C8LLk ln1L8vA8Sl1?

2014
EASTER
Beyond Belief. Despite Doubt.

Purpose of this Study
!"#$%&'(% (*+ ,(%&-# - Lhey're llke Lhe World Serles and Super
8owl of Lhe church-golng world. Lven lf you don'L llke sporLs you sLlll Lalk
abouL who won Lhe super bowl and even people who can'L sLand fooLball
sLlll Lalk for weeks abouL Lhe commerclals. Slmllarly, every year on LasLer
Sunday Lhere ls an lnevlLable up-swlng ln church aLLendance. ?ou mlghL
be surprlsed abouL whlch of your frlends carved ouL Llme Lo make lL Lo
Sunday servlces. WheLher Lhey go because of LradlLlon, an lncrease ln
curloslLy abouL !esus or even because someone dragged Lhem Lhere, Lhe
facL ls a good number of people ln your house wlll spend a Sunday
hearlng abouL Lhe deaLh and resurrecLlon of !esus ChrlsL. 1hls presenLs a
unlque opporLunlLy Lo lead your broLhers and slsLers ln a conversaLlon
abouL Lhe cenLer of Lhls SplrlLual Super 8owl Sunday", Lhe rlsen
Messlah, !esus ChrlsL. 1hrough sLudylng Lhe reacLlon of 1homas Lo Lhe
resurrecLlon, Lhls gulde wlll glve your group an opporLunlLy Lo encounLer
!esus Lhrough scrlpLure and go beneaLh Lhe surface of Lhe pasLel polos
and paLLerned sklrLs Lo Lhe hearL of Lhe LasLer sLory.
Content of the Study
./"* 01234567 lor Lhls deeper look aL Lhe sLory of LasLer, we are
golng Lo look aL Lhe evenLs followlng Lhe resurrecLlon. 1hrough focuslng
on Lhe response of one of !esus' dlsclples Lo Lhe remarkable clalm of
resurrecLlon, Lhe sLudy wlll focus on Lhe honesL doubLs and quesLlons we
have when looklng aL Lhe clalms and llfe of !esus ChrlsL. ln seelng Lhe
doubLs of one who was physlcally presenL wlLh !esus for hls mlnlsLry, Lhe
hope ls LhaL members of your sLudy wlll feel free Lo share Lhelr own
doubLs and sLruggles.


C8LLk ln1L8vA8Sl1? 2014
Preparation

1) ray for Lhe members ln your house and for Lhe dlscusslon LhaL you
are havlng. 1haL all who aLLend wlll draw closer Lo !esus as a resulL
of your meeLlng.
2) SLudy Lhe passage and noLe your own observaLlons and quesLlons
so you can prepare some good responses ln advance Lo poLenLlal
quesLlons and lssues ralsed by Lhe members of your group.
3) SeL a good Llme/locaLlon and lnvlLe members from your chapLer Lo
aLLend
4) rlnL enough coples of Lhe parLlclpanL form so LhaL Lhere are
enough for everyone who aLLends

Discussion Guide

8"(#$*9
8egln by havlng Lhose ln Lhe group share Lhelr pasL experlences wlLh
LasLer. Share LradlLlons, LhoughLs, flrsL memorles and culLural/personal
observaLlons. lollow Lhls sharlng Llme wlLh a quesLlon LhaL wlll lead lnLo
Lhe LexL. Pow have your doubLs and quesLlons abouL falLh been LreaLed
ln Lhe pasL? Pave you felL llke you were allowed Lo express Lhem?

:*&#/+;<$*9 &"- =(%%(9-
lL ls lmporLanL Lo know when readlng Lhls passage LhaL !esus' dlsclples
had noL seen Plm slnce Pls humlllaLlng deaLh on Lhe cross, whlch was
boLh LraumaLlc and shameful for Lhem as hls followers. 1hey were
grlevlng Lhe loss of Lhelr dynamlc leader as well as Lhe loss of Lhelr
dreams of whaL Lhey would accompllsh wlLh !esus. 1hey dld noL know
Pe had rlsen from Lhe dead, and were probably hldlng from governmenL
offlclals because everyone LhoughL LhaL Pls body was sLolen from Lhe
graveslLe and Lhey would have been key suspecLs.
C8LLk ln1L8vA8Sl1? 2014

>?%-#@(&$/*
8ead Lhe passage aloud once Lhen allow some Llme for Lhe group Lo read
Lhrough Lhe passage sllenLly Lo Lhemselves. Cnce Lhe group has flnlshed
encourage Lhem Lo noLe Lhelr quesLlons and observaLlons.

A-B C;-%&$/*%
ln addlLlon Lo Lhe quesLlons and observaLlons LhaL you and your group
noLe, here are some oLher key quesLlons you can use lf Lhe group geLs
sLuck and/or lf you'd llke addlLlonal maLerlal.
3D When !esus arrlves on Lhe scene, whaL are Pls flrsL words Lo Lhe
dlsclples? WhaL were hls flrsL acLlons? WhaL's Lhe slgnlflcance
of hls words and acLlons?
0D WhaL emoLlons would be golng on for you lf you waLched one
of your besL frlends arresLed, Lrled, found gullLy, bruLally
execuLed? And Lhen he showed up, walklng around allve?
6D WhaL do you Lhlnk !esus' purpose ls ln showlng up on Lhelr
doorsLep? WhaL's Pe Lrylng Lo convey Lo Lhem?
7D WhaL ls 1homas' reacLlon Lo Lhe oLher dlsclple's news of !esus?
WhaL LhoughLs mlghL have been golng Lhrough 1homas' head
durlng Lhe week prlor Lo !esus appearlng agaln?
ED Pow does !esus LreaL 1homas' doubL ln Lhls slLuaLlon?
FD Why ls lL dlfflculL Lo belleve someLhlng you have noL wlLnessed
yourself? WhaL do you Lhlnk Lhe balance ls beLween chooslng
bellef lnLellecLually and experlenclng Cod yourself, llke 1homas
dld?
GD ln verse 29, !esus makes a very lmporLanL sLaLemenL concernlng
Lhose of us who were unable Lo see !esus as 1homas dld. WhaL
experlences have formed your bellefs abouL !esus?


C8LLk ln1L8vA8Sl1? 2014
HIIJ$<(&$/*K8;''(#B
Conclude your Llme by asklng Lhe members of Lhe group Lo reflecL on
how (lf aL all) Lhelr vlew of !esus has changed ln llghL of Lhls sLudy. SeL
aslde some Llme Lo pray wlLh your group and encourage Lhem Lo share
how Lhey wanL Lo respond Lo !esus (deeper lnvesLlgaLlon, comlng Lo
falLh, recelvlng deeper falLh LhaL lmpacLs dally llfe, eLc.). 8e sure Lo Lhank
your group for belng open and honesL and for Laklng Lhe Llme Lo
lnvesLlgaLe wlLh you.

Further Resources




L,HM
8ead an arLlcle on Lhe evldence for Lhe resurrecLlon
http://relm.ag/gASPNL

8NOMP
Ask your group Lo conLlnue Lhls formaL for anoLher
sLudy uslng a Creek lv 8lble SLudy Culde
http://greek.intervarsity.org/resources

M:8!O88
Pead Lo Lhe Creek lv lacebook page and share some of
Lhe sLorles & doubLs LhaL came up from your sLudy.
http://facebook.com/greekiv