Leader Packet
Luke 24:1-12
Getting Started
1. Describe a time when you told a true story that was hard for others to believe.
2. Read Luke 24:1-12 as a group. If you were one of the women who found the empty tomb, or one of the disciples who they told, how do you think you would have reacted to the news that the tomb was empty? Really try to put yourself in the shoes of those over two thousand years ago. Would you be excited? Would you be scared? Maybe skeptical? It’s important to remember that we have the entire written accounts of the Gospels and New Testament to help us reconcile the truth of the resurrection. On that first Easter Sunday, that didn’t exist yet.
Digging Deeper
1. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith. Why do you think the resurrection is so important to our faith? What would be different if Jesus had not risen from the dead?
2. Pastor Jeremiah gave us multiple examples of criticisms and arguments against the resurrection.
• The Wrong Tomb Theory
• The Swoon Theory
• The Stolen Body Theory
Why do you think critics place so much significance on disputing the resurrection? How does this help validate the fact that it actually happened Ultimately, believing in these various alternatives requires more faith than accepting the truth of the resurrection. But they cling to them like a security blanket so they don’t have to believe in something (more importantly, someone) that challenges them to change.
3. How does the Resurrection…
… Vindicate Christ’s Word? (Matthew 20:18-19)
… Validate Christ’s Work? (Romans 8:34)
… Verify Christ’s Worth? (Romans 1:3-4)
4. Read 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. What point do you think Paul is trying to convey regarding the importance of the resurrection to the Christian Faith? If you are low on hope right now, how does the truth of the resurrection encourage you? What are some ways you can turn your low-hope thoughts and feelings and refocus them on this truth? It is easy to be weighed down by this world. But as Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth.” Knowing our hope comes from God fills us with assurance and hope and fosters a positive outlook even in the midst of life’s trials.
5. Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-56. This is the ultimate result of the empty tomb. Write a list of some of the things this truth gives you. Now, list some of the things it has set you free from. There are plenty of words available directly from the passage (hope, inheritance, resurrection for the first list, death, hell, sin, fear for the second), but feel free to add your own! This really aims to help us see how different our lives and our outlook are because the work of the cross was completed when Christ was victorious over the grave.
Applying the Message
1. How does the resurrection impact your daily walk with the Lord? How does it impact how you interact with the world?
2. Think about one of our greatest hope-filled truths: the tomb was empty. How can you let that really motivate you to tell others about God’s love for them? Who in your life needs to hear the hope-filled truth of the empty tomb? God may be continually bringing people to mind as you talk (in group) or pray (in private). Think about a way to be more intentional with them or deepen your relationship with them in order to share the gospel.