Neither angels nor an empty tomb were enough for Mary. She still assumed that Jesus’ body had been stolen (vv. 2,13). Dead or alive, she wanted to be near her Savior but did not know where His body lay. Though she was slow to believe in the resurrection, her allegiance to Jesus was nevertheless steadfast. She was committed to Jesus but failed at the moment to understand and trust in His power to transcend death.

We are like Mary in a lot of ways, and this instance is no exception. Just as she was failing to live in light of Jesus’ resurrection, we likewise in many cases fail to live as if Jesus has truly risen. We live instead as if Jesus is present in our lives but not present with the same power that raised Him from the dead (Eph. 1:13-14,20-23; 2:6). Rather than look down in despair, we need to listen for the voice of our living Savior in Scripture.

“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). This is how Jesus described believers’ capacity to hear His voice and obey it. In John 20:16, we see a concrete example of this dynamic. Mary, one of Jesus’ precious sheep, heard Jesus say her name, and she knew with certainty that the good shepherd was speaking to her. Though we today haven’t received the opportunity to see Jesus in His glorified flesh, those of us who have experienced the new birth from the Spirit have effectively heard His voice.

Since Jesus has called us by name, we have no excuse for failing to heed His commands and we have every reason to live with joy and hope.

---

Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults

Every week for Volume 4: From Captivity to the Wilderness, Ken Braddy, Lifeway’s director of Sunday School, will offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Adults.

Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download

---

Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Students

Every week, student ministry leaders offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Students. Listen in as he shares:

• The main point of the session
• Any challenges and opportunities for additional discussion that may arise during this session
• Encouragements for leaders

Podcast (studentsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download

---

A Final Reminder

Don’t forget, you can find tools to help you prepare and lead the discussion in the Additional Resources for this volume. We hope these are a blessing to you as you walk through this session together.

---

*This week’s leader devotional is written by Josh Hayes. It is adapted from the daily devotions for Unit 31, Easter Session from The Gospel Project for Adults’ Daily Discipleship Guide.