The Resurrection  (John chp 20)

Mary Magdalene went to Jesus' tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week, and found that the stone over its entrance had been rolled away.  She ran to tell Simon Peter, and the disciple who Jesus loved most, who went back to the tomb with her in order to investigate.  They found that the cloths which Jesus had been wrapped in were folded neatly, and left in the otherwise empty tomb.  The disciples went back home, and left Mary weeping outside the tomb.  But when she looked in, she saw two angels in white, sitting where Jesus' body had lain.  She told them that Jesus' body had been taken away, and turned around to see Jesus himself (whom she at first believed to be the gardener).  Mary asked him if he had taken the body, but Jesus called her by name - "Mary" - and she suddenly recognised his true identity.  Then Jesus sent her to tell the disciples that he had risen from the dead.

Themes

• Resurrection - as he had predicted, Jesus rose from the dead.
• Belief - Jesus appeared first to a woman - Mary - and he then made himself known to his disciples.  He had showed his power over all human constraints - even death.  And when his followers saw what Jesus had been able to do, this proved his amazing powers to them once and for all.

Contemporary Issues

• Life after death?
  
• Do you think that Jesus really did rise from the dead?
• Was this "the most important event of all time"?
• How important is the resurrection story for Christians, and why?
  

Revision