Text: John 20:1—18

Topic: How the truth of Easter should affect us.

Introduction:

• Why is everyone running on Easter morning?
• Illustration: People run for exercise, work, appointments, and fear, while few run for sheer joy.
• The spirit of Easter is running with the joy of freedom.
• There are three different faith responses to the Easter message.

Some of us respond to the resurrection with simple faith.

• The disciple Jesus loved needed little evidence to believe.

Some of us respond to the resurrection with struggling faith.

• Simon Peter saw the same evidence but didn't believe.
• For those who struggle like Peter, Mark 16 tells us that Jesus came back for him.
• Our failure to believe immediately is not the last word.
• Illustration: Walworth filled his daughter Pamela's Easter egg basket for her, but her joy was in finding the eggs herself.

Some of us respond to the resurrection with grieving faith.

• Mary Magdalene couldn't get Easter because of her grief.
• Illustration: A dog stole the hidden Easter eggs before the children had the chance to look for them.
• There was grief when the body Mary expected to find was missing.
• Jesus relieved her grief when he called her by name.

Conclusion:

• Illustration: At the insistence of his children, Walworth started skipping.
• Knowing that Jesus has come for us and called us by name should send us running with joy.