Breaking Ground
When was the last time you were left in awe or amazed after watching a TV show, movie, or some other form of performance? What was so incredible about the act?
The Dig
Easter Sunday is celebrated every year within the Church because, in many ways, it represents the embodiment of our faith. As a tradition, it reminds us that, as Christians, we are not meant for death & decay because, through Jesus, we’ve been invited into the promise of resurrection & eternal life.
However, like many other traditions, Easter has become commercialized & taken for granted in ways that often rob it of some of the awe-filled luster that should be inherent to this radical, hopeful promise.
What is your history with Easter as a holiday (if you have one at all)? If you did grow up with Easter, how has your celebration of this holiday changed over the course of your life? What traditions have you removed or added to your celebration of this holiday over the years?
Do you use Easter as a time to reflect upon the concepts of resurrection & eternal life? If so, what comes to mind when you think about your own personal resurrection? What about this promise still remains mysterious or even confusing to you?
Next, read 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 & 16-21. Here, Paul describes what it’s like to live in the already, not yet reality of Christ’s story. That is, to be people who live presently in God’s Kingdom; while, simultaneously, being aware that said Kingdom’s full, resurrected reality & restoration still remains in the future.
What stands out to you the most about these verses? What do they offer in terms of eternal hope?
Where in your life & our world do you see Christ’s Kingdom already present? What in your life or our world still causes you to “groan” & experience longing for God’s restoration?
How can Easter act as both a hopeful reminder to trust in God’s ultimate redemption & a call-to-action for you to become a foretaste of that redemption work here in the present?
Close by reflecting on how Easter might speak into your life right now.
Where do you need to find & hold onto the hope embodied within the Easter story? How might Easter’s hope change how you navigate a present trial or circumstance?
Who in your life right now needs to receive that hopeful story too? What would it mean for you to be a foretaste of Christ’s promised resurrection to them right now?
Where do you need to remember that, on Easter, Christ defeated sin & that, in him, you have been forgiven?
Getting Out of the Hole
Take time to reflect on the Sunday sermon & how Easter might speak into your daily life.
- Read Mark 16:1-8. Note the surprise of the women. Highlight & make note of key terms & images that stand out to you or speak to you in this season.
- Where do you need to remain open-minded to how God might be moving in your life or our world? Where do you need to remain hopeful that all-things can be redeemed?
- Are there any areas of your life where you are experiencing despair, decay, or death (physical or spiritual)? How might the hope of resurrection reorient how you interact with & respond to that part of your life?
Journal, reflect, & pray on how God might be speaking to you through each week’s teaching. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
Jesus & the Victory of God by N.T. Wright
Practiced Resurrection by Eugene Peterson
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, April 7th: Join us next Sunday as we reflect upon what it would have been like for the disciples immediately after Christ’s resurrection!
* Please see mye3.org for details.