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Sermon Series: Happy Easter! We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, however, we’re taking a break from that sermon series, and looking at John 20:11-18, and seeing how Jesus’ resurrection from the grave gives us hope.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[a]“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
Over half of young adults report feeling down, depressed, or hopeless within the last two weeks. As Christians, we have hope in Jesus Christ, but that’s often easier said than done. Today, as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the grave, we learn how His resurrection gives us hope.
Jesus’ resurrection shows us that:
1. God is near to the brokenhearted
John 20:11-15, Ps. 34:18, 147:3, 1 Pet. 5:7, John 14:27, Ps. 73:26
2. We don’t have to have it all together
John 20:11-15, Luke 8:2, 1 Cor. 1:26-29, 2 Cor. 12:9, James 2:5, 1 Cor. 3:18-20, James 1:9-11
3. God Knows us personally
John 20:16, Ps. 134, John 3:17, 10:14-15, 27-28, Matt. 10:30, Heb. 4:13
4. We have purpose
John 20:17-18, Eph. 2:10, Matt. 28:19-20, Phil. 2:13, Heb. 13:21
5. Nothing can stop our God
John 20:17-18, Is. 14:27, Mark 10:27, Jer. 32:17, 27, Job 42:2
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Matthew 21:7-11 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- What surprised you as we talked about it?
- Have you ever struggled with feeling down, depressed, or hopeless? Do you feel like that during this season of your life?
Diving In
- We all go through seasons of life where we feel brokenhearted. In what season of your life did you feel the most brokenhearted, and how did God help you through it? How would remembering that give you more hope?
- In this passage of Scripture, Mary doesn’t have it all together. Yet, in her despair, Jesus comes to her. How would remembering that you don’t have to have it all together give you more hope? How does Luke 8:2 also give you more hope?
- Read John 20:16. Jesus knows Mary personally, and because of that, Mary also has gotten to know Jesus personally. How does remembering your personal relationship with Jesus help to give you more hope?
- After Mary realizes who Jesus is, He gives her a task and a purpose. He also does the same thing for us. Read Ephesians 2:10. How does this help to give you hope?
- Read Isaiah 14:27. Death couldn’t couldn’t stop Jesus, and neither can anything else. How does this help to give you hope?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?