Witnesses: From Tomb to Tomorrow

This Easter message from Robyn Elliott explores the resurrection not just as an event to believe in, but as a reality to live in. Through Mary Magdalene’s encounter in the garden, we see that what looked like the end was actually the beginning of a new creation. The resurrection is God’s declaration that hope, healing, and renewal have already begun, and we’re invited to live that future now. Discussion Questions: 1. When you hear “resurrection,” do you tend to think of a past event, a future hope, or a present reality? Why? 2. Mary stayed at the tomb in her grief, looking for a dead Jesus. What does this teach us about how we handle loss and disappointment, and where might we be expecting death when God is actually bringing life? 3. The message suggests we sometimes see God more clearly through sorrow. Have you ever experienced God more clearly in pain or loss? Or do you tend to avoid those places? Why? 4. Why do you think the resurrection story begins in a garden with Jesus showing up as a lowly gardener? What might that symbolize about new creation and what does that say about how God works in the world? 5. Robyn describes the resurrection as a down payment on the future. What does that practically mean for how we live today? 6. If you believe in the resurrection, where in your life does it actually show up? Where doesn’t it? And if the resurrection really means a new creation has started, why do so many of us still feel stuck in the same old patterns? 7. If Jesus is alive right now - not just historically - what would need to change about the way you live this week?