Digging Deeper | Week of April 17th

I AM | Week 4 | “I Am The Resurrection And The Life”
Pastor Dave Pretlove, Lead Pastor
John 11:17-27
1.  An intensely personal and passionate statement.
John 11:17-25, 32-44
2.  A boldly prophetic statement.
John 11:25; Luke 24:1-8
3.  An incredibly promising statement.
John 11:25-26a; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 50-57
4.  A remarkably provocative statement – it begs life’s most important question.
John 11:26b-27

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Luke 24:1-8 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

1. Read Luke 24:1-8. Why do you think the people closest to Jesus, didn’t realize right away that He was resurrected when they saw the empty tomb?
 
2. Pastor Dave spoke about the story of Lazarus being a prophetic statement. Have you ever read this passage as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ own death, burial, and resurrection?  
 
3. Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-57. How often do you center your thoughts on the end of this life not being the end but only the beginning? Why do you think it is so hard for us to keep this focus?
 
4. Read John 11:25-26. Jesus ends this powerful statement with a question, “Do you believe this?”  He asks all of us this question. Not only in a moment of salvation, but in our daily lives.  What might your life look like if you asked this question in all situations, interactions, hardships, etc.?
 
5. Does pondering on the thought of the death, burial, and resurrection bring up any doubt your faith? Has it ever?
 
6. Take some time and tell some moments in your life where Jesus’ resurrection has brought a sense of peace, life, joy in suffering, etc.