At an Easter lesson every child brought a box holding something that speaks of life waking up, and when the teacher opened Filip’s box, the room fell silent. That scene opens a reflection on the empty tomb and on what the apostle Paul calls the foundation of the whole faith (1 Corinthians 15; Matthew 28). The sermon recalls an event that changed the course of history more than the printing press or the discoveries of Copernicus, and a Jesus who stands by the grave and calls Mary by name. Listen if you want to see what the resurrection changes in your today.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Paul lists what would follow if Christ has not been raised from the dead. Which of these consequences strikes you most, and why did the Corinthians need to hear this?
- Paul calls the risen Christ the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. What does this image tell us about our future and about the death of those who belong to Christ?
- The speaker mentioned the motto "non plus ultra", meaning "nothing beyond", which Columbus's voyage overturned. How does Jesus' resurrection change the way you think about what lies beyond death?
- In the story about Philip, the children brought a flower, a leaf and some grass in their containers, while he brought an empty one. Why does emptiness say the most about hope, and how does that hope help you face the death of loved ones?
- Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus only when He spoke her name. What does it mean to you that the risen Christ, as the Shepherd, knows you by name?
- The sermon said you cannot be a Christian only partly, and that eternal life begins here and now. In what specific area this week should faith in the resurrection change something in your life?
