1. Seeing or Recognizing March 31

2. Remember? How has someone recently surprised you with what he or she did or said? Today we look at how all of Jesus friends were surprised by what they found. – Even when they saw the risen Jesus, they were surprised! – They (and we) need to recognize Jesus at work in our lives

3. Listen for what Mary found. John 20:1-4 (NIV) 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,

4. Listen for what Mary found. "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. What Do You See? How do you usually respond to life’s unexpected events? Mary found the tomb empty … what thoughts would have run through your mind if you unexpectedly discovered the empty tomb? Why do you think Mary assumed someone had taken the body?

6. What Do You See? What part to you think Mary’s emotions related to Jesus’ death play in her reaction to the empty tomb? How do our emotions in a crisis prevent us from seeing the truth of a situation clearly? Mary was searching for Jesus’ remains in the tomb, but not finding them. Where do you see people searching for Jesus, searching for God but not finding Him?

7. Listen for Peter and John’s responses. John 20:5-10 (NIV) He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. [6] Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, [7] as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head.

8. Listen for Peter and John’s responses. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. [8] Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. [9] (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) [10] Then the disciples went back to their homes,

9. What Will Convince You? What did Peter discover when he arrived at the tomb? Look for all the times the word “saw” occurs in the passage. List who saw what. How do you think John’s seeing was different from the others’ seeing? What questions can you think of that John still might have had?

10. What Will Convince You? What kinds of questions do even believers have today about Jesus’ resurrection? What are some situations when we simply need to trust God without full understanding of what is going on? How does the empty tomb give us hope?

11. What Will Convince You? Consider elements of our faith that we believe but don’t fully understand … – the Trinity – the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – why God would love us enough to die for us – the how of creation and the universe – the when of the Second Coming of Christ  It is entirely possible to place your faith in trust in Jesus by believing in His death and resurrection without fully understanding the theology regarding salvation

12. Listen for what it took for Mary to recognize Jesus. John 20:11-18 (NIV) but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb [12] and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. [13] They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." [14] At this, she turned around

13. Listen for what it took for Mary to recognize Jesus. and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. [15] "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." [16] Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means

14. Listen for what it took for Mary to recognize Jesus. Teacher). [17] Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " [18] Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

15. How Will You Respond to Jesus? What different things did Mary see now? How did Jesus respond to Mary’s grief? Mary didn’t recognize Jesus at first. What are some reasons we might fail to see Jesus’ presence at work in our lives?

16. How Will You Respond to Jesus? What can we do to better recognize God’s presence at work in our lives and in the world around us? We see Mary going from crying, to clinging, to telling about Jesus’ resurrection. What changed her (and should change our) direction?

17. Application Some people are searching for the Lord but feel they cannot find Him. – When they cannot find what or for whom they are looking, they despair – When you are close to Jesus, you can help people find Him – Know Jesus, know peace … No Jesus, no peace!

18. Application Many people get excited when they hear that something unusual has happened and they want to check it out for themselves. – Some people merely turn away when they learn that Jesus is alive. – Learning that Jesus is alive should lead to faith and to a new life. – You can believe without knowing much of the Bible … but knowing what God says helps your belief in all that God is doing … so read it and heed it!

19. Application Remember that He is now not only the risen, but the ascended Lord – As Lord, He seeks to be in command of our lives – One of His most important commands is to tell others the Good News that … HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

20. Seeing or Recognizing March 31