Using the curriculum of any of the Koinonia Bible Study lessons is easy. Materials for all Koinonia Bible Study lessons have been carefully crafted for use in any teaching setting. Developing the lessons for your particular needs should be a breeze. The lessons follow a similar structure and format for each study. You will have an opportunity to examine Scripture, ponder its meaning, apply it to your life, and share your thoughts with others.
Let’s look at each division of the website page, so you will better know what to expect in the lesson material.
Each of the lessons begins with a summary paragraph providing an overview of the Scripture and the topics to be covered during the lesson. Immediately following the summation, the lesson’s passage of Scripture will be presented in English, with references to other English versions and a Spanish version following. If the passage of Scripture is from the New Testament, the section will conclude with the Greek text and some questions asking about the text.
Jesus wept (John 11:35 NET)
ESV John 11:35 ESV
NCV John 11:35 NCV
MSG John 11:35 MESSAGE
35 ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς (John 11:35 Westcott/Hort Greek NT).
- Jesus wept. For what reason(s) do people cry?
The next section of the lesson is called “The Pointe.” Like the jagged rocks protruding into the harbor, the Pointe guides our study by sharing some basic objectives for the student to achieve.
As a result of participation in today’s lesson, the student will understand the depth of emotions Jesus experienced because of His earthly circumstances. There are few times as challenging as enduring times of grief. The student will strive to display similar emotions to others.
Rather than introducing the lessons through a verse-by-verse commentary, Koinonia Bible Studies chooses to introduce the lessons through an inspirational story or devotion. Most of us are more interested in conversations and stories than we are in commentaries. We pay more attention – make connections with similar experiences – and apply the truths to our circumstances more easily and more often. Perhaps that is why Jesus used parables so often.
The story broke the news wires just moments before my fingers were typing on this webpage. A Boeing 737 had taken flight from Thessaloniki, Greece heading for Memmingen, Germany. The plane departed about 5:55am local time when the pilot detected an engine malfunction over Northern Macedonia. The pilot made the decision to turn around and head back to Thessaloniki.
Catastrophe lurked around the corner as a section of the engine broke away from the plane and crashed into one of the cabin’s windows. Ljubisa Grkovic, a sixty-one-year-old from Serbia, was comfortably sitting in the seat by the window. When the glass shattered, Ljubisa was sucked out of his seatbelt and tugged out the window.
His wife, Svetlana, immediately grabbed his legs. Through the pain and emotion of tears, she exclaimed, “If we die, we die together.”
Sometimes circumstances demand tears. If life has taught us but one lesson, it is that we need to be gentle with ourselves and with others. Jesus demonstrated tears in His circumstances at the death of Lazarus, even when He knew what how the outcome would develop. Be recklessly gracious.
The next section of the lesson is called “Digging Deeper.” You have been introduced to the subject matter of the passage. You have had the opportunity to read the Scripture from several translations – perhaps giving you some insight into the meaning of the words. You have read about real life stories or seen stats from life to help you understand the topic in an even broader sense.
In “Digging Deeper,” you will be introduced to books and websites that can take you into the subject matter even more deeply. Perhaps this is a topic that has always piqued your interest. Here is a chance for you to explore.
“When Grief Breaks Your Heart,” James Moore. 1994
“Good Grief,” Granger Westberg. Augsburg. 1961
“The Good Grief Journal,” Jill Alexander Essbaum. Augsburg. 2019
“Where is God When It Hurts?” Philip Yancey. Zondervan. 1977.
“Points to Ponder” provides several thought-provoking questions about the subject. The questions stir the thoughts of an individual but are also excellent discussion starters for a group. Do not feel that every question needs to be discussed. Pick the ones that provide the most interest. All of the questions are listed on the handout – you might allow the group to pick questions of their interest.
- Is there anything about Jesus’ emotional response that takes you by surprise? Why?
- If Jesus is angered and frustrated by death, yet still allows Lazarus to die, what does that tell you about the complex nature of God’s will?
- What are people of faith to do in the midst of tragedy, strife and grief?
- What does Jesus’ tears tell you about His understanding of pain and loss?
- Is there comfort in knowing that we do not worship a stoic God?
- Mary and Martha seem to vent their frustrations to Jesus. What does this tell us about God and about our need to be open and honest?
- Have you known anyone whose life was changed dramatically by illness or tragedy? What was your response?
- Have you ever cried over someone that you did not know? Is that a helpful response – to them, to you?
- Has God ever brought you peace when you were convinced it was too late?
- What does this passage of Scripture tell us about hope?
“Mediterranean Moments” contains information you would find in many commentaries. But instead of presenting material in a verse-by-verse manner, the text centers on the historical, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds of the passage. This background information becomes the “glue” that holds the Bible’s stories together.
Although it is the shortest verse in the Bible, has a context that we need to consider as we strive to find depth and meaning in these two little words. Two phrases describe Jesus’ emotional health in John 11:33 – “deeply moved in his spirit” and “greatly troubled.” We also need to look briefly at the word “wept.”
deeply moved in his spirit
This is the same exact phrase that John uses in verse 38 when Jesus is standing directly in front of Lazarus’ tomb. Why was Jesus feeling this way? Some offer it as His reaction to the lack of faith of Mary and Martha, but it appears to be more likely Jesus’ reaction to death. It was not a part of God’s original design. Death can only be seen as a direct punishment for violations against the Law. Jesus would be called upon to sacrifice His own life as the punishment for death, as The phrequired by Law.
Some Bibles contain a footnote indicating “deeply moved” remains an awkward translation. The phrase used generally refers to anger, outrage, indignation, and frustration. Could Jesus feel those kinds of emotions?
The phrase is used in other places in the Gospels to indicate stern warnings or scoldings given to people (Mark 1:43, Mark 14:5; Matthew 9:30). Outside of the Bible, the words are used in texts to describe the snorting sound a horse makes. The idea is a deep, internal feeling that bubbles over to the point of bursting. The term is almost always associated with anger.
The New Living Translation uses the phrase as “a deep anger welled up within him.” The Jubilee Bible translates the phrase “He became enraged in the spirit and stirred himself up.” Phillips writes “he was visibly distressed.”
greatly troubled
Interestingly, this is the same word that Jesus uses when He understands that the hour of His death has approached (John 12:27). He also used it when He told the disciples that He would be betrayed (John 13:21). The word literally means to be shaken to the point of being agitated. John used the same word to describe the angel stirring the surface of the water (John 5:7). The word may well describe an agitated emotional state, but some commentaries speculate that Jesus was literally shaking with anger.
Jesus wept
The word used (δακρύω ) shines differently than the word used for Mary and the crowd crying ( κλαîω ). This word δακρύω appears only once in the New Testament. Several Greek lexicons translate that Jesus “burst into tears.” The description defies a moistening of the eyes or one tear trickling down a stoic face. When the crowd saw Jesus weeping, they reacted, “See how he loved him.”
Jesus was having intense emotions – responding to the circumstances with a mixture of anger and deep sorrow.
BB Warfield served as the leading theologian at Princeton University at the turn of the century. He has written commentaries and theological treatises. In 1912, Warfield wrote, The Emotional Life of Our Lord. He noticed that the two emotions most often displayed by Jesus are compassion and anger.
We would look like Jesus if, instead of riding a roller coaster of emotions, we showed anger toward sin and death and compassion for those who are marred by sin’s consequences.
The final sections of the lesson are “Handouts,” “Comments,” and “Share.” The “Handouts” section will contain a single page summary of the lesson in PDF form that you can print out for your class. It will include the story, the Scripture, and the Points to Ponder. The “Comments” section allows you to leave your reaction to the lesson. Your comments can help others on their journey through the passage of Scripture. Finally, the “Share” section allows you to connect to others through social media.
The Koinonia Bible Studies lessons provide a solid, Biblical base for you to understand Scripture. It challenges you to formulate your thoughts and then to share your understanding with others – always the mark of someone who knows the information.
