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Revisiting the Passion... and beyond

Revisiting the Passion – And Beyond 1.        At the end of the last study, there wasn’t much doubt about the fact that Jesus had died. But crucifixion could take days. Why did he die so quickly? Read Mark 15:44 2.        Crucified bodies were often left on display to discourage crime. Why was Jesus buried so quickly? Read Mark 15:42 3.        Who witnessed Jesus’ death? Who witnessed his burial? Read Mark 15:42,47, John 19:39 4.        Who witnessed his resurrection? Read Matthew27:62-66, 28:4,11-15 5.        How did the Roman soldiers respond to the resurrection? Do you think they believed what they’d seen? Do you think they convinced themselves of the story they told? How easy is it to talk ourselves out of supernatural experiences? 6.        How did the priests and elders respond to the resurrection? Do you think they believed what the soldiers told them? Do we ever tell people not to say something in case it throws doubt on our faith? 7.        How d

Road to Resurrection

Revisiting the Passion – Road to Resurrection 1.        We looked briefly at the 14 “stations” of the cross last week. This week we’ll look at them more closely. First, Jesus is condemned (1). In human, historical terms, who condemns him, how, when, where, and why? What about in Spiritual terms? 2.        Prisoners who were to be crucified were often scourged beforehand, especially if the death was not required to take too long. Do you know which gospel doesn’t mention Jesus being scourged? Read Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:1-4. What is different in John’s account? How is John’s emphasis different? 3.        Biblically, Jesus is condemned, given his cross (2) and led away. In the space of a few verses, someone else is compelled to carry the cross (5); Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus. Read Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26. Why do you think an event that is quoted in only three Bible verses is so well remembered? 4.        The 14 st