Rewind — the teaching platform built on your church’s own preaching

The big idea

Jesus' resurrection turned sorrow into a new creation story, and He still calls people who have doubts and fears into the mission of announcing that good news to the world.

The resurrection of Jesus turned the disciples' grief into hope and launched a brand new creation. Jesus met frightened, doubting, grieving people right where they were, gave them His peace and His Spirit, and sent them out to carry His forgiveness and good news to the whole world.

Point 1 of 5

The women and disciples came to the tomb in grief, not expecting resurrection

Pastor Mark describes the women arriving before dawn with spices, exhausted and heartbroken, simply to mourn and finish burial customs. Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty and assumes the worst, that someone has cruelly taken the body away.

Point 2 of 5

Peter and John discover the empty tomb and grave clothes, and belief dawns

John outruns Peter but hesitates at the entrance, while Peter barges in to find the linen wrappings lying intact and the head cloth separated, as if the body had simply passed through them. Pastor Mark says this convinces them it wasn't theft but resurrection, a new creation beyond even Lazarus' return to ordinary life and death.

Point 3 of 5

Jesus meets Mary in her tears and gives her a mission

Mary mistakes the risen Jesus for the gardener, which Pastor Mark says was truer than she knew since Jesus is the new gardener undoing the chaos of Eden. Jesus tells her not to cling to Him because their relationship is changing, then sends her as the first witness, an apostle to the apostles, to tell the brothers He is alive.

Sometimes we can only see angels through tears

— Pastor Mark Collins

In so many ways, Mary was right and yet so wrong

— Pastor Mark Collins

Point 4 of 5

Jesus commissions frightened disciples with peace, the Spirit, and a hard responsibility

Jesus appears behind locked doors and speaks shalom into a room that had none, then gives the disciples a job they never asked for and felt unqualified for: announcing forgiveness of sins. Pastor Mark stresses this isn't the power to forgive sins, which belongs to God alone, but the charge to proclaim forgiveness through Christ, made possible only by the Holy Spirit.

Point 5 of 5

Jesus meets Thomas' doubt without scolding him

Thomas misses the first meeting and refuses to believe without seeing, so a week later Jesus appears again and offers him the very evidence he needed. Pastor Mark notes Jesus doesn't harden toward Thomas but meets him where he is, and Thomas responds, My Lord and my God.

Jesus seems to always respond to searching hearts, but listen, this is very important, but not to harden hearts

— Pastor Mark Collins

We should be mindful to respond to Jesus when He chooses to appear, even if our response is not without doubts and questions

— Pastor Mark Collins

Take it into your week

Pastor Mark's closing charge is to go into all the world and preach the gospel, using words if you have to but living it out first.

Application

Seek the Lord while He may be found
Since Jesus no longer appears face to face the way He did to the disciples, Pastor Mark urges taking every opportunity now to seek Him, especially through His word.
Let your Bible get worn, not dusty
In his prayer, Pastor Mark asks that Rock Point's Bibles be read until the pages are torn and tear-stained rather than left gathering dust on a shelf.
Respond to Jesus even with doubts
Following Thomas' example, bring your questions and doubts honestly to Jesus rather than staying away or hardening your heart.
Go into all the world and preach the gospel
Pick up the mission the disciples were just catching on to: do good deeds, be kind, and also tell people about the source of your joy so it changes the trajectory of the world.

Keep going

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