The Story Chapter 27 Reflection Questions

From agony of defeat to resurrection; from despair to the hope and promise of new possibilities. Everything is made new. No wonder we celebrate Easter during the spring when we see new life rising up. Jesus offers new life and new possibilities.

Use these reflection questions taken from the adult study guide when reading chapter 27 this week.

1. People have always had difficulty believing that Jesus was God in the flesh.   (Read 1 John 1:1, 2:22 and 4:2-3)   What details did John include in the crucifixion story for his readers to know for certain that Jesus, fully human, had truly died?  How does knowing that God came to live among us affect your daily life?

 

1. For whose sake did the angel roll away the stone (p. 316)?  What other major events have been announced by angels?

 

1. List everything you have learned about Jesus’ resurrection body from this chapter.  Why is Jesus’ literal, physical resurrection a non-negotiable teaching of the Christian faith?  (See Romans 1:4, 4:25 and 1 Corinthians 15:17 )

 

1. Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 42-49.  What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for you personally and for all believers?

 

1. Thomas is frequently referred to as “doubting Thomas” because he refused to believe his fellow disciples’ testimony.  Then, a week after the resurrection, he confessed, “My Lord and My God!”  Do you think Thomas’ reputation is justified or do you think he has been labeled unjustly?  Why or why not?

 

1. What parallels can you find between Peter’s denial story (John 18:17-27) and His restoration story (p. 320, John 21:15-23)?  What does Peter’s restoration reveal about Jesus’ heart and how does it apply to you personally?

 

1. What does Jesus’ Great Commission on the mountain in Galilee require of all His disciples (p. 320)?  Discuss what is involved in “making disciples.”

The Story Chapter 27 Introduction

Our entire study of The Story revolved around this chapter, chapter 27. While this chapter gives us the story of that Easter morning, I cannot quite write about it yet, as we are still in holy week.  Today is Maundy Thursday, and for now,  I need to live in the moment of the day.

Maundy or Holy Thursday comes from the Latin root “mandate” or “command” and it is a reminder that Jesus tells us, “A new command I give you, to love one another.”

Live in this day that Christ offered us. Whom do you need to love? Is it the person who lives next door? Is it the person you buy coffee from every morning who is less than friendly? Maybe it is a relative or someone who used to be a friend, but something has come between you.

Today is a day for us to swallow our pride, as Jesus did when he washed the feet of the disciples. He  even washed the feet of the one who would hand him over to the authorities. Can we wash the feet, literally and figuratively, of the one who is going to turn against us? Can we love them and see them through the eyes of Jesus as children of God? What would that involve for me and you?

The Story Chapter 26 Post sermon

We begin the most sacred week in the church calendar year. Why? Because this is the week that brings the drama for Jesus to fulfill his rescue mission. The full week is explained in this week’s sermon message found here under March 24th.

The week begins with a triumphal entry into Jerusalem and ends on a cross on Golgotha.

Be in this week. Take time to reflect each portion of what has transpired during the life of Jesus. Take time to meditate on the Stations of the Cross, or on the final seven words Jesus spoke on the cross.

You cannot get to Easter without the passion of the cross. The resurrection doesn’t happen in a vacuum, but rather is the result of what happened when Jesus was willing to follow the plan and sacrifice himself for us.

The cross is where the holiness of God and the love of God meet: It is brutal, it is ugly, it is horrible and it is our saving grace. Without the cross we cannot get to Easter.

Take time this week to remember Christ’s passion, remember the Via Doloroso, (The way of suffering.)