Opening prayer
Read the italicized passages of Scripture in Chapter 18.
Questions
- What makes the story of the founder of the Christian faith different from the stories of the founders of all the other religions in the world?
- How did Mark “certify” the death of Jesus in his report of what happened?
- Why was that important to Mark then and what difference does that make to us now?
- Why didn’t Jesus’ followers expect that he would rise from the dead in spite of the fact that he told them several times that he would (216)?
- How is the fact that women were the first witnesses to the empty tomb provide proof that the resurrection really happened (216-217)?
- How does Paul’s list of witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus provide additional proof in support of it being a real event (218)?
- Timothy Keller writes, “Three fundamental lines of evidence intertwine to convince us that Jesus rose from the dead: the fact of the empty tomb, the testimony of numerous witnesses, and the long-term impact on the lives of Jesus’s followers” (218-219). How is this evidence helpful to you?
- He also writes, “If Jesus really has done it—if he truly is risen—it means the story of the world according to Mark is all true. Jesus really is the Son of God, the true and perfect King; he came to earth to die on the cross for us; and by trusting in what he had done there, we are spared from eternal judgment and ushered into the presence of God for all eternity. … But if Jesus is not risen, then the story of the world that Mark has been telling is just fiction… The truth of the resurrection is of supreme and eternal importance. It is the hinge upon which the story of the world pivots” (220-221). What do you think about Timothy Keller’s words about the resurrection of Jesus?
- What impact has the resurrection of Jesus had on your life?
- Timothy Keller writes, “Ordinary life is what’s going to be redeemed” (223). How will ordinary life be redeemed in the resurrection?
In closing, read together, starting at the last paragraph on page 223 (“If you can’t dance…”) to the end of the chapter.
Closing Prayer
Farewell to Shadowlands 