Question 1:
What are some things once thought impossible that
have become a reality?
THE POINT
New life is possible when
we trust in the risen Christ.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
The idea that those telegraph messages could be transmitted without a wire seemed impossible—until Marconi demonstrated wireless telegraphy in 1895.
The idea that voices, not just dots and dashes, could be transmitted without wires seemed impossible—until Fessenden did it in 1901.
I could go on about how people have taken these inventions to a seemingly impossible level. Today we are using smart phones—tiny computers that fit in our hands—that will instantly transmit our voice and data all the way around the world.
While we might marvel at science and the things we once considered impossible, one thing remains impossible for us: to raise a man to life who has been dead for days. But what’s impossible for us is not impossible for God. God performed this “impossible” miracle, and with it, He gave us something far greater than the most advanced smartphone!
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
John 20:3-9
3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead.
John 20 is about facts. One fact in particular: Jesus was dead, and then, three days later, He wasn’t dead anymore. This is the most important fact in all of human history.
Probably no empire on earth has been better at executing people than the Roman Empire during the first century. The Romans didn’t invent crucifixion, but they perfected it. A criminal, usually already bleeding, was hung on the cross with his arms extended out until he ran out of strength in his limbs; he typically suffocated under the weight of his upper body. The soldiers were charged with ensuring the victim was dead, and they did their job in making sure Jesus was dead (John 19:33-34).
Jesus’ death is rarely contested. It’s what came next that is incredible. Jesus died on Friday afternoon. On Sunday morning, several women came to the tomb to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial, but much to their surprise, the tomb was open and completely empty. The other Gospel writers describe a group of women, but John focused on the words and actions of Mary Magdalene. The other Gospel writers also tell us Mary ran to tell the disciples, but John focused on Peter and himself. Mary told them she thought that Jesus’ body had been stolen (John 20:1-2).
Question 2:
What evidence have you found
particularly compelling when considering Jesus’ resurrection?
Both Peter and John were surprised by Mary’s announcement and went to the tomb to investigate. When John, the beloved disciple, entered the empty tomb, he saw and believed. Although Jesus had repeatedly told them He would rise again and pointed to prophecy in Scripture, “they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead” (v. 9). John had to stand in the empty tomb and see with his own eyes before he could believe.
That Jesus died is not a question, but if He had stayed dead, we would have no reason to continue talking about Him today. The empty tomb proves Jesus is alive.
John 20:19-23
19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
From 1949 to 1957, Clayton Moore played The Lone Ranger on TV. As the masked man who helped people in need, Moore had a voice that brought the character to life. One day as I was flipping channels, I stumbled on an episode of The Lone Ranger. But when I heard the character speak, I knew Clayton Moore was not underneath that mask; an imposter was playing the Lone Ranger!
Some skeptics think an imposter was playing the resurrected Jesus. This man was a lookalike—someone meant to trick the disciples into thinking Jesus had come back from the dead.
It’s true the disciples didn’t fully know what to do with the reports that Jesus was alive. They saw the empty tomb, but something was still missing. On the evening of the resurrection, they all had gathered behind a locked door.
For all they knew, the Jewish leaders would come for them as they had come for Jesus, but the real topic of conversation was the reports of Jesus’ resurrection (Luke 24:34-35). And then, without warning, Jesus was there—inside the locked room. To calm their fears, Jesus spoke a simple but profound phrase: “Peace be with you.” The disciples heard His familiar voice, saw His hands and feet, and they knew—this was no imposter. The disciples knew Jesus’ voice. They saw His wounds. He was physically in front of them! Jesus’ very presence was definite proof that He is alive.
ON MISSION FOR GOD
In the first column, list the different places you typically go in a month. In the
second column list some people you see in these places. Circle two to three
people in the second column with whom you can discuss Jesus’ resurrection.
Places You Go People You See
“Jesus Christ did not come into this world
to make bad people good; he came into this
world to make dead people live.”
LEE STROBEL
Jesus gave His disciples a commission: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (v. 21). Jesus was sending them to spread the word, to tell people they had seen the risen Christ. These apostles used their various skills to do just that—some wrote it down, some stood and preached—but all of them understood that this extraordinary resurrection would demand something extraordinary of them. It was their turn to be the proof of Jesus’ resurrection to a world that was becoming increasingly hostile toward Him.
Question 3:
How would you describe the
responsibility Jesus gives us in this passage?
John 20:27-29
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” 28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Let’s go back just a little bit. The first time we really get to know Thomas is in John 11, when Jesus was getting ready to raise Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus told the disciples His plan, they all reminded Him that might not be the best idea; after all, the last time they were in Judea the religious leaders tried to kill Him. Thomas likely shared their opinion, yet he was willing to follow Jesus even into a bad situation. He said, “Let’s go too so that we may die with him” (John 11:16). Thomas was courageously committed to Christ.
Question 4:
What do you appreciate
about Thomas?
Then on the night of Jesus’ arrest, Jesus told His disciples He was going away to prepare a place for them. When Jesus said, “You know the way to where I am going” (14:4), the disciples sat in stunned silence. Thomas spoke up on behalf of the group. “‘Lord,’ Thomas said, ‘we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”’ (v. 5). It was an honest question, aimed at seeking and understanding truth. When everyone else sat dumbfounded, Thomas stepped up.
These two instances paint Thomas in a particular light. He was contemplative and sensitive; he wrestled with facts and thought through the implications of what it meant to follow Jesus. Thomas wasn’t a man full of doubt, but a man who was sold out for Jesus.
We don’t know why Thomas was not with the other disciples at the first encounter with the risen Jesus. I can only speculate, but I think Thomas may have been too heartbroken over Jesus’ death. A week later, Jesus provided the exact, specific proof Thomas needed to believe. The words Jesus spoke to Thomas speak to us too. “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (v. 29).
We have not seen Jesus in the flesh, but He is the same Jesus who walked this earth two thousand years ago. He is yearning for us to believe in Him just as Thomas believed. When we choose to believe the truth about Jesus’ resurrection, we will be blessed—both now and for eternity.
Question 5:
Why is the resurrection of Jesus
an essential element of the gospel?
LIVE IT OUT
What will you do with the truth that new life is possible because Jesus is alive? Choose one of the following applications:
Trust. If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, give your life to Him now. Talk to your Bible study leader or read the inside cover of this book.
Prepare. Write out your testimony of how you came to trust in Christ. As you write, take note of how Christ has given you a new life.
Proclaim. Identify someone in your life who has not trusted Christ. Invite the person for coffee or lunch and have an intentional gospel conversation with him or her.
Salvation is only the starting line of your Christian life. The abundance of the Christian life is just beginning for you—and it is all because Jesus rose from the dead.
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