Learn how to grieve with Mary and Martha as they face the death of their brother in this Bible study from John 11. Discover their encounter with Jesus and how He meets them in their pain. Lean into their conversation as Jesus reminds them of the life and hope found in God alone. Invite a friend or even your small group to join you for this Bible study.
Read John 11:1-44.
Asking, “Why?” as You Grieve
Jesus knew that death would not be the end of Lazarus’s story … but His disciples didn’t understand how He knew what lay ahead. What they did know was that Jesus loved this family, both Lazarus, who was sick, and his sisters, who had notified Jesus. His love for this family — which John makes clear was undying and unconditional — was an intimate kind of friendship love, so it’s surprising that Jesus waited two more days before going to Bethany.
By the time they arrived, Lazarus had indeed died. As Jesus and his disciples approached, Mary, who had previously sat at the Lord’s feet, stayed in the house, perhaps to continue to grieve. Martha, on the other hand, hurriedly left the house to meet Jesus on the road, where the two of them had an important and impassioned conversation: “Martha said, ‘Master, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you’” John 11:21-22 (MSG).
Reflect:
When was the last time you had an important and impassioned conversation
with Jesus? What do you need to talk to Him about right now?
Discovering Hope While Learning How to Grieve
Martha spoke honestly from a place of grief. Her sorrow was real. But Jesus spoke from a place of hope. In the end, His hope would triumph and heal her of her grieving heart. “You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in Me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in Me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (MSG).
Reflect:
How does Jesus’ declaration that He is “Resurrection and Life” give you hope
when you consider the shortness of life?
Why do followers of Jesus sometimes wrestle with believing Jesus when they
walk through suffering and grief?
Accepting God’s Invitation for How to Grieve and Believe
The future had broken into the present. The resurrection coming at the end of time was now standing right in front of Martha. Not only would Jesus be raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit in the future (Romans 1:4); Jesus stood before Martha as the power of life and resurrection in human flesh then.
Jesus invites us to new life through His resurrection, and Jesus embodied this new life in His incarnation. When Jesus proclaimed the hope of new life on the other side of death, He invited Martha into the tension between grief and trust. Would she have the capacity to believe this?
“Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world” John 11:27 (MSG).
Reflect:
How have you struggled with hope in the face of death?
How does the hope of resurrection change how you pray for your neighbors?
Prayer: Believing While Grieving
Lord Jesus, we believe You are, right now, Resurrection and Life. We believe You are the King who has come into the world to vanquish death and embody new life. We want to participate in what You are doing in our neighborhoods, to offer life in the face of death, love in the face of fear, and hope in the face of despair. Form us into life-giving resurrection people. We ask this for Your name’s sake. Amen.
Share this Navigators Discipleship Tool
Download a print friendly PDF of the How to Grieve in Light of Resurrection Power resource to pass along. Navigators Discipleship Tools are designed for sharing with your Bible study, church groups, and those you are discipling.
Adapted from Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us, by Derek Vreeland Copyright © 2025. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved.
My husband went home to heaven on Feb. 19,2026. Our children and I had been praying, earnestly, for 4 months for God to take him home – it is what he had desired for a long time. When He died it was a peaceful and holy time, almost like a sacrament. Now I wait for my turn and ask God to keep me focused and willing to do His will while I remain here.
I lost my wife of almost 54 years last September. Time has done nothing to lessen the overwhelming grief, loneliness and pain that I deal with daily. My wife was a believer and I know she’s in Heaven with the Lord and she is better than she ever was in this life. Knowing that doesn’t lessen the awful pain I feel everyday of my life. As time passes it only gets harder to deal with and I am hurting worse everyday. Family and friends are supportive and it’s always nice to do things together that are enjoyable but that painful loneliness is always there no matter what I’m doing. The thing is I don’t want a life without her, I don’t want to leave her behind and move forward without her. All those years together we were extremely close and did everything together and now it’s over and I just feel overwhelmed with loneliness. I pray and ask God to help me through this but nothing much is happening. I’m sure that’s my failure not His. I don’t know how to handle this and I’m so tired of feeling the way I do.
I’m a believer but now that my husband has died I’m not comforted by the promise of life after death. Heaven then will not include love as we have known it here but rather Jesus will be the focus. Love between my husband and I will never live again. Hard to grieve as a Christian not easier.
Just as Jesus talked about the rich man in hell wanting to talk to his kin to persuade them to righteousness, should tell you that in heaven we will know our loved ones even more and not be isolated from them. We will all join in in worshipping our God and Savior together. Be comforted with that thought.
Dear Margaret. I lost my husband in 2016 to cancer. I was 61. I felt the same way. I would never again be his wife. Some months later I reflected on the relationship believers have as brothers and sisters in the Lord. I realized the deepest love I had for my husband was actually not the marital one but rather that of a brother in the Lord. It was in moments when we worshipped God and prayed together as believers joined as family in Him, that our hearts were most closely knit together. This love is eternal and you will find it again. Our anchor holds within the veil. In Him, Julie
Appreciate your perspective which I share. I know I will never, ever again have the wonderful loving relationship I had here on earth with my husband. I miss him terribly and I don’t think I like my new life which is forever changed. Thank you for being so forth right with your comment.
Thank you for these wonderful resources. I give usually annually to Navigators but I give to specific missionaries that I personally know. I just wanted ya’ll to know that I do support your work.
Hello, a nice article and topic for a Bible study. I wrote a similar post on why we are allowed to suffer in general if you’d like to check it out sometime.
Allowed to Suffer…
https://jesussays173.blogspot.com/2013/05/allowed-to-suffer-why-are-we-allowed-to.html#more
.
For me it’s not the why. Physically sick 1 1/2 month. Compromise contacts. So, prayers requested. Thank you.