RISEN

Part 2: Easter Celebration

Scripture

John 20:1-18

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'[a] 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.

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,[b] “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.

Sermon Recap

This Easter Sunday message was the culmination of the church’s Passion Week series called “Risen,” which walked through John’s Gospel from Palm Sunday through resurrection morning. Pastor Pete opened by recapping the week — Jesus revealed as king of every nation, the Maundy Thursday themes of servanthood and sacrifice, and Good Friday’s message that peace in the present is found by looking back to what Jesus finished on the cross. He then posed the central question of the morning: what does the resurrection actually mean, and why does it matter to us today?

The text was John 20:1–18, the account of Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. Pastor Pete took time to help the congregation understand who Mary was — a woman from Magdala who had been afflicted by seven demons before Jesus set her completely free. She became one of his most devoted followers, giving her time, energy, and financial resources to his ministry. When the male disciples abandoned Jesus at the cross, Mary stayed. So when Jesus died, she lost everything — the one who had given her life, freedom, and hope was gone. Pastor Pete connected that to a broader cultural moment: a generation facing broken promises, a fractured social contract, and a world that feels increasingly hopeless. Quoting Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, he noted that the root of the world’s brokenness isn’t political — it runs through every human heart. That’s why we needed Jesus to die on the cross, and that’s why Mary ended up weeping at the tomb.

But the story doesn’t end at the tomb. When Mary encounters the risen Jesus, she doesn’t recognize him at first — her grief had so consumed her that she couldn’t see him standing right in front of her. Pastor Pete noted that many of us are in the same place: Jesus is near, but pain, fear, and disappointment cloud our vision. What broke through for Mary wasn’t seeing Jesus — it was hearing him say her name. Two syllables, and everything changed. That personal, intimate call is what the resurrection makes possible: not a distant God, but one who knows us by name and leads us as the good shepherd.

Pastor Pete closed by unpacking what risen hope actually means — restored relationship with God as Father, the promise of eternal life, and the continuation of Jesus’s mission in the world through those who believe. Mary, the one whose hope had been most lost, became the first witness of the resurrection and the first to announce it to others. Real hope doesn’t come from circumstances getting easier. It comes from a risen Savior.

One Thing: Real hope is found in our risen Savior

Discussion
Questions

Connecting

Pastor Pete played the first two seconds of a few songs to see if people could recognize them instantly. What’s a song you’d recognize in the first two seconds — and why does it stick with you?
When you hear the word “hope,” what comes to mind? Is it something you feel like you have a lot of right now, or something that feels scarce?

Considering

In John 20:11–16, Mary doesn’t recognize Jesus when she sees him, but she knows him the moment he says her name. What does that tell us about how Jesus relates to the people he loves?
Looking at John 20:17–18, Jesus tells Mary he is ascending to “my Father and your Father, my God and your God.” What does that shared language reveal about what the resurrection makes possible for us?

Confessing

Pastor Pete described how Mary’s grief kept her from seeing Jesus right in front of her. Is there pain, fear, or disappointment in your life right now that’s making it hard to see what Jesus might be doing?
Where have you placed your hope in something other than Jesus — a career path, a relationship, a life plan — and how has that affected you when things didn’t go as expected?

Committing

The response form this morning included the option to “ask God for healing for my lost hopes.” What is one lost hope you need to bring honestly to God this week?
Mary went from the one whose hope was most lost to the first witness of the resurrection. Who is one person in your life you can share your hope in Jesus with this week?

Next Steps

As part of our annual theme, Deep & Wide, we invite our church family to go deeper in relationship with God so that we can be the greatest blessing to one another and the world around us. Each week, we will follow up from the sermon with simple, practical steps to help us receive God’s blessing and apply the truths of the gospel more deeply into our lives.