Jesus Raises Lazarus Sunday School Lesson for Kids

Use this children’s Sunday School lesson to teach kids about the power of Jesus in raising Lazarus (and us) from the dead.

Needed: Bibles, drawing paper, crayons or colored pencils

Intro Activity: Acting It Out 

Divide students into groups of two or three. Give them a few minutes to think of their skit. Then, have each group act out what they think happens when someone dies.

Lesson

(Read John 11:1-3.)

Why do you think Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus, telling Him that Lazarus is sick? (They believed that Jesus could help Lazarus get better by healing him.)

Do you think Jesus could heal Lazarus? (Yes.)

And Jesus can help us too when we’re sick or have problems.

 

(Read John 11:4-7.)

Mary and Martha sent a message for Jesus to come to heal Lazarus. But did Jesus go to them right away? (No. He waited two days and then, He went to them.)

Why do you think Jesus didn’t go to them right away?

 

(Read John 11:8-35.)

Why did Jesus cry? (He was sad that Lazarus died and felt bad for everyone who was sad about Lazarus dying.)

Jesus cares about us and feels sad for us when bad things happen to us.

 

(Read John 11:36-39.)

Back then, they buried people by putting them in a cave and rolling a big rock in front of the cave. That’s what they did to Lazarus. He died, so they put him in the cave and rolled the rock in front of it. Now, Jesus is telling people to roll the rock out of the way of the cave. Why do you think Jesus wants them to move the rock?

 

(Read John 11:40-44.)

What did Jesus do for Lazarus? (He brought him back to life.)

And Jesus will bring all of us back to life one day too. When Jesus comes back, He will bring everyone who has died back to life, and we will live with Him forever.

How did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead? (God gave Him the power.)

Jesus prayed and then, He just told Lazarus to come out. When we have a problem, we have to remember to pray and trust that Jesus is powerful enough to help us with it. Jesus is powerful enough to bring dead people back to life. He can do anything.

But do you remember how Mary and Martha sent Jesus the message about Lazarus being sick? Why didn’t Jesus go help Lazarus right away and heal him? Why did Jesus wait until Lazarus died to help him?

Jesus knew that the best thing was to wait and raise Lazarus from the dead so that people would believe in Him even more. You have to believe that Jesus knows the best thing for you too. When you have problems, you can trust that even if Jesus doesn’t help you right away. He will help you the best way possible. You only have to wait.

 

(Read John 11:45-53.)

Why did the priests want to kill Jesus?

He was getting too powerful. People were listening to Jesus instead of to the priests, and they didn’t like that. The priests wanted people to only listen to them.

They were also afraid that the Romans might come and make war on them for letting Jesus get too powerful. The Romans wanted people to serve the Roman Emperor, not Jesus. Everyone was getting jealous of Jesus and how much people liked Him instead of them.

Game: Lazarus Tag 

Pick one student to be Death and another student to be Jesus. Death is It. When they tag someone, that person must freeze in place, like they’re dead. Jesus, however, can tag the person and unfreeze them, just like Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead. Death cannot tag Jesus. Play as long as time allows, switching roles every so often so that everyone gets to be Death and Jesus.

Craft: Looking Forward 

Remind students that when Jesus comes back, He will bring everyone who believed in Him to back to life to live with Him forever. Then, give them drawing supplies and have them draw them a picture with someone who has died but whom Jesus will bring back to life. It could be a relative or someone famous they’d like to meet.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, we thank You that You will raise all of Your believers back to life one day, just like You raised Lazarus from the dead. Help us to keep believing in You and looking forward to that day. Amen.