Worship at Home - Three Conversations with the Risen Jesus

Even though we aren’t gathering to worship as a church in person, that doesn’t mean we stop worshiping as a church. This is a guide for your in-home worship on Sunday 4/12/20.

You can consider lighting a candle to set the environment for worship and to symbolize God's presence with you.

Families with little kids: There are questions in here to help your kids engage, but you still may feel that this is too old for them. The lesson focuses on Jesus' resurrection in John 20. There's a short video at the top that does a great job covering the story for kids if you prefer that.   

He is risen!  That's the truth that we proclaim on Easter and it's so exciting to remember that Jesus is risen indeed!  Today, we are going to be reflecting and responding to Jesus' resurrection, but as we do so we are reminded that the people experiencing his resurrection are dealing with the emotions of his death.

[If you haven't already and want to, you can review Jesus' death by retelling the story on your own.  Or you can read the whole story in John chapters 18-19.  You can also shorten it by just reading chapter 19.  Chapter 18 covers the betrayal of Judas, arrest, denials of Peter, and trial.  Chapter 19 covers the crucifixion.]

On Good Friday, the disciples of Jesus were dealing with a huge loss. These men and women had given their lives to following Jesus. They were close to Jesus. They loved Jesus and were loved by Jesus. Jesus gave them hope. He inspired them and made them think life could be different. He led them, guided them, walked with them, taught them, and made them feel closer to God. They trusted him and put their confidence in him. Then they saw him tortured, put to death on a cross, and buried. What would it be like to lose someone like Jesus? What would it be like to lose someone you loved, who gave you hope, and in whom you trusted?

• How do you think the disciples felt after losing Jesus?

Now we are ready to experience Easter morning with them. Let's read about Mary Magdalane going to Jesus' tomb in John 20:1-10.

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. (John 20:1-10)

Mary, Peter, and John all see the empty tomb. Next, we see three conversations Jesus has with people.  In each of them, we see how they were feeling and reacting to the loss of Jesus and how seeing Jesus alive affected them.

Mary's Conversation with Jesus (John 20:11-18)

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. (John 20:11-18)

• How does Mary feel about losing Jesus?  Why does she feel that way?
• What does Jesus say to her?
• How does she feel after? Why?
• What does Jesus give her to do?

For Mary, it seems sadness dominates her emotions and when she sees Jesus, she wants to cling to him. She loved Jesus and wants to embrace him at seeing him again. Jesus turns her sadness to joy and sends her to tell his disciples the news that he's alive.

The Disciples' Conversation with Jesus (John 20:19-23)

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:19-23)

• How do the disciples feel?  Why do they feel that way?
• What does Jesus say to them?
• How do they feel after? Why?
• What does Jesus give them to do?

The disciples undoubtedly were sad like Mary, but they were also afraid. Their hope was in Jesus as the King to make things different, but instead he was killed. If the religious leaders killed Jesus, what will they do to his followers? Jesus turns their fear to peace and sends them as he was sent: to proclaim forgiveness of sins in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thomas' Conversation with Jesus (John 20:24-29)

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29)

• What does Thomas want? Why does he want that?
• What does Jesus give him and say to him?
• What does Thomas say after that? How does he feel?

Thomas hears the reports that Jesus is alive but he won't believe it until he has seen it for himself. It would hurt too much to let his joy, hope, and faith be rekindled if Jesus isn't really alive.  So he refuses to believe unless he sees the nail holes in Jesus' hands and the spear hole in Jesus' side that were put there during Jesus' crucifixion. He wants to see a living, breathing Jesus with the marks of his crucifixion. So Jesus gives it to him. Jesus turns Thomas' disbelief into belief and confidence so that he exclaims, "My Lord and my God!"

Mary loved Jesus and wept for her loss. Jesus alive turns her sadness into joy. The disciples had put their hope in Jesus and were afraid when he was gone. Jesus alive turns their fear into peace. Thomas trusted in Jesus and lost faith when he died. Jesus alive turns his unbelief into confidence.

Jesus speaks a blessing over us in his words to Thomas. In verse 29 he says: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." We have not been able to see and touch the marks left on his body by his crucifixion, but we have the eyewitness testimony of those who did.  Let's read the next two verses:

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

The apostle John wrote this book and desires that from it we would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we would have life in his name. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and now by believing in him we can live and not die. Through him can be in relationship with God and his Son, Jesus, which is eternal life (John 17:3). We can be forgiven of all our sin.

As the Father sent me, even so I am sending you (John 20:21)

Right now, our world is in a state of loss. People have lost health. Some have lost their lives. People have lost loved ones. People have lost jobs, money, financial security, businesses, retirement funds, and savings. People have lost wedding plans, graduations, and other events they were looking forward to. We've lost stability and freedom to live how we'd like. We've lost physical, face-to-face contact with people we love. We've lost meals together, hugging, shaking hands, fist pounds, and holding babies. We want things to "go back to normal", but even when we don't have to stay at home anymore, we will be dealing with all the losses that can't be brought back that easily.

• How do you think people are feeling?

Everything people have put their joy, hope, and confidence in has been rattled, taken away, or destabalized. It's a time of loss. And that means, it's a time of receptivity. It's a time when people are realizing the objects of their worship - the things they trusted in and hoped in - aren't very good gods after all. This is a time to not only pray for people's health and jobs but for doors of opportunity to share the message of Jesus. Jesus has sent us to do so with his Holy Spirit.

Jesus sends us into this world with joy that can't be taken, peace beyond understanding, and confidence that can't be shaken. That makes for an unstoppable mission, because as everything else is unstable, chaotic, and crumbling, people should look at God's people and say: why aren't they freaking out? And the reason is because we have a risen Lord and Savior. 

Response

Life comes with loss. And when we lose something or someone, we react to that loss with feelings and actions.

• Are you feeling any sadness, fear, or disbelief/doubt right now? About what?
• Did you lose something you loved? Did you lose something that gave you hope? Did you lose something in which you trusted or that gave you confidence?
• How are you reacting? How are you acting in response?

It's right to recognize those losses and grieve them appropriately. The feelings and the actions tell us what the thing or person we lost meant to us. Sometimes we might not even know how much the thing or person meant to us until we lose it. 

The question is: where does your ultimate joy, peace, and confidence come from?  Jesus gives us a joy that can't be taken away, peace beyond understanding, and confidence that can't be shaken because he is forever alive and always with us.

• How does Jesus give you a better joy, peace, and confidence than the thing you lost?

A mentor and friend of mine recently shared that it's easy for us to just pray for survival instead of revival. We settle for praying that we can just survive a crisis and that others will just survive. But what if we prayed for our hearts to be awakened and stirred to greater affections for Jesus? What if we prayed for people who don't yet believe to have their hearts opened to God's love for them seen in Jesus' death on the cross?

• Who can you pray for now?

Worship with others:

As a church this month, we want to encourage one another every Sunday by worshiping together on WhatsApp (check out the video about encouraging one another here). Take a few minutes to post in the Encouragement group on WhatsApp.

Here are some examples of what you could post:

• how God spoke to you through your time of worshiping at home
• a verse that stood out to you
• a song that touched you from the worship playlist
• a truth that God reminded you of that you needed to hear
• what God is teaching you
• a prayer
• thankfulness to God - who he is, what he's done
• and more!