Is Jesus’s resurrection a myth or clever fable we’ve been told to believe, or is there evidence proving he really resurrected?
Talking Points:
- The Romans took extra precautions with Jesus’s body. Matthew 27:64
- The changes in the disciples shows something significant happened. John 20:29
- Many people claimed to see Jesus after he was publicly executed. 1 John 1:1-3
- Secular history confirms the church is ancient.
- Jesus’s body was never found.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Why do some people refuse to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Do you know someone who refuses to believe it, or does this describe you? Explain.
- Read Matthew 27:64. Is it reasonable to believe the apostles stole Jesus’s body? Is it reasonable to believe the apostles lied about Jesus being resurrected? Explain.
- Explain the difference between testifying to what you’ve seen and testifying to what you believe. How does this apply to the birth of the church? How does it apply to your life?
- Jesus was crucified in 33 A.D. Non-Christian authors writing in the first and second centuries and later historians record that Christians existed in the Roman Empire no later than 64 A.D. If we include the Bible’s testimony, Christians existed in the Empire no later than 33 A.D. What are some important takeaways from these facts?
- Why would the Roman and Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, who killed Jesus and wanted to suppress his teaching, not show Jesus’s dead body to the city once the church started exploding?
- Even if all this evidence provides reasonable grounds to believe Jesus truly was resurrected, is faith still required of us? Explain.
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
