Hope in the Resurrection
OUTLINE:
PROBLEM: We are prone to doubt and despair.
SOLUTION: Jesus rose – Hope lives. Doubt dies.
The Resurrection...
confronts our confusion (1-10).
comforts us in our grief (11-18).
calms our fear (19-23).
conquers our doubts (24-29).
calls us to life-giving faith (30-31).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What is your main takeaway from the message today?
Which do you tend to emphasize in your thinking/evangelism? The cross or the tomb? Friday or Sunday? Why is Easter worth celebrating?
Why is it easy to judge the disciples? How should their example inform our response to the resurrection today?
What fears are you facing this morning? Do Jesus’ words to Mary comfort you in any specific ways today (vv. 11-18)?
Why is it significant that Mary was the first person to see Jesus’ resurrected body?
How should the resurrection of Jesus help us combat anxiety (vv. 19-23)?
How does the resurrection motivate your evangelism?
Are you struggling with doubts this morning? What questions do you have about the historicity of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?
Have you trusted in the risen Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? If so, share your testimony of new life in Christ. If not, ask someone in your group to share their story with you.