LESSON 17
PASSOVER RESURRECTION
Bottom Line: Title: Empty is a Good Thing!
Bible:
Luke 24:1-8;
1 1l Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.
5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?
6 "He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,
7 "saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."
8 And they remembered His words.
Mark 8:31;
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Romans 6:6-11
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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OPENING GAME To your own imagination |
LEADER PREP You see everybody and their momma gets together for Easter to celebrate a holiday that is to them...empty. But I'm here to tell you today that... |
TEACH Point #1: Empty is a good thing. Then three days later something unbelievable happened. The tomb was empty.
Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day." Then they remembered that he had said this.
Point #2: Empty is proof. Now let's back up a minute. Let's look earlier during Jesus' ministry when he said had to go through this to his disciples. Mark 8: 31 (NLT) Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. Proof Jesus is who he says he is. We just read in Mark that Jesus said he would die and rise again after three days,,. and he backed it up.
Point #3: Empty is powerful. Because Jesus died and rose again, because he Jesus is who he says he ls, Jesus has power of sin's greatest weapon... death. It had to be disconnected from its tree, its life source; it had to die to give you life. The empty tomb shows us that Jesus has power over death, he looked death straight in the eyes, he took death's best sting... and overcame itl!
Point #4: Empty is permanent. Plenty of people walked down some of the same roads that Jesus may have walked down.
Read Romans 6:9 (NLT). Jesus is God and is alive forever! So, when we look at the true meaning of Easter and everything Jesus did for us on the cross...empty is a good thing!! Empty means Jesus is who he says he is, Empty means Jesus has power over death, And empty is permanent... When we decide to follow him instead of following our own selfish desires, we too can begin to really live! |
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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What is your favorite Easter candy? 2. Why is the concept of something being empty usually considered a bad thing? 3.When it comes to Easter, how is empty a good thing? 4. What thing in your life seems "empty" right now?
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