The Lord Was Seen Alive

The Center of Resurrection Sunday

We gathered on Easter, called the Super Bowl for Christians by Pastor Scott, to remember that every Sunday is resurrection day. Yet this one is special: the day Jesus was seen alive after death. The world may offer us new truths and different voices, but we stand as people who choose to believe the tomb was empty. That matters now as much as it ever did:

"If the tomb is empty, that means that Jesus was seen alive. That's the truth that has governed this universe for about 2,000 years."
Over centuries, despite Christians' failures and the ways we've sometimes made the Lord look bad, Jesus has continued to make himself known. Only a living God could persist through all our mistakes. That is the anchor for our world, where following Jesus is increasingly unpopular and costly in ways that echo the earliest church.

Why the Gospel Matters in a Changing World

Pastor Scott placed us in the current moment: we live amid confusion, where competing faiths and ideologies crowd the landscape. In some cities, the call to prayer from other religions goes out over loudspeakers. It's not always simple whom to follow, but we keep our eyes on Jesus, the living God. He named the cost, following Jesus may mean being seen as foolish, or worse, by the world:

"What I've noticed is that it is becoming a lot more unpopular to be a follower of Jesus Christ today."
Still, the central truth remains: Jesus was seen alive. This is what we build our lives on. That truth withstood challenge and persecution then and still does now.

Journey Through John: Signs That Point to Life

To help us see what the resurrection means, Pastor Scott led us back through John's Gospel, walking with us through scenes that shape our imagination: Nicodemus at night, the woman at the well, a man born blind, and finally Lazarus emerging from his tomb. Each story is a picture of new life and unexpected grace.

He highlighted Jesus' words to the woman at the well about worshipping in spirit and truth, reminding us:

"Jesus loves everybody. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you've done, what race you are, he loves everybody."

In John 9, with the healing of the man born blind, we saw that suffering isn't always an assignment of guilt, but sometimes a context for God to show himself:

"He was born blind so that I could display my miracles in him… inside of him was the spirit of the living God."
Then in John 11, the raising of Lazarus makes the shocking claim:
"I am the resurrection… Not only am I the resurrection, but I am the one who gives life and who can bring life from death."
The reality of resurrection cannot be spiritualized away. The man was dead, then alive and eating dinner, and this shook those present so much that the authorities wanted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus.

Reading John 20: The Witness of the Empty Tomb

Pastor Scott read John 20:1-18, highlighting the specific, deliberate details recorded by John. The chapter puts all the weight on the empty tomb: Mary finds the stone rolled away and the body gone, Peter and John race to see the strips of linen lying in order. The narrative insists Jesus' body was not stolen, if it had been, the scene would have been chaos:

"All three, Peter and John and Mary look in this tomb and what they see is these linens, these burial cloths that are laying there where they belonged... this would seem to suggest the body's not stolen because everything is neatly where it belongs."
Mary, having been forgiven much, is the one who lingers at the tomb, weeping. The first encounter with the risen Jesus is not grand or showy, it is personal, quiet, and deeply dignifying to one who had suffered:
"Those who have been forgiven much, they love much. These women know and they know that Jesus is who he says he is and they're where the action is."

Fulfillment of Scripture: Faith Rooted in God's Story

John and Peter are forced to wrestle with what they see: the grave is undisturbed, but empty. Pastor Scott noted John saw and believed, though at that moment, he did not yet fully understand how the scriptures had been fulfilled.
Reminding us of the Emmaus Road account in Luke, he restated the Old Testament’s witness, with a “Jesus lens”:

"When you read the Old Testament...we understand that the Old Testament is talking about Jesus Christ. All of the scriptures have been saying he was going to be crucified...and be raised back to life on the third day."
The empty tomb stands as an exclamation point at the end of centuries of prophetic promises. We're not asked for blind faith but for trust rooted in God’s living story. This shapes the question Pastor Scott pressed on us:
"You have to decide what am I going to do with this information? Because remember, Jesus is going to tax his followers. He's going to expect them to go into a hostile world and tell them about Jesus Christ... And if you're going to do that, you got to be able to buy into what you're saying. Because nobody's going to give their life for a lie, are they?"

Mary: The First Witness is Sent

He drew our attention to grace in the choice of the first messenger: Mary Magdalene, not a leader or a pillar of the community, but a woman known for deliverance from seven demons, who claims Jesus as "my Lord" even when others have left. The risen Jesus calls her by name, a recognition that stirs immediate joy and witness.
Pastor Scott lingered on this moment:

"Once we know that the Lord knows us, we know that it's the Lord. We know he is the Lord and somehow we respond and we respond with joy when we find out that he knows all about us and he knows who we are."

Mary’s message to the disciples, the first Easter proclamation, is simple and world-changing: the Lord is alive. Jesus sends her to his "brothers," those who had just failed him, showing the overflow of grace and assignment. We, too, are sent not because we are qualified but because the Lord is alive and calls our name.

Faith in a Hostile World: What This Means for Us

The sermon returned several times to the question of cost in believing and living out the resurrection. Our context may shift, but the test is eternal. Would we hold to Jesus even if it might cost us comfort or security? Pastor Scott acknowledged the challenge directly:

"The only thing that he's going to give you, which is it should be enough because for 2,000 years it was enough for the church... is that the tomb was empty and that he was seen alive. Whether you believe or not, it's going to be up to you. And if you believe, it's going to be one of those things that he's going to expect you to live your belief out."

He warned against a faith that has gotten too comfortable and reminded us there is no neutral ground. Each of us will respond to the news that Jesus is alive. The world may always change, but the resurrection stands as the reason for trust, hope, and action.

---

Living It Out

This week, we remember that our faith rests on the living Lord, not on comfort, popularity, or borrowed strength. The empty tomb and the testimony of those who saw him alive are still enough to anchor our lives and witness. Let us be willing to carry that truth, even when it is costly, knowing the Lord calls us by name and sends us out.

Discussion Questions

1. How does the detail about the burial linens challenge or strengthen your belief in the resurrection?
2. When have you experienced Jesus calling you by name in a personal way, and how did it change your faith?
3. What might it look like for you to live out belief in the living Christ this week, even when it feels risky or unpopular?