- While numerous religious traditions express a belief in some kind of future life beyond earthly death, Christianity alone binds this belief to the witness of people who reported seeing a specific individual, Jesus Christ, alive again, after having seen him die. (When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he specifically said that the risen Jesus had “appeared” to him and that many others who had seen the risen Jesus were also “still alive”). How important is this claim to historical, eye-witness testimony, in terms of your personal faith in the resurrection? What else supports your belief that God offers people eternal life?
- Biblical scholars believe that what is known as the kerygma—the earliest, unfiltered “proclamation” of the disciples immediately after Jesus’ death and resurrection, is found in 2 places: Peter’s brief discourse in Acts 2:22-36, wherein he appeals to all those present to “listen carefully to what I say;” and Paul’s recap of “what I received and passed on to you, as of first importance” in 1 Cor 15. Re-read those two passages. How would you summarize, in your own words, the essential “core” message that launched Christianity? Is it still the essential core message today? Explain your answer.
- Some modern people try to have it both ways, saying, “I’m a Christian in that I accept Jesus as a great moral teacher who is good for society. But I don’t believe in the resurrection or the other miracles.” Why doesn’t this work?
- The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 contain multiple promises, such as “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth,” and “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Take a look at Matthew 5. Which of these 8 teachings depend on the resurrection of the dead to be true?
- What difference would it make to you, personally, in everyday life, if you did not believe in the resurrection?
- There are two stories recounted in Scripture about what happened in regard to the empty tomb: 1) Jesus rose from the dead and was seen by numerous people; or 2) The disciples came and stole Jesus’ body while the guards were asleep. (If there were a better 3rd account that could have put an end to the unwanted post-resurrection developments, surely the political and religious leaders would have produced it immediately). So, one of the two stories recounted has to be a lie, and the other one true. How would you explain to someone why you think it was the political and religious leaders who lied?
- Some philosophers/psychological theorists see belief in eternal life as a psychological defense mechanism against the fear of death. But in what way might the opposite be true, i.e., that a person might cling to simple materialism and death’s finality as a psychological defense mechanism against the fear of God’s unfathomable eternity?
- This Chapter is titled, “The Power of Christ’s Resurrection.” What examples have you witnessed of the power of Christ’s resurrection, at work in someone’s life?
