EXTRA! Ideas for Adults – All Signs Point to Jesus – Session 7

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Date: April 13, 2025

The Sign of His Power over Death

The Point: Jesus offers us the hope of a new life.

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On February 19, officials in Egypt announced the most significant discovery since “King Tut’s” tomb was found in 1922. According to the BBC, “Thutmose II is best known for being the husband of Queen Hapshepsut.” The mummy of Thutmose II– in the same dynasty as King Tut– had been discovered in a secondary tomb, having been moved shortly after his death, but its original burial site had never been found.

The Guardian reports that the original tomb was, “hiding in plain sight for 3,500 years, secretly buried beneath 23 metres of limestone flakes, rubble, ash, and mud plaster and made to look like part of the mountain.” When found, it was difficult to determine to whom the tomb had belonged because flooding had damaged the chamber soon after its sealing. The still-intact ceiling held a clue confirming its significance: a blue-painted field with yellow stars, which the dig director, Piers Litherland, said “is only found in kings’ tombs.” British and Egyptian archaeologists worked for over two years to excavate the tomb before finding broken alabaster jars that bore the name of Thutmose II.

Say: “Ancient Egyptians took great care when burying pharaohs. But no matter how we memorialize the person, and no matter whether they are famous or seemingly insignificant, there is always grief with death. We inherently know that death is not right; we long for a different ending. Only in Jesus can we have hope amidst death.”

Call attention to The Point: “Jesus offers us the hope of a new life.’”

Information for this post was gleaned from:

Study the Bible

Share the following information after discussing Question #3.

In early March 2024, People Magazine reported, “A bride in Whittington, England dreamed her whole life, as many do, of her father walking her down the aisle.” Unfortunately for one bride, however, Hannah Haynes’ father Maurice was diagnosed with terminal cancer late last fall. When he was recently moved into hospice, she made an emotional decision. Hannah and her fiance Josh, planned their wedding in just 24 hours, deciding to hold the ceremony in his hospice facility, in order for her father to be able to participate.

The meaningful ceremony was held at St. Giles Hospice in Whittington, Staffordshire, England. Hannah found her dress the morning of the wedding. “In just one day, the facility’s chapel was unrecognizable, with staff using banners, ribbons and more to transform it into a venue fit for a wedding.” A family member walking beside Maurice helped support him as he walked with Hannah. The Daily Mail noted, “Father and daughter appeared emotional as they entered the chapel – but they weren’t the only ones.”

Leon Ratcliffe, of St Giles Hospice, expressed his support: “It was such an honour… Hannah was determined that her father would be a part of her wedding day, and we were delighted to assist in making that happen. We wish Hannah and Joshua a long and happy marriage.”

Say: “In this situation, as the bride and groom made their decision about the timing of the wedding, they knew: the joy of this new marriage would be forever co-mingled with the grief of the soon-coming death of her father.”

Then continue the discussion of grief (or discuss the Alternate Question: ”What are some different ways you’ve seen people respond to the death of a loved one?”).

Information for this post was gleaned from:

Study the Bible (Option from Adult Leader Guide)

In advance, play a song that focuses on Jesus and the hope of the new life He offers. Discuss together how lifting our eyes to Jesus’s plans of resurrection and eternal life can give us strength and hope to walk through the brokenness of life and reality of death on earth.

Additional Questions

Ice Breaker

How bad does it have to get for you to call the doctor?
When have you really wished a doctor still made house calls?
What does Jesus’s power over death mean for our lives?

John 11:25-27

How did you come to believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life?
What does it look like for us to believe in Jesus and trust Him above even the risk of death?
How does it comfort and encourage you that Jesus has the power over death?
What’s the difference between believing there’s a resurrection and believing Jesus is the source of that resurrection?

John 11:38-40

How have you overcome a reluctance to obey the Lord in a time of difficulty?
How have challenging circumstances affected your faith journey?
How can you see God’s glory revealed in your life or in the lives of those around you?
What obstacles often prevent us from obeying what God says?
How have you seen people respond to the death of a loved one?
How can a loved one’s death impact our faith?

John 11:41-44