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The Resurrection and Great Commission

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. MATTHEW 28:1-5 NIV

6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” MATTHEW 28:6-10 NIV

WHAT DOES THE RESURRECTION CHANGE?

IT CHANGES HOW I SEE THE CLAIMS OF JESUS

‘He is not here’ – SUPER SURPRISING

He is risen’ – SUPERNATURAL

“When the early Christians said that Jesus had risen from the dead, they knew they were saying that something had happened to him that had happened to nobody else and that nobody had expected to happen. They were not talking about Jesus’s soul going into heavenly bliss.” NT Wright, Surprised by Hope

‘Just as He said’ – SUPER CHALLENGING

IT CHANGES HOW I SEE THE PERSON OF JESUS

“People often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

IT CHANGES HOW I SEE DEATH

[He is] the firstborn from among the dead… COLOSSIANS 1:18 NIV

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:24-26 NIV

IT CHANGES HOW I SEE THE WORLD

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” MATTHEW 28:16-20 NIV

“I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship and the whole world for my mission field.” John Wesley

My Notes

Discussion Questions

Use the following questions to reflect on the sermon. Choose a couple from each section to discuss as a group:

  1. START HERE: Think of a time you were genuinely surprised by something. What happened and how did that change how you saw the situation or yourself?
  2. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 28:1-10 NIV. The angel says, “[Jesus] is not here; He has risen… just as He said.” What part of the resurrection feels most difficult to believe—the surprise, the supernatural, or the challenge to trust Jesus at His word? Why?
  3. KEEP GOING: The resurrection forces a decision about who Jesus really is—not just a good teacher, but Lord. If you’re honest, how do you hesitate to fully trust and follow Jesus as Lord?
  4. KEEP GOING: Read 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 NIV. Jesus defeated death—and one day will destroy it completely. How does that truth shape (or not shape) your thoughts about death, your fears, or your future?
  5. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 28:16-20 NIV. Some disciples worshiped Jesus, but some doubted. To which do you relate more—worship or doubt? What do your doubts reveal about your relationship with Jesus, and how could you surrender those to Him?
  6. LIVE IT OUT: Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Where in your everyday life might God be inviting you to live on mission? Are you open to going beyond your comfort zone, even to other nations if He called you there?
  7. LIVE IT OUT: If you believe Jesus is alive, is with you, and has authority over your life, what’s one simple, real step you could take this week to share the gospel or begin making disciples?