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He’s Alive!
2025 Theme: Faithfulness
Series Title: Trust the Plan
Scripture: John 20:1-18
April 20th, 2025

Something to think about:

As we consider the resurrection of Christ once again, we do so from the perspective of Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ closest followers. We find Mary at the tomb where the body of Jesus was laid after having died by crucifixion. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had prepared His body just before sundown on Friday and placed Him there before the Sabbath began. Early on Sunday morning, Mary came to the tomb, but found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. This is where we pick up her story:

Key Point: “Recognizing Jesus for who He is changes everything.”

Despair and sorrow are the great blinders of hope. Mary was beside herself in grief at the death of her Savior; she was distraught to the point of utter helplessness. As a result, she couldn’t recognize hope staring her in the face. It wasn’t until she heard His voice call her name that she realized that Jesus was risen just as He said He would. As we break down this passage today, it’s important to realize the effect that despair can have on us. But it’s also important to realize that as believers in Christ, we are a people who always have hope.

So, if we allow despair to take us over, what effect does it have on us?

· _______ can distort our ___________.

John 20:11-13 (NLT), 11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

· Despair can _____ us to _____.

John 20:14-15 (NLT), 14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

· Despair evaporates when _____ calls our ____.

John 20:16 (NLT), “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

Something to take home:

Are you standing at the tomb of the risen Savior, looking for His dead body today? Are you frustrated, discouraged, and hopeless because you won’t allow yourself to believe the impossible, that He has risen from the grave? Have you allowed sorrow and despair to stake such a claim on your heart and mind that you have become blinded to the reality of His resurrection? It’s time to change your perspective and see the empty tomb for what it is: your means of salvation and deliverance from sin and death, and even dead religion. Jesus came to bring Good News to the poor. He came to set captives free. He came to make the blind see, set the oppressed free, and to declare the time of GOD’s favor. It’s time to see Jesus for who He really is and allow the scales to fall from our eyes and hear His voice calling our name!

Key Point: “Recognizing Jesus for who He is changes everything.”

Read John 20:1-18.

It’s the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, and now Mary is outside of the tomb crying.Why is Mary crying?

On the burial slab where Jesus’ body had been laid in the tomb were two white-robed angels.What did they ask Mary, and what was her reply (v. 13)?

Not sticking around to talk with the angels, and completely stricken with grief, Mary leaves the tomb and happens upon the risen Christ.What did He ask her, and what was her response (v. 14-15)?

Why do you suppose Mary didn’t recognize Jesus?Do you think you would have recognized Him?Why or why not?

What did Jesus say that jolted Mary to recognize Him (v. 16)?Why is this significant?

There are several debates among Biblical scholars as to the reason Jesus told Mary not to cling to Him, but given her fear of possibly losing him again, Jesus more than likely was telling her that she could not hold on to Him forever because He needed to go to the Father.He also gave her instructions to go and tell the disciples.What did Jesus tell the disciples when she found them (v. 18)?Do you think your words would have been as few as Mary’s or more than hers?Why?

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