April: Easter & New Life
Resurrection Appearances & New Creation — 4 Weekly Lessons
Week 1: The Empty Tomb
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early Sunday morning and found the stone rolled away. She ran to tell Peter and John, who raced to the tomb and found only the burial linens. After they left, Mary stayed weeping outside. Jesus appeared to her, but she did not recognize him until he spoke her name. In that moment, grief transformed to overwhelming joy. Mary became the first witness to the resurrection, an extraordinary fact given that women's testimony was not valued in that culture.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think Mary did not recognize Jesus at first?
- What is significant about Jesus calling Mary by name?
- How does the resurrection change how we face grief and loss?
Activity
Write personal 'empty tomb' testimonies — times when something you thought was dead (a dream, hope, relationship) came back to life.
Jesus said to her, Mary
Week 2: The Road to Emmaus
Two disciples walked the road to Emmaus after the crucifixion, their hopes shattered. A stranger joined them and asked what they were discussing. They poured out their disappointment about Jesus's death. The stranger then walked them through the entire Old Testament, explaining how all the scriptures pointed to the Messiah's suffering and glory. When they sat down for a meal and the stranger broke bread, their eyes were opened — it was Jesus. He vanished, and they marveled that their hearts had been burning as he explained the scriptures.
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever been so focused on your disappointment that you missed God's presence?
- What does it mean that they recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread?
- How does studying scripture prepare us to recognize God's work?
Activity
Take a walk together outside. Discuss times when you recognized God at work only in hindsight.
Were not our hearts burning within us?
Week 3: Doubting Thomas
Thomas was absent when Jesus first appeared to the disciples. When they told him they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas declared he would not believe unless he could see and touch the nail marks himself. A week later, Jesus appeared again and invited Thomas to touch his wounds. Thomas responded with the most profound confession in the Gospels: My Lord and my God. Jesus said that those who believe without seeing are blessed. Thomas's honest doubt led to deep faith.
Discussion Questions
- Is it okay to have doubts about faith? Why or why not?
- How did Jesus respond to Thomas's doubts compared to how we might expect?
- What does it mean to believe without seeing?
Activity
Share one honest doubt or question about faith. Discuss how questioning can actually strengthen rather than weaken belief.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed
Week 4: New Creation in Christ
Paul declares that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation — the old has gone, the new has come. This transformation is not cosmetic but fundamental, like being remade from the inside out. God reconciled the world to himself through Christ and has given believers the ministry of reconciliation. We are ambassadors for Christ, representing him in every environment we enter. Easter is not just a historical event but an ongoing reality that transforms how we live, relate, and serve every day.
Discussion Questions
- What does it mean practically to be a 'new creation' in your daily life?
- How are you serving as an ambassador for Christ in your school, workplace, or community?
- What old patterns or habits does God want to make new in your life?
Activity
Write two lists: 'Old Things Passing Away' and 'New Things God Is Doing.' Pray over both lists as a class.
If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come