INTRODUCE: Do you have any notable childhood memories of Easter?

READ: Matthew 27:45-54

DISCUSS
1. How familiar are verses 51 through 53 of Matthew 27 to you? Have you previously heard them preached as the focal point of a sermon?
2. Have you considered the personal implications of God splitting the curtain in the temple from top to bottom? That is, we have been granted access to God. Do you ever attempt to put up a new curtain of your own making in order to separate yourself from God?
3. What do you think of the immediacy of the events set in motion by Jesus’s death on the cross? How do the dramatic events described in these unfamiliar verses demonstrate the completeness of Christ’s work on the cross?
4. Can you imagine being a resident of Jerusalem during the time of Christ’s death and hearing that previously occupied tombs (plural!) are empty? What sort of reactions and actions might this news have prompted for you?
5. “This too shall pass.” What emotion does this statement evoke for you right now? Does it induce happiness or sadness or something else?

PRAY:
Lord, thank you for the good news of Easter…for the access you have granted us to you, and for your forgiveness and new life. Knowing that “this too shall pass,” help us to live for you, day-by-day. Amen.

SHARE & PRAY:
- Share one thing you need prayer for today…
- Take time to pray for one person at a time
- Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your time
- Listen to the Lord for guidance in how to pray for one another