Week 3
QUESTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL THOUGHT AND SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
What Believers Believe, Week Three: Jesus in Human History
Before jumping into this week’s questions, please take some time to read slowly and carefully through Luke 1:26-45, 2:1-20; Matthew 1:18-25; and John 20:24-31.
As you begin your discussion time with your group, please take a moment to read or recite together the following words of the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,
and Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
Read Luke 1:26-45 out loud in your group.
What stands out to you as you read or listen to these verses? Is there a word or phrase you find particularly meaningful or insightful or possibly confusing? What are your immediate thoughts and responses to this passage of Scripture?
With regard to the matter of “Jesus in Human History,” what are some specific things mentioned in this passage that tie it to real times and places? Why does that matter?
Read Luke 2:1-20 out loud in your group.
What stands out to you as you read or listen to these verses? Is there a word or phrase you find particularly meaningful or insightful or possibly confusing? What are your immediate thoughts and responses to this passage of Scripture?
With regard to the matter of “Jesus in Human History,” what are some specific things mentioned in this passage that tie it to real times and places? Why does that matter?
Skeptics sometimes attack the virgin birth of Jesus because it’s only mentioned in two of the four gospels, but that’s not a very strong argument. Mark’s gospel is likely the first one written, is the shortest, and appears to be in a hurry to tell its story (the word “immediately” shows up 42 times). It’s no surprise, then, that Mark opens his gospel with Jesus as an adult and John the Baptist declaring the coming of the Messiah. John’s gospel, on the other hand, was the last of the four to be written and clearly goes to great lengths to include accounts and teachings of Christ not already found in the other three gospels. It begins with Jesus as eternally exist with God as God (see John 1:1), who later “became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14). So, while John doesn’t delve into the how’s of the incarnation, his whole “God became man” motif is entirely compatible with the concept of “conceived by the Holy Spirit” and “born of the virgin Mary.”
Additionally, there are very strong reasons for dating Luke’s gospel as having been written in the early AD 60’s – within thirty or so years of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. That dating means there would still have been plenty of witnesses who could verify that they’d heard Mary (or Joseph) speak of the angel’s visit or Jesus’ divine conception or perhaps that they’d heard the shepherds’ accounts of all they saw on the night of the Lord’s birth.
There has never been a shortage of skeptics or naysayers in the world. Are you ever bothered by them or some of the things they say? To be honest, a virgin birth and a resurrection from the dead are two very unusual occurrences. When did you become convinced of the truth of the gospel? Has there ever been a time in your life when you struggled with believing something in the Bible? If so, how did you come through it? What are some things that have helped you over time to become firmer in your faith?
Please read Matthew 1:18-25 out loud. If you think it’s hard for some people to believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, imagine how hard it was for Joseph. His reputation and honor were on the line, yet he was willing to set those aside to obey the Lord.
It’s often easier to believe or trust God when the situation doesn’t impact you directly. Can you think of a time you had to trust God in something that had significant ramifications for you or your family? If so, will you share it with the group?
Strangely enough, this portion of the creed also references Pontius Pilate as the historical figure behind the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus. As Pastor Billy noted Sunday morning, this naming of Pilate represents a significant historical detail that has been corroborated by various extrabiblical sources.
As followers of the Lord Jesus, we trust the Bible as God’s authoritative, written Word because that’s how Jesus Himself treated it. Nevertheless, the wealth of extrabiblical writings that confirm or support the biblical record is encouraging and noteworthy. At least seventeen different, ancient, extrabiblical sources mention the Lord Jesus or His followers. These sources include Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus, Lucian, and Pliny; and they corroborate more than fifty biblical details about Jesus, including His crucifixion and “rumored” resurrection from the dead. Christians trust in the Lord Jesus by faith; but it’s a rational faith, a reasonable faith, not a reckless or a blind faith.
Have you ever been accused of having “blind faith” as a follower of Christ? What is meant by the phrase “blind faith”? What are some wise, gracious, yet appropriately provocative ways you might respond to someone who accuses you of “blind faith”?
Read John 20:24-31.
How did Thomas respond to his close friends when they told him they’d seen the resurrected Lord?
The claim to have seen Jesus was astonishing, yet it was made uniformly by all ten of these men with whom Thomas had lived, prayed, traveled, and ministered for roughly three full years. And Thomas’ response to them was, “I will not believe it” (John 20:25b). Please note that Thomas’ response was not a mere expression of doubt or hesitancy; it was a flat-out refusal to consider their testimony, an intentional decision of his will to reject their word.
What’s the difference between struggling to believe and refusing to believe? Why do you think Thomas was so quick to dismiss out of hand the testimony of these guys he knew so well? What role does the credibility of a witness play in your likelihood to believe him?
Most of what we know about the Lord Jesus and His resurrection, we know from the testimony of His earliest followers.
How credible would you say they are as witnesses? What factors, if any, contribute to their credibility as witnesses? What factors, if any, detract from their credibility as witnesses?
In spite of Thomas’ stubborn insolence, the Lord later appeared to him. Jesus was not obligated to allow Thomas to touch the scars in His hands and side, but He did so anyway. Have several different people in your group read aloud John 20:29.
What was Jesus’ point in making that statement? How might you respond – wisely, graciously, yet provocatively – to someone today who tells you, “I don’t believe in anything I can’t see with my own eyes or touch with my own hands”?
On Sunday, Pastor Billy mentioned several factors that help validate the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus. These facts include: the overnight change in the attitudes and actions of the apostles, the immediate willingness of these Jewish disciples to offer overt worship to Jesus (in strict violation of Jewish law), the sea change in their understanding of the resurrection of the dead, the unanimity of their testimony (it’s hard to get eleven guys to stand together on anything), their willingness to suffer and die rather than change or recant their testimonies of having seen the risen Christ, the sheer number of eyewitnesses (over 500), the empty tomb and absence of a corpse, and the radical, overnight transformation in Saul of Tarsus.
Which (if any) of these historical facts do you find most helpful in strengthening your own faith in the resurrection? Why?