WINDSOR FULL GOSPEL MISSION CHURCH
GROUP BIBLE DISCUSSION ANSWERS
John 20:10-18 (B)
1.1) To whom did Jesus appear first after His resurrection? 1.2) Was this a coincidence or God’s arrangement? God’s arrangement 1.3) If you were Jesus, to whom would you like to appear? Any answer will be okay 2.1) Why did Mary Magdalene devote Jesus in such a degree? She was indebted to Jesus for the forgiveness of her heavy loads of sins. 2.2) Why does the forgiveness of God not only motivate to give thank to God but also to love Jesus? The wages of sin is death. We had no hope because we cannot avoid death. Jesus loved us. He substituted for us and died on the cross. God forgave us of our sins because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Our love for Jesus is a spontaneous response to Jesus’ Agape love. 2.3) Which person will love Jesus more; one forgiven less or the other forgiven much? The other who was forgiven much 2.4) Can you explain the meaning of Jesus’ saying, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Jesus came to forgive people who recognize their sins and God’s forgiveness. Jesus did not come to people who think that they are righteous and they have nothing to repent. 2.5) Why do some Christians love Jesus more and some love Jesus less, after the same born-again experience? Christians who think that their sins were small and were forgiven less will love Jesus less. Christians who think that their sins were grave and were forgiven more will love Jesus more. 3. What had Mary Magdalene done from the time Jesus took up His cross to His resurrection? 1) Matthew 27: 55-56,61--She watches Jesus’ death on the cross. She watched Jesus’ burial. 2) John 20:1-2--She went to the Jesus’ tomb early in the morning. She ran to Peter’s place to inform the disciples about the empty tomb. 3) John 20:11,18--She stayed at the tomb even after Peter and John went back home. 4.1) Why did Mary Magdalene stay at the tomb even after Peter and John went back home? 4.2) Can you explain 1 Corinthians 13:13. Mary Magdalene might have lost faith in Jesus because of His death. Mary Magdalene might have lost hope in Jesus because of His death. But her love for Jesus was unchanged. 5. Why couldn’t Mary Magdalene recognize Jesus, when she turn around and saw Jesus standing there? (v.14) 6.1) How did Mary Magdalene feel, when she heard Jesus living voice calling her name? It was a big surprise beyond her imagination. She took it with great joy from her heart. 6.2) Which is more assuring; seeing or hearing? Hearing through the Word of God is more assuring. Hearing generates faith. 6.3) Can you explain Romans 10:17. Faith is not generated by seeing but by hearing. 6.4) How would you like to meet God? By hearing Him through the heart spiritually, not physically through the ear. By experiencing the miracle of God’s answer to my specific prayer. 6.5) Whom did God call directly by name in the Bible? Moses and Samuel 6.6) Do you expect that God would talk to you even at the present time? Yes 7.1) How did God bless Mary Magdalene who was persistently seeking the dead body of Jesus? 7.2) Can you explain Proverbs 8:17? As Mary Magdalene was seeking Jesus, Jesus appeared to her and gave her unsurpassable satisfaction and happiness. 8. What was her emotion when she returned to the disciples to tell them about resurrected Jesus she had met? Excitement Life Application: 1. Why don’t I have love for Jesus as much as Mary Magdalene had? Because of our insensitivity or ignorance to the magnitude of sin forgiven by God. Because of our insensitivity to the sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation. 2. Am I seeking Jesus from the early morning as Mary Magdalene was? God will bless us if we seek God from the early morning. We can start with a short worship time as soon as we wake up. If we cannot, at least we can start the day with a greeting to Jesus, “Good morning, Jesus!” 3. How much am I thankful to Jesus for my salvation? (Psalm 116:12) I would like to serve God in response to Jesus’ love for me. 4. If you have met the resurrected Jesus as Mary Magdalene had, what would you do? I will tell people about my experience with excitement.
Prayer:
(1) In order to find out exactly where the body of Jesus went.
(2) She just couldn’t leave the place where Jesus was buried.
1) Her tears might have blurred her vision.
2) She was looking for the dead body of Jesus. She had never expected that the living person could be Jesus.
3) She had a predisposition that this person was a gardener.
(1) When she was looking for the dead body of Jesus, she met the living Jesus.
(2) God gave her the honor of being the first person to see the resurrected Jesus.
Dear Heavenly Father! Show me the magnitude of my sins before my salvation. Show me the love of Jesus who suffered and died on the cross for me to pay the price of my sins. So that, I serve Jesus everyday with the joy of salvation and with thankful heart for God’s’ love. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!