KEY THOUGHT:

The resurrection of Jesus empowers us to move from…FEAR to PEACE…DOUBT to BELIEF…and that BELIEF leads to being BLESSED(HAPPY)

1. THE RESURRECTION ~ [VS 1-10]

Vs 1-2 {MARY MAGDALENE/OTHER WOMEN}
Other Gospels record group of women [MaryM, Other Mary (mother of James), Salome] || going to tomb to put more spices || Early in the morning, still dark || stone had already been rolled away || Jesus didn’t need the stone to be moved to get out || MT 28:2-4 says there was a ‘violent earthquake…an angel of the Lord came down, moved the stone and sat on it … his appearance was like lightning/clothes were white as snow … guards posted were so terrified they shook and became like dead men’ || she ran back to tell disciples what she (they) saw…

Vs 3-10 {PETER AND JOHN}
John/Peter running/Mary M with them || John did not enter/Peter went in || interesting John recorded “linen cloths” and “head piece folded” || John now believed what Mary had said, that Jesus was not there || He didn’t understand the resurrection yet [v9] || Peter/John went back to disciples prob a little confused…afraid of what was next [v19]

✴ JESUS rose from the dead! The Resurrection happened…we now know what the linen wrap and head piece and the empty tomb signified…that Jesus was risen from the dead!

2. From FEAR to PEACE ~ [Read VS 11-20]

Vs 11-18 {JESUS APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE}
It's sunday morning/Mary stayed behind and looked into the tomb || weeping || SAD and FEARFUL that Jesus body was stolen || she encounters 2 angels inside the tomb || angels asked why she was weeping she replies Jesus being taken || then immediately encounters JESUS (thinks he is gardener) || “JESUS STOOD” || He asks why she is weeping || “Mary”… got her attention || Don’t cling on to me (still the plan is to be at Fathers side/Spirit needs to be sent || she obeys Jesus || Mary goes back and tells them she saw Jesus alive!! || MK records disciples “DID NOT BELIEVE HER”
—> JESUS’ resurrection enabled Mary to move from FEAR to PEACE

Vs 19-20 {JESUS APPEARS TO DISCIPLES w/o THOMAS}
Sunday evening/locked room/FEAR of JEWS || LK records 2 disciples to Emmaus/ran back to disciples || (Jesus materializes) “JESUS STOOD” || LK records disciples were ‘startled, frightened, thought they saw a ghost! || FEAR of Jesus/ghost || imagine that moment?!?! || Jesus says “be at peace” obviously/ don’t be afraid / showed them wounds / proved he was alive! / in LK even asked for food / they were filled with Joy || In that moment the disciples FEAR was replaced with JOY and PEACE ||
—> JESUS’ resurrection enabled the disciples to move from FEAR to PEACE

✴ JESUS’ resurrection empowers US to move from FEAR to PEACE…
…what does fear look like in your life? A result from pain? A result from confusion? A result from scary people? A result from not knowing next steps? A result from difficult relational situations? || over and over in this passage Jesus confronts people who are afraid with these words… “Peace be with you” || or put another way… “don’t be afraid. In place of that I give you MY PEACE. Not like the peace the world gives (temporary) but peace that is real, that is powerful, and it is based in the reality of my resurrection (he overcame) || know that whatever is causing you fear today, Jesus’ resurrection enables you to move from that state of fear to a real, true place of peace. Even in the midst of difficulty, even if the circumstances don’t change, he offers peace. || receive it. Let his peace rule in your life.

3. From DOUBT to BELIEF ~ [Read VS 24-28]

Vs 24-29 {JESUS APPEARS TO THOMAS}
He wasn’t with disciples first visitation of Jesus / but was with 11 disciples when two emmaus rd [LK24] disciples on resurrection sunday evening came to tell them about their encounter with Jesus || Thomas must have left between the time the two emmaus rd disciples arrived and when Jesus arrived || prob as a result of his disbelief: he didn’t believe the women, he didn’t believe the two emmaus rd disciples, and he didn’t believe the 10 disciples either || I need proof: “see the mark of nails…” “place my fingers into mark…” “place my hand into his side…” “I WILL NEVER BELIEVE” || STATE OF TRUTH: Jesus was dead, they all very much believed that (religious leaders/guards/large sum of money/bribe/they believed Jesus could be alive/made up story to cover it up)(disciples went from doubting it could be possible and hiding and fear that Jesus was still dead) || THEN: 8 days later/ Jesus “appears” miraculously, materializes, with disciples locked in a room, to all 11 of them, including Thomas || again “JESUS STOOD” ||“PEACE BE WITH YOU…” || challenged Thomas to put to test his words || Challenges: BELIEVE…PUT ASIDE DISBELIEF and DOUBT || Thomas was convinced… “My Lord and My God”… Lord=Master God=Deity … huge statement
—> JESUS’ resurrection enabled Thomas to move from DOUBT to BELIEF

✴ JESUS’ resurrection empowers US to move from DOUBT to BELIEF…
What does doubt look like in your life? Questions about God? Questions about the Bible? An inability to truly trust God because you can’t “see” the answer, “feel” God with you? || life can be scary. Unstable. Relationships with sinful humans has taught us not to believe God, to trust him. We get into situations and demand proof, and that is what Thomas did. He wanted hard facts. “Show me” let me “thrust my fingers into he wounds” and “put my hand in his side”… he said he would not believe…and yet, Jesus appeared, said, here you go Thomas, have at it! At that Thomas believed!

4. BELIEF leads to BLESSED / HAPPINESS ~ [Read VS 29-31]

Vs 29 {JESUS MAKES A PROMISE}
Jesus proclaimed a promise after this happened… “Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” || That is us! || We believe and are forgiven! We are now BLESSED!! We will experience true happiness, satisfaction, purpose, meaning, joy! || [BLESSED, MAKARIOS, HAPPY, JOY]
✴ JESUS’ resurrection leads to our ultimate happiness!
Q: What things have happened that causes our happiness?

A. Happy because we have been forgiven of our sins…
--- Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
--- Colossians 2:13-14 “13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

YOU TOO CAN BE FORGIVEN! Romans 6:23

B. Happy because we have been relationally restored to God…
--- 2 Cor 5:17-21 "17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself…19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them…21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.


C. Happy because we have been given the Holy Spirit…
--- John 16:7 “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go,I will send him to you.”
--- John 14:16“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…”
--- John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”


D. Happy because we have the promise of eternal life…
--- 1 John 5:11-13 “11 And this is the testimony…that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Vs 30-31 {JOHN CONCLUDES}
John ends this section with the keystatement of his entire Gospel:
--- Jesus did MANY other signs/miracles (witnessed by many people) that are not recorded in this book
--- John recorded all that he did so that the readers (then and now) would have an eyewitness account of the life, words, work, death and resurrection of Jesus…proving Jesus was who he claimed to be

* Two main things John wants us to take away from his book… “SO THAT YOU MIGHT BELIEVE…”
… Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
…You may have LIFE IN HIS NAME! TRUE JOY!

The resurrection of Jesus EMPOWERS us to believe that God is loving, that God is present, that God is smart, that God can be trusted, that God is powerful, that God is sovereign! || what is causing doubt in your life? Fear? An inability to trust God? Jesus calls us to look at all of this evidence in Johns gospel as proof he is who he claimed to be…and specifically because of the truth of the resurrection, happening just as Jesus said, that we would believe and trust him…and have life! Joy! Happiness! so…

LET THE TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS EMPOWER YOU TO MOVE FROM…
--- Fear to Peace…
--- Doubt to Belief…
--- and know that Belief leads to our ultimate Joy & Happiness…
(forgiven, restored, his forever presence, eternal life)