Bible Studies

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The Gospels
John 20:1-18 - He is Risen!
Key Verses: (NRSV)

• 1: “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed.” - The Sabbath was ending and Mary could return to the grave side to see that things were in order and that Jesus body was properly cared for.
  
  
• 2: “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” - Mary and the other women in attendance immediately reported to Simon Peter that someone had moved Jesus’ body.
  
  
• 4: “The two were running together.” - Simon Peter and John (“the other disciple”) ran as fast as they could to the grave to see what had transpired.
  
  
• 8: “Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.” - The many pieces of the puzzle that had been provided by Jesus finally fell into place and revealed to John the truth about Jesus being the Son of God.
  
  
• 11: “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.” - Not only had Jesus been crucified, now Mary was faced with more grief than she could handle. Someone had stolen His body; or so she thought.
  
  
• 14: “…she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.” - Her grief was blinding her ability to see. The disciples had seen and had believed immediately but Mary was too wrapped into her own feelings to be able to recognize the truth that stood before her.
  
  
• 16-17: “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary…! ¹⁷Do not hold on to me… but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father… to my God.’” - Mary, once she finally recognized Jesus, wanted to cling to Him. She wanted to hold Him as if to never let Him go. He set her feelings aside and gave her a task to accomplish.
  
  
• 18: “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord.’” - Released of her grief she became empowered to witness and lead others to the Risen Lord.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Are you immersed in the details of life? Do life's issues keep you from seeing the Risen Lord in your life? Put yourself in Mary Magdalene’s shoes. Do you recognize her amazingly human response to the events she was witnessing? Consider that her life had changed dramatically since she had first met Jesus. She was a completely new person because of His love and due to the demons He had exorcised from her. She had a child-like faith and a willingness to serve. Then her Lord was crucified. Her grief was immense, so immense that she became the first person to attend His grave. She desperately needed to keep on serving Him. She was so immersed in her feelings and into the tasks that she felt needed to be done that she failed to see her Lord before her. What in your life has grasped your attention and is keeping you from seeing Christ?
  
  
• In what ways is Jesus calling you? Jesus called Mary out of her funk, focused her on the truth that stood before her, and then provided her a task to perform. Do you hear Him calling you by name? Is His voice breaking through the din of your ego-centricity causing you to stop for a moment to look at the world around you? What do you see? Do you see opportunities to serve? Do you see that His kingdom is at hand and it needs your attention? Are you being given a task that focuses on the needs of others? Do you see the healing power of servanthood? Jesus told Mary to let go of her grief and to move out into service, and she did. Can you?
  
  
• Are you looking for a dead Jesus? When Mary and the disciples arrived at the tomb they were looking for a dead Jesus. Do you look to these events that took place two thousand years ago as simply lessons from the past? Is Jesus simply a teacher and overall good guy to look up to? Or do you see Him to be alive and active in your life today? Do you feel His presence living in your heart? Do you feel His sustaining love for you empowering and lifting you out of a dead life and into a life filled with glory and hope? If He is truly alive for you and if you can feel His transforming love in your heart, what keeps you from running back into your life with the eagerness to share this good news with everyone you meet? The disciples and Mary returned to their homes and told everyone they met that He is Alive! Who have you told that Christ is alive?
  

Promise of the Gospel:

Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Once we open our eyes to the reality that Christ is alive in our hearts, the world with all of its issues that cause worry, pain, despair, anxiety, loneliness, and hopelessness will wash away. Christ is risen! In the light of this glorious truth, all things are possible. Christ is risen! It is our task as Easter-people to open our hearts to the love of Jesus Christ and then go out into the world, telling everyone we meet of the wonderful news that the risen Lord is alive and living among us. Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed!

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