Empty Tomb

Didn’t See That Coming, Pt. 5

Every time we gather as a group, these are some ways we ensure the best group discussion:

• We make the circle safe by staying honest and transparent - leave the masks at the door.

• We keep it inside the circle. Each person’s story is theirs alone to share.

• We look to the Bible for wisdom and truth, and work together to let it shape how we see the world.

• We don’t try to fix each other in front of each other or give unsolicited advice. We lovingly save hard conversations for private moments.

• We respect each others’ time by starting and ending when we say we will.

• We believe that in Jesus Christ, there is hope for everyone.

Easter = Hope for Everyone because of an Empty Tomb

Hope:

the confident expectation that God is willing and able to fulfill the promises he has made to those who trust in him 

John 20:1-8

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

Easter means my past can be forgiven

Colossians 2:14 (NLT)
He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Easter means my present can be alive

Ephesians 2:4-5
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Easter means my future can be free

1 Peter 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.

Start with M.U.D.
Memorable + Understandable + Doable

• What was the most memorable part of the message or service this weekend for you personally? Why?

• Did anything you heard challenge or influence how you think about God or your life?

• How can what you learned influence or change how you live in everyday life? What tangible steps would it take to make that change a reality?

Additional Questions

Biblical hope is the confident expectation that God is both willing and able to do what he has promised to do. Every part of that definition is important and it’s important to take stock of our feelings about each part.

• What aspects of biblical hope do you think are most fully experiencing in your everyday life and relationship with God? Which aspects need attention, more information, or more trust?

  • confident expectation

  • God is willing

  • God is able

  • what he has promised

Nobody around Jesus expected the resurrection… and now it is the central claim of our faith - everything hinges on Jesus overcoming death and leaving the tomb behind.

• Throughout your life, what has your understanding or belief in Jesus’ resurrection looked like?

• Why is the resurrection so important to not just our salvation, but our everyday faith and relationship with God?

My past can be forgiven and does not define me any longer - the irreversible can be reversed, and our failure is not final.

• What parts of your past threaten your present?

• What is your new identity in God’s eyes because of the resurrection?

My present can be alive - I can live with purpose, life, and joy because of the empty tomb.

• What parts of your life feel alive with joy and purpose?

• Some parts of your life probably still feel “dead” - purposeless, dull, or even fearful or broken. What do you wish those areas of your life looked like? What would resurrection life make them look like?

My future can be free - because of Jesus’ resurrection, I can break the cycle, make a difference, leave a legacy of health and faith, and overcome the struggles that may still mark me.

• Paint a picture for us - what do you want your kids or grandkids to inherit from you? What do you want your legacy to be?

• How does (or how can) your vision of a free future align with what God cares about most?

• What needs to start, amplify, change, or end to head in that direction?