Scripture & Questions for Sunday (5/12/13)

Please Read Chapter 10 Standing Tall, Falling Hard
and 1 Samuel Chapters 1-4, 8-13, 15

Timeless Truth:  Obedience matters.
Chapter Summary (Have someone in your group read the summary section.

Blessing. This was meant to be the distinguishing mark of the people of God. God’s covenant with Israel required obedience and promised ultimate blessing. Yet, the period of the judges is anything but a time of obedience and blessing in Israel. More fitting descriptions are: Barrenness.  Blindness.  Battles.  Bereavement.  Blessing was hard to come by in those days. God’s people had abandoned God Himself, and “everyone did as he saw fit.” (Judges 21:25)  Few remembered God’s commands. Even fewer obeyed. 

 

But God always has a few. One was a woman named Hannah. She had long endured the grief of childlessness accompanied by the taunts of her husband’s other wife. On one of her visits to worship at God’s house in Shiloh, Eli, the priest, mistook her devotion for drunkenness. She had poured out her heart first in desperate prayer and then to Eli and vowed that she would dedicate her son to the LORD. Eli assured her that her prayer would be heard.  God did give Hannah a son, and she kept her word. She named the boy Samuel and took him to serve in the tabernacle under the High Priest, Eli. 

 

God spoke to Samuel one night when he was still a boy. God told Samuel that Eli and his sons would be judged and his priestly line would soon end.  And as it always does, God’s word came true, this time through the Philistines. Israel lost their first battle with the Philistines at Aphek and blamed their loss on the absence of the ark of covenant. Their own absence of obedience went unnoticed. They faced the Philistine army again, this time with the ark as their good luck charm and lost both the battle and the ark. Eli had grown old and blind, and the devastating news of Israel’s defeat, the death of his sons and the loss of the ark of covenant left Eli dead on the spot. 

 

Samuel took Eli’s place, but Israel was dissatisfied and asked for a king. Samuel knew better and expressed his opposition. God knew He’d been rejected. Israel knew only that they wanted to be like their pagan neighbors, the very people they were not to emulate. God warned that their demand for a king would be costly; that he would exploit them to the point of slavery.  The people ignored God’s warnings and still insisted on having an earthly king to fight their battles. Saul was anointed by Samuel and began well. He was affirmed by miraculous signs from God.  He fought the Ammonites and gave God credit for their victory. Samuel reminded the people that God had not rejected them, even though they had turned away from Him. He encouraged them again to follow God and serve him from the heart, and God affirmed Samuel’s words with unheard of thunder and rain during harvest. 

 

Saul’s honeymoon as king was short-lived.  During another battle with the Philistines, Saul got nervous; Samuel was late. So Saul took his authority too far and took matters—and offerings—into his own hands, violating the role God had reserved for the priests. Samuel confronted Saul; he backpedaled, made excuses, and tried to justify his sin, but wound up losing a dynasty. Saul’s path of half-hearted obedience and fear-based leadership grew longer by the year and more twisted with every step. 

 

God rejected Saul as king. Saul’s reign was Israel’s opportunity to see that monarchy is no better than anarchy when a man after God’s own heart is not on the throne. God had already chosen such a man, an unlikely shepherd boy who would one day become Saul’s successor.  His throne would endure and would point God’s people again to the Shepherd King who was yet to come. 

 

Questions:

1. Eli’s encouragement helped Hannah move from deep sadness to hope.  Share about a time when someone deeply encouraged you. 
2. What can we learn about prayer from Hannah and Samuel?
3. Compare the three fathers in the story: Elkanah, Eli and Samuel.  What were their best and worst traits?  Which of these traits do you wish you had more of?  
4. Samuel was probably about 12 years old when God called him to be a prophet to Eli and all of Israel.  He was required to speak the truth in love to his mentor and friend.  Have you ever been in this position?
5. The Israelites and the Philistines both treated the Ark of the Covenant more like a good-luck charm than the sacred presence of the LORD.  How might people today try to manipulate God for similar gain?  
6. Samuel is hurt when he sees that the Israelites want a king like other nations, instead of recognizing God as their king.  Do you ever struggle with a desire to be like the culture around you, instead of letting God rule your life?
7. You are on the search committee for the first king of Israel.  What would you look for in your applicants?  What were Saul’s actual qualifications?
8. How do you think Samuel would have described the “state of the union” at the end of his time as judge?  Where do you see God’s grace in his statement after the battle with the Ammonites?
9. Imagine you have a friend like Saul, who keeps taking matters into his own hands and ignoring what God’s word teaches him.  What advice would you give him? 
10. Chapter 10 opens with the beautiful story of Elkanah’s love and leadership of his family. The chapter closes with the story of Saul’s poor leadership of Israel and his self-love.  Compare and contrast the leadership styles of these two men.  In what ways is your leadership style similar to either one?  In what areas can you improve?  

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (5/5/13)

Don't forget Men's breakfast tomorrow morning at 8:00am

Timeless Truth:  God’s gracious redemption extends to all.

The story of Israel’s judges closes with a line that could just as well be the opening for the story of Ruth: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” (Judges 21:25) God’s chosen ones looked more like a reality show gone wrong than a holy beacon of hope. They had abandoned God’s plan (again) and had become moral misfits and spiritual adulterers. The light had gone out on God’s people. Then a foreigner stepped onto the stage and a candle of hope flickered once again.  

 

The story of Ruth is a literary and redemptive gem that glimmers against a backdrop of blackness. In the opening scene, Naomi’s family caravanned away from the Promised Land where famine had left them hungry for food and for hope.  They settled in Moab where idol worship was the prevailing ritual and God seemed far away.  Naomi’s two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth.  The weddings were too quickly followed by funerals—three of them. Naomi’s husband died first.  Soon after, both of her sons died too.  And all that was left was three widows, no children and no prospects.  The prospects were indeed grim.

 

Naomi heard the famine had lifted and decided to return to Bethlehem.  She sent her daughters-in-law back to their homes where they might find new husbands.  Ruth expressed her strong will and even stronger faith by refusing to leave.  Her poetic declaration of loyalty and commitment offers the first sign of hope: “Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people and your God my God.” (p. 100)  The duo of widows made the journey back to the Land of Promise where the only hope was mere survival. 

 

Once there, Ruth exercised a widow’s right to gather the extra grain from the fields.  Her field of choice just happened to be the farmstead of a godly man named Boaz.  He also happened to be a family guardian who could carry on the heritage of Naomi’s deceased husband and sons. He noticed Ruth from the start and admired the way she worked to provide for her aging mother-in-law. Boaz offered his help and protection; Ruth noticed him too.

 

Jewish law required a family guardian to redeem both a widow and her land to preserve the family line.  So, as was the custom, Naomi told Ruth to offer herself in marriage to Boaz.  He was delighted but also knew of a closer relative who had the right of first refusal.  That man chose to forfeit Naomi’s land since it also meant he would have to marry Ruth, which might threaten the inheritance he would pass along to his own children.  Neither Boaz nor Ruth was disappointed by his choice since his refusal paved the way for Boaz to fulfill his role as a family guardian or “kinsman redeemer.” Boaz gladly married Ruth and redeemed the family’s land. God cheerfully restored Naomi and planted a family tree: Ruth and Boaz à Obed à Jesse à King David à Jesus. 

 

There’s no denying this story as a great romance. But even more, it brings us to a defining episode in the greatest love story ever told.  Boaz’ love for Ruth is a mirror image of the heart of God.  Boaz steps in as a willing kinsmen redeemer and foreshadows One who would step in as the Redeemer for all people.  So it turns out the even the “not so chosen” are chosen after all.  God’s plan will overwhelm every obstacle, overturn every injustice and overcome completely in the end.  Soon, we’ll see that God is writing a happily ever after for this story after all. 

1. Meanings of Biblical names are always significant. Elimelek’s name meant “my God is King.”  Naomi’s name meant “my pleasantness,” but later asked to be called Mara, meaning “bitterness.”  Ruth’s name meant “friendship.”  Boaz’ name meant “swift strength.”  Who best lived up to their names and who did not?
2. Compare Naomi’s attitude at the beginning and end of this story.  How does her view of God and the Upper Story change?   
3. Look at Ruth and Boaz’s interaction with Naomi. What can you learn about the challenges and benefits of caring for an aging parent? What challenges do you face with your parents? 
4. The period of the Judges was marked by weak faith and irresponsible living, but this foreign woman gives hope. What specific examples of strong faith and responsible living can you find in the characters of Ruth and Boaz? 
5. The story of Ruth demonstrates laws that God had given Israel to take care of marginalized people (Deut. 25:5-10, Lev. 25:25, Lev. 19:9-10).  What do these laws and customs reveal about the heart of God for the poor, the widow and the orphan?  How could your group care for the less fortunate and thereby reflect the heart of God?
6. The love story of Ruth and Boaz stands in contrast to many of the “love” stories we hear today. What can single men and women learn from their example (note Ruth’s reputation in the community, p. 101, 102)  
7. The word for redeem is used twenty times in this story, making it a key theme.  What does it mean to be redeemed? How does Boaz’s redeeming of Ruth compare to our redemption found in Christ? 
8. What some people might call coincidence others call divine providence.  What are some key examples of God’s divine providence in this story?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (4/28/13)

A Few Good Men…and Women
Please Read Chapter 8 and Judges 2-4, 6-8, 13-16

The nation of Israel had a place to call home at last. Settling into the Promised Land enabled them to leave behind their wandering ways and fulfill one of the key promises to Abraham:  a land for God’s people to occupy.  But, failing to evict the Canaanites from the land, these pagan neighbors became a toxic influence on a nation called to be different.

 

After the death of Joshua, God’s people felt this pull of worldly culture and a destructive pattern emerged:  

• Israel turned again and again to the worship of pagan gods.
• God brought divine judgment.
• Israel cried out for God’s help.
• God raised up a judge to save them.

This cycle of sin became the pattern of life in Israel for the next 300 years.

Early on, Israel was conquered by the Canaanite king, Jabin. God appointed Deborah, a prophet, judge, and strong leader to deliver her people.  She and her military leader, Barak, defeated the powerful Canaanite army led by Sisera. He escaped and took refuge in the tent of a woman named Jael, who killed him while he slept.  Israel had been delivered for now, but the cycle would continue.

 

Israel was later oppressed by the Midianites.  God called Gideon out of nowhere to deliver His people. Gideon was pretty sure that God has mistaken him for some well-built four-star Israelite commander, and asked twice for a miraculous sign. God confirmed His intentions, and Gideon gathered 32,000 troops to take on the vast Midianite army.  God, however, trimmed their forces to just 300 men.  He used them to rout the Midianites, and the people enjoyed freedom…for a while.  

 

The cycle continued, and Israel was soon dominated by the Philistines. This time God prepared a deliverer by promising a child to a barren woman. This child, Samson, was to be raised as a Nazirite, who was set apart to God.  His hair was not to be cut and he was to drink no wine. He was well known for his superhuman strength and less than super character, especially in the company of beautiful women.  His second wife, Delilah, betrayed him by cutting his hair so he would forfeit his advantage and God’s favor.  Samson himself embodied this insidious cycle that had enslaved Israel, with his saw-tooth history of indiscretions and victories.

 

As a result, the Philistines took him captive and gouged out his eyes. But his hair grew back, and his strength returned.  Samson’s last day was his best one. He was brought into the Philistine temple to entertain their leaders.  He prayed to the LORD, collapsed the pillars of the temple and defeated the Philistines at last. 

 

God is never bashful about His intentions for His people. He never tolerates sin and, at the same time, never breaks His covenant with His people.  Israel may not have fully understood God’s discipline, but over and over He had to bring them to their knees in order to bring them to Himself. 

1. Israel is constantly running from the true God to other false gods. What are some of the false gods in our culture today? Which of them have you trusted?
2. False gods trigger a cycle: a web of sin, God’s judgments, crying out for help, and God providing deliverance. What are some destructive cycles you have seen in your own life?
3. Do you think that the Israelites did a good job of passing their faith to the next generation? How can we do this better in the church and in our own families?
4. How would you describe Deborah? In what way does her story influence your view of women in leadership?
5. Do you think Gideon’s request for a sign was an act of faith or an act of faithlessness? Does his faith change over time?
6. Your friend, Samson, confides in you that he has trouble with women but doesn’t understand why. What would you tell him?
7. In what ways was Samson a faithful man of God?  In what ways was he not?
8. What was Samson’s true weakness?  How can you deal with your weaknesses before they become your downfall?
9. Where do you see God’s grace in this chapter?
10. Which character in this chapter stands out to you and why? How can you be more like them?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (4/21/13)

Timeless Truth:  Faith is the victory.

Israel had spent the last 40 years on a road to nowhere. A lot can change in 40 years. All of the people who were slaves in Egypt had died, except for two, Joshua and Caleb. Moses had died too. Joshua had been his right-hand man, and he was Israel’s new leader. The wilderness of disobedience and defeat was behind them now, and a new generation camped at Canaan’s edge. 

 

A lot had changed during the wilderness years, but God had not. The promise He’d made to Abraham over 600 years before was about to turn into reality. The LORD spoke to Joshua saying, “Be strong and courageous, for I am with you.  Be careful to obey my law.” (p. 73) Joshua listened well. He had spied out the land as a young man and trusted God to give it to them as He’d promised.  Now he sent two spies into Jericho to appraise the land.  They were hidden in the house of Rahab, a prostitute who protected them from the king of Jericho.  She boldly confessed her faith in the LORD as the one true God who had given the land to Israel.  The spies responded to her faith by agreeing to save her whole family when they attacked Jericho.

 

This new generation of Israelites had heard the stories about crossing the Red Sea on dry land; now, their first steps into the Promised Land were taken across another patch of dry land when God parted the Jordan River – another highway leading into God’s promise. 

 

When they reached Jericho, the military strategy was unorthodox.  The priests marched the Ark of the Covenant around Jericho’s walls each day for six days.  On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times. Their parade concluded with the sound of trumpets and shouts as they completed a seventh circle around the city.  Amazingly, the walls of Jericho collapsed!  Jericho was destroyed and Rahab and her family were saved. 

 

The land of Canaan was a place of conquest and victory for Israel. When Israel obeyed, God faithfully delivered her enemies into her hands.  When they failed to trust Him, they missed out on the fulfillment of those promises. Even the temporary defeat at Ai caused by disobedience was later turned to victory when the people followed God’s command.  In the annihilation of entire cities we see God’s holy intolerance of sin. In the account of Gibeon we see God’s mercy extended to a people who were willing to follow the true God. After taking the entire region by force, Joshua divided up the land by tribe as Israel’s inheritance.

 

The chapter closes with Joshua’s final words as he recounts the stories of God’s faithfulness and deliverance. God will keep His promises. He will also let us choose whether or not we will participate in the blessings of His promises. These stories of God’s people are our stories too, and like Joshua we must, “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Joshua stated he and his “household [would] serve the LORD.”  (p. 83)  Which will you choose?

 

Questions

1. In the original languages both “Joshua” and “Jesus” mean “Jehovah saves.” How is Joshua’s relationship to Israel similar to Jesus’ relationship to the Church?

2. What basis did Joshua have for being “strong and courageous” (p. 73)?  Which assurances that God gives Joshua most strengthen and encourage you? 

3. What concerns might Joshua have had as he accepted the reigns of leadership from Moses?  What can we learn from the people’s response to Joshua that can apply to changes of leadership at our church?

4. Rahab told the two spies: “I know that the Lord has given you this land. . .” (p.74).  Upon what was her declaration of faith based?  How could she be a prostitute, so easily tell lies, and not be a part of God’s chosen people, yet be attributed with great faith?

5. Rahab hid the spies and then lied to the authorities when they came looking for them. (p. 74)  When, if ever, is it okay to lie?  How do you know?

6. Review the main points of the covenant that God made with Abraham. (See the summary for Chapter 2, also p. 11)  What examples can you find in this chapter that show God’s faithfulness to its fulfillment?

7. How does God’s command to annihilate entire cities fit into the Upper Story of the Bible?  In what way do these battle stories fit into God’s Upper Story?  (Hint:  review p. 69, especially the last paragraph.)

8. Some people doubt the Bible because of miracles like Joshua’s “long day.” (p. 79)  But some people, like Rahab, come to believe in God because of His miraculous works.  Discuss how you might respond to the skeptic who discounts the miraculous as myth. 

9. What character traits of Joshua most impress you?  Which of those would you like to be known for?

10. Joshua is known for his statement “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (p.83)  How can you lead your household to serve the Lord? 

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (4/14/13)

Please read Chapter 6 Wandering
Numbers 10-14, 20-21, 25,27
Deut. 1-2;4;6;8-9;29-34

God’s plan was clear: deliver His people through a series of miracles, defeat their enemies, give them a covenant and set of laws to make them a chosen nation, and provide them a land of promise. Simple, right? God speaks, the people listen. God delivers, the people believe. God provides, the people trust. Well, maybe not so much.

 

God always held up His end of the bargain: He always provided, always delivered, always kept His promises. It turns out the people were equally consistent: They always forgot, always questioned, always rebelled. Their lack-of-faith list was long. When daily bread fell from heaven, they craved a taste of Egypt. Even Moses’ siblings, Miriam and Aaron, grew jealous and undermined their brother’s leadership.

 

Then they reached Kadesh, and the perimeter of promise became a pinnacle of rebellion. Moses sent twelve leaders to spy out the Promised Land of Canaan. Ten of the twelve said the cities were too strong, the people too big and God was too small. Only two, Caleb and Joshua, trusted God. They encouraged Israel to go and take what God had given them, but the people complained and failed to believe.

 

Failure always begins with unbelief. So, Israel spent the next forty years wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. The faithless generation would die out before they set foot on the other side of the land of promise. Only Caleb and Joshua would outlive them all to eventually cross over into their inheritance.

 

Forty years later, the story comes full circle again to Kadesh, the edge of the promised frontier – and little had changed. The people needed water, so they did what they do best…they complained. And God did what He does best…He provided. The LORD pointed Moses to a rock. He told him to speak to the rock and water would pour out. Moses struck it with his staff instead. The water still gushed out, but Moses and Aaron had ignored God’s instruction and lost their right of admission to the Promised Land.

 

Moses then commissioned Joshua as Israel’s new leader before giving his farewell address. He reminded them of all that the LORD had done. He told them again about their special role as His chosen nation and how they would enjoy His blessings if they would simply love and obey Him. Then Moses died and was buried by the LORD.

 

The wilderness wanderings remind us that faith leads to life, and unbelief leads to death. Faith honors God, and God always honors the faithful.

 

Questions

1. When have you felt overburdened like Moses did? When have your burdens caused you to question God’s goodness? How might Moses’ honest conversation with God help you handle heavy burdens in the future?

 

2. Israel believed the report of the faithless spies out of fear. What do you think was the cause of their consistent lack of faith and trust?

 

3. The manna and quail episode ended in a severe plague (p. 56-58). What Upper Story lessons was God trying to teach? How do they apply to us today?

 

4. God asks the question: “How long will these people treat me with contempt?” (p. 61). Do you think their actions merit such a severe word as “contempt”?

 

5. Israel’s rebellion led to a 40 year punishment and kept an entire generation from seeing the Promised Land. How might you minister to someone whose life choices resulted in irrevocable consequences?

 

6. Moses is described as a “very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” (p. 59) What examples from his life illustrate this? How would you rate your humility level? (Yes, this is another trick question.)

 

7. Despite his years of service, Moses’ disobedience kept him from entering the Promised Land. What did Moses do wrong? Do you agree with the punishment? What does this teach you about God’s expectations for leadership?

 

8. Moses charged Israel with passing the commandments down to their children. What is your role in teaching the next generation? What are some practical ways you can serve as a parent, grandparent or mentor?

 

9. Carefully reread Moses’ farewell message (p. 68-71). How does he emphasize God’s Upper Story of redemption?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (4/7/13)

Read Chapter 5 and Exodus 19-20, 24-25, 32-34,40

Timeless Truth:  Be different – set apart – for God’s purposes

The journey had begun. And, like all journeys, there is a “from” and a “to”.  God saved Israel from slavery, and He saved them to become a holy nation – set apart for His purposes.  Israel was to be different than the pagan nations surrounding them; they were called to honor God and to point others to this LORD.  Just weeks after the exodus, God inaugurated a new covenant with Israel that, if obeyed, would shape them into the holy nation that He intended them to be. 

God had worked through Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and now they were assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai in the desert wilderness.  A holy God requires a holy people, so they were to consecrate themselves (p. 47) to prepare to meet with Him.  When God’s presence filled the top of Mount Sinai with thunder and fire the people were terrified.  They were invited to a direct relationship with the LORD, but opted for Moses to act as an intermediary on their behalf.  Moses met with God on the mountain and received the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone.  These commands and ordinances revealed God’s expectations for His covenant people.  This covenant was sealed with blood and ratified by Israel’s full commitment to obey. 

 

That commitment, however, did not have the spiritual character to back it up.    Just days after Israel agreed to obey God’s laws, they were up to their earrings in idolatry and then some.  While Moses was on the mountain with God, the people traded their golden opportunity for a golden calf.  When Moses caught sight of their depravity, he shattered the tablets and took immediate action.  He assembled the faithful and put to death the corrupt.  Sin, as always, was pricey, painful, and never worth the cost.

 

When God proposed to send Israel on to Canaan without Him, Moses prayed for God’s presence to remain.  God graciously agreed and promised He would remain with Israel, in the form of a cloud over the Tabernacle.  God then graciously answered another prayer of Moses to “Show me Your glory.” (p.54)  God  passed before him allowing Moses to only see His back because “my face must not be seen.”  What an expression of God’s compassion and grace!  After spending forty days with the LORD on Mount Sinai, Moses came down with two new tablets of the covenant law.  Moses’ face was so radiant after time with God that he had to be veiled because the people were afraid. 

 

God’s grace compels a devotion to Him alone.  He is a jealous God for our benefit; all other gods lead to sin and death.  His people are free – not to act anyway they want, but free to become who He created them to be – holy, different, and designed to point the world to him.  God didn’t just redeem Israel from slavery; He redeemed them for holiness.  Their freedom did indeed carry a purpose. 

1. What do the Ten Commandments reveal about the nature of God and His desire to have a relationship with us? (p. 49)?
2. What does it mean that God is holy?  What are the implications of God’s holiness as we seek Him?
3. Moses said, “Do not be afraid.  God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”  (p. 48).  How does the fear of God restrain sin?
4. The Lord spoke to Moses “as one would speak to a friend.” (p. 53)  What was there about Moses that God found so pleasing?  How would you rate your relationship to God, from 1 = Total Stranger to 10 = Close Friend.
5. God describes Himself as jealous.  What does this tell us about God?  Why is it okay for God to be jealous? 
6. How did Israel go from “Everything the Lord has said we will do,” to building a false god in scarcely over a month?  Why is it so easy to become forgetful of God’s mercies?
7. God reminded Moses that children live with the consequences of their parents’ sins (p. 54). How have your parents’ choices (good and bad) affected your life?  How are your choices possibly affecting your children?  What needs to change? 
8. God showed Moses His glory because He is “gracious and compassionate.”  Describe a time when God showed grace and compassion to you (yes, this is a trick question.)
9. After punishing the Israelites for the golden calf, Moses immediately sought reconciliation with God.  How should believers today hold one another accountable?  How can we do this gracefully? 
10. God describes Himself as compassionate, slow to anger, gracious and abounding in loving-kindness (p. 54).  Where do you see these qualities in this chapter?

Scripture & Questions for Easter Sunday (3/31/13)

Scripture for Sunday
Luke 24:1-12
The Resurrection

1  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb,  taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found  the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold,  two  men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were  frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you,  while he was still in Galilee, 7  that the Son of Man  must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and  be crucified and on  the third day rise." 8 And  they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they  told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was  Mary Magdalene and  Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and  they did not believe them. 12 But  Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw  the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

 

Questions for Reflection

1.    When was a time you told a true story that other people found hard to believe?
2.    What did the women do after the men had told them that Jesus had risen from the dead as He had predicted? (24:9)
3.    How did the apostles react to the women’s testimony? (24:11)
4.    Why did the apostles not believe the women? (24:11)
5.    In what way were Peter’s actions different from the other apostles? (24:12)
6.    Why did the disciples express disbelief even though Jesus had told them clearly that He would rise from the dead?
7.    What does this passage teach us about witnessing and evangelism?
8.    What does this account teach you about the people to whom God reveals His good news?
9.    How does this story encourage you to share your faith with others?
10. What should you do if others reject you or your testimony when you share your faith?