Bible Study Questions Easter: "The Invitation of The Empty Tomb"
- Prayer
- Summary This Easter sermon, "The Invitation of the Empty Tomb," explores the historical and apologetic foundations of the resurrection. It argues that the Gospels are reliable eyewitness accounts, harmonizes the resurrection timeline, and demonstrates that Christianity has far stronger historical backing than major figures like Alexander the Great or other world religions. By highlighting Jesus's fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, His explicit claims to divinity (the "I AM" statements), and the overwhelming testimony of the Apostles, the message concludes that the resurrection is a guaranteed receipt of eternal life, offering a powerful invitation to leave the "hamster wheel" of worldly pursuits and step into a new life and family through Christ. Detailed Questions
- 1. The Early Church Blueprint
- Based on the opening "Family Talk," what early church blueprint from Acts 2:42 does the church actively follow? (Hint: Focus on the four specific devotions mentioned in connection with the church eating together).
- 2. The Command to Defend
- What is the importance of repeating and memorizing this apologetics message every Easter based on 1 Peter 3:15? (Hint: It is about being a witness who is always ready to explain your hope, and the two specific attitudes you must have while doing it).
- 3. The Witnesses
- How should we view the four Gospels in a legal and historical context, and how does Luke's specific method strengthen this? (Hint: Think about the courtroom term used for the writers, and how Luke went about compiling his historical account).
- 4. Harmonizing the Accounts
- When skeptics point out differences in the four Gospel resurrection accounts, what analogy was used to explain that they are not contradictions? (Hint: Think about how modern security technology works from different perspectives).
- 5. The Primary Witnesses
- Why does the detail of women being the absolute first witnesses to the empty tomb add incredible historical credibility to the Gospels? (Hint: Consider the legal value of a woman's testimony in first-century courts and why inventors of a hoax would never use them).
- 6. The Game of Telephone Myth
- How does the historical evidence for Jesus's life compare to the evidence for Alexander the Great? (Hint: Compare the "time gap" between their actual deaths and the first surviving written biographies about their lives).
- 7. Historical Gold
- Why do secular and Christian historians alike consider 1 Corinthians 15 to be "historical gold"? (Hint: It’s a primary document written within the witness period that appeals to a massive group of specific, living people).
- 8. Comparing World Religions
- How does the historical foundation of Christianity differ entirely from the origins of Islam or Mormonism? (Hint: Contrast the public, multiple eyewitnesses of Jesus with the private, unverified revelations in caves or woods).
- 9. Prophecy and the Empty Tomb
- In Peter’s first sermon (Acts 2), how does he use King David to prove the resurrection of Jesus from Psalm 16? (Hint: Contrast David's occupied, bony grave in Jerusalem with the Messiah's empty grave).
- 10. Claiming to be God
- How do we dismantle the modern claim that "Jesus never said He was God" using the Gospel of John? (Hint: Think of the restaurant/husband illustration, the burning bush, and Jesus's intentional use of the Greek phrase Ego Eimi).
- 11. The Disciples believed Jesus was God
- What Scriptures written by Jesus’ followers say that He was God? (Hint: Look at Romans, Titus, 2 Peter and Thomas’ comment in the Gospels)
- 12. The Ultimate Invitation
- Pastor Gene described the world's pursuit of wealth and manufactured joy as an exhausting "hamster wheel." Because the resurrection is historically true, what is the ultimate invitation of the empty tomb? (Hint: It involves moving from realization to relationship, realizing your past doesn't define your future, and stepping into a new family).
- Discussion