Why Are You Crying?
Why Are You Crying? John 20:1-18 GETTING STARTED 1. In the past month, what’s the best or most exciting news you’ve heard? 2. Share a time when you were not expecting to see someone and you did not initially recognize them. (This isn’t a time when you couldn’t remember a name but you genuinely did not realize who they were.)
IN THE TEXT John 20:1-10 1. What did Mary Magdalene discover when she went to Jesus’ tomb early on the first day of the week? Why do you think she went to the tomb?
2. What did Mary do after making her discovery at the tomb? How did she describe what she thought had happened?
3. How did Peter and “the other disciple” respond to her report? Of these two disciples, who was the first to reach the tomb? Who was the first to go into the tomb? Why do you think the one went in before the other?
4. What did these two disciples discover in the tomb? What was missing?
5. How did these two disciples respond to what they saw? What did they not understand at that point?
John 20:11-18 6. What did Mary Magdalene do after Peter and the other disciple went back to where they were staying? Why do you think she did this?
7. As she bent down and looked into the tomb, what did Mary see inside the tomb? What was asked of Mary?
8. What was Mary’s answer? Do you think she realized to whom she was speaking?
9. When she turned from the tomb who did Mary think she saw? What did this person ask her?
10. How did Mary answer? When did she recognize him? Why do you think she recognized him at that time?
11. Instead of holding onto him, what did Jesus tell Mary to do? What did she do? If you had been one of Jesus’ apostles, how do you think you would have reacted to Mary’s story?
Applying all this to life 1. What motivates you to share exciting news with someone else? What about the message of Jesus’ resurrection is exciting?
2. With whom do you need to share the story of Jesus? Considering Mary Magdalene’s experience with telling others about the empty tomb and seeing Jesus, what reactions to telling this story should we anticipate?
3. How does Jesus’ presence (his death, burial, and resurrection) speak to your tears and what makes you cry?
4. Please pray that God will use your Community Group and all the members of the Grand Central Church of Christ to proclaim the good news of Jesus. How can the group join together in praying for some of the opportunities you see in your life?
IN THE TEXT John 20:1-10 1. What did Mary Magdalene discover when she went to Jesus’ tomb early on the first day of the week? Why do you think she went to the tomb?
2. What did Mary do after making her discovery at the tomb? How did she describe what she thought had happened?
3. How did Peter and “the other disciple” respond to her report? Of these two disciples, who was the first to reach the tomb? Who was the first to go into the tomb? Why do you think the one went in before the other?
4. What did these two disciples discover in the tomb? What was missing?
5. How did these two disciples respond to what they saw? What did they not understand at that point?
John 20:11-18 6. What did Mary Magdalene do after Peter and the other disciple went back to where they were staying? Why do you think she did this?
7. As she bent down and looked into the tomb, what did Mary see inside the tomb? What was asked of Mary?
8. What was Mary’s answer? Do you think she realized to whom she was speaking?
9. When she turned from the tomb who did Mary think she saw? What did this person ask her?
10. How did Mary answer? When did she recognize him? Why do you think she recognized him at that time?
11. Instead of holding onto him, what did Jesus tell Mary to do? What did she do? If you had been one of Jesus’ apostles, how do you think you would have reacted to Mary’s story?
Applying all this to life 1. What motivates you to share exciting news with someone else? What about the message of Jesus’ resurrection is exciting?
2. With whom do you need to share the story of Jesus? Considering Mary Magdalene’s experience with telling others about the empty tomb and seeing Jesus, what reactions to telling this story should we anticipate?
3. How does Jesus’ presence (his death, burial, and resurrection) speak to your tears and what makes you cry?
4. Please pray that God will use your Community Group and all the members of the Grand Central Church of Christ to proclaim the good news of Jesus. How can the group join together in praying for some of the opportunities you see in your life?
