more powerful than gravity. Can you imagine that?

            Give each group tape, a ruler, and two ceramic magnets. (Only let older kids handle the ceramic magnets. Magnets are very dangerous if swallowed.) Have kids follow Step 2 of the handout as they attach the magnets to the ruler. Then give each group a stack of Bibles. Have groups each divide the stack of Bibles evenly in two and then lay the ruler across the Bibles as demonstrated in Step 3 of the handout. Show kids how to remove the strings from the pencil but keep the paper clips attached to the strings. Encourage kids to take one paper clip and hold it so it’s suspended just below the first magnet as shown in Step 4 of the handout. They’ll tape the string to the ground or table so the paper clip floats about ¼ inch below the magnet and then repeat with the second paper clip.

            Allow time for kids to observe the paper clips floating midair. Then ask groups to remove the ruler with the magnets so the paper clips fall to the ground. Then have kids put the ruler with magnets back above the paper clips. Encourage kids to slowly lift each paper clip toward each magnet until the paper clips are suspended again.

Talk About It

            Ask: • How could you tell the magnets had power over gravity in this experiment?

            • How is that like or unlike how Jesus is stronger than death?

            • What does knowing Jesus has power over death mean to you?

            Say: In this object lesson, we learned that gravity always pulls objects down toward the ground. However, we also discovered that the magnets had the power to overcome gravity. In the same way, we’ve learned that while everyone dies, Jesus has the power to overcome death. Just as the paper clips rose, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus has power over death.

Wait

            Say: We’ve been learning about Lazarus. He was sick, and he died, and then Jesus brought him back to life. Jesus has power over death. We’re going to dig deeper into what happened.

            Don’t say anything for one full minute. It will likely be awkward, and kids might start to get noisy or restless. Just keep silent but act like you’re just about to start teaching again.

            After one minute, say: Thanks for waiting!

            Ask: • What was it like waiting for me to keep teaching? What were you thinking and feeling as you waited?

            Say: It might seem weird that I made you wait for so long before I kept teaching. But that’s like what happened in our Bible story. When Jesus found out Lazarus was sick, he could’ve gone to him right away and healed him before he died. But instead, Jesus purposely waited.

            Read John 11:4-7.

            Say: By the time Jesus got there, it seemed like he was too late. So why did he make them wait? Why did he let them think their brother was dead forever? Why does he sometimes make us wait? Let’s dig in to that.

Make a Scale

            Spread the numbers out on the floor in order. Say: On a scale of 1 to 10, think about how good you are at waiting. You can stand on this scale to show how good you are at waiting. The number 1 is “I WANT IT RIGHT NOW!!!” while 10 is “I’m totally relaxed.”

            Have kids stand on the scale and then turn to someone near them to discuss this question.

            Ask: • Tell about a time it felt like you had to wait forever. Share your own example first.

            Say: It can be hard to be patient when we really want something. It must’ve been hard for Lazarus’ sisters to wait for Jesus. It was a life-or-death situation! Let’s see how patient they were.

            Read John 11:21-22.

            Have kids stand on the scale to show how patient they think Martha was. Then have kids explain their answers.

            Say: Let’s read the beginning again to see if we can figure out why Jesus made them wait.

            Read John 11:4.

            Ask: • What was Jesus’ reason for waiting?

            Say: Jesus made them wait so that he could show God’s glory. He wanted to show that he had power over death. Not only could he heal sick people, he could bring dead people back to life!

            What about us? Why does Jesus make us wait? Let’s read some more verses and try to figure it out.

Dig Deeper

            Have kids form four mixed-age groups. Give each group a Bible, and assign them one of the passages from the list below.

• Psalm 27:14
• Psalm 37:7
• Psalm 40:1-3
• Psalm 62:1-2

            Have groups read their verses and think about what the Bible says is good about waiting. Have groups discuss their responses and then share with everyone.

            Ask: • Tell about a time something good happened to you because you had to wait. Share your own example first.

            Say: Waiting was hard for Mary and Martha. And sometimes it’s hard for us. When we wait, our faith can grow. We can learn to be more brave, patient, and confident. We can learn to worry less. We can look back after we’ve waited and see how God listened and helped us. When we wait, we can trust in Jesus’ power over the situation, because Jesus has power over everything—even death. So when Jesus makes us wait, we can thank him for the chance to grow and to see God’s glory!

Tip

• If you used the Music Video block, consider repeating the songs from today’s lesson during the game. You can find the album here.

Recommended for 10 or more kids.

Run a Relay

            Have kids form at least two mixed-age teams of no more than five, and have each team line up on one side of your meeting area. Give each team a length of ribbon or a woven elastic bandage.

            Say: Today we’re discovering that Jesus has power over death. In fact, when Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, Lazarus was still wrapped up in his grave clothes. Let’s do a hopping relay to remember the Bible story. Explain to children that they’ll work together in their teams to wrap the ribbon or bandage around the arms and torso of one of their teammates, tucking in the end so it stays wrapped. Once the child is fully wrapped, that child will run to the other side of the room and back. Once back, kids will again work together to unwrap the child and wrap the next person in line. Kids will continue wrapping and unwrapping teammates until every member of the team has run across the room and back. Once children understand the rules, begin the game.

            If you’d like, play music as kids play.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What was it like to be unwrapped and set free like Lazarus?

            Say: Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead because Jesus has power over death. And when we believe in Jesus we can live with him forever in heaven! Yay!

Tip

• If you used the Music Video block, consider repeating the songs from today’s lesson during the game. You can find the album here.

Recommended for 10 or more kids.

Play a Version of Wink Murder

            Have children sit in a circle. Say: Today we’re learning that Jesus showed his power over death when he brought Lazarus back to life. Let’s play a game as we experience what it might be like to have power.

            Shuffle the cards, and give each child a card. Try to give the Joker and Ace to older kids. Encourage children to look at their cards without letting anyone else see them. Explain that when the game starts, the person holding the Joker is “It.” It has to get as many people as possible out by making eye contact and winking at them. If a player is winked at, he or she must silently count to five before lying down to signify being out of the game. Kids who are out need to keep their eyes open, because whoever is holding the Ace card is the “Includer.” The Includer’s job is to discreetly make eye contact and nod to kids who are out, which will enable them to rejoin the game. When It guesses who the Includer is, the round is over.

            If you’d like, play music as kids play. Preschoolers may have a difficult time with this game, so watch for when they get winked at and remind them to lie down.

            Play several rounds as time permits.

Talk About It

            Ask: • Explain who had more power: It or the Includer.

            • How did you feel when you were waiting for the Includer to bring you back into the game?

            Say: When Lazarus died, it was like he was out of the game. But just like in our game, there was someone who had the power to bring him back: Jesus! Jesus had power over death when he brought Lazarus back to life.  

Be Bound

            Say: When Lazarus was in his grave, his hands and feet were bound in grave clothes.

            Give each child a rubber band. It’s best to use a thicker kind so it doesn’t cut their skin. Have kids use the rubber bands to bind their wrists together, helping one another as needed.

            Say: With your hands all bound up like Lazarus, close your eyes while I read. Imagine you’re Lazarus in the dark tomb. All of a sudden you hear something…        

            Read John 11:40-43.

            Say: Without Jesus, Lazarus could never have come out of the tomb. But Lazarus did come out! Listen to what God’s Word says. Read John 11:44.

            Say: Without Jesus, none of us could live with him forever in heaven. We all need Jesus. Jesus is inviting us to be friends with him on earth and live with him forever. Jesus is calling your name.

Be Alive

            Say: With your eyes still closed, listen for him calling your name. Allow about 10 seconds for kids to listen to Jesus in silence.

            Then one by one, touch each child’s head and say: [Name of child], Jesus is calling you. He wants to be part of your life. As you say their names, help each child remove their rubber-band bindings. Collect them as you move from child to child.

            Say: You can open your eyes now. When Jesus called Lazarus’ name, Lazarus came out of his grave. Jesus told people to unwrap Lazarus and let him go. He was alive!

            Read John 11:25.

            Pray: Jesus, thank you for being the way and the life for us. Thank you that you have power over death. Thank you that you can give us new life!

            Thank kids for coming, and invite them to come back next week.

           Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.