Jesus' Mission Fulfilled

Various Verses

Copied/Adapted from "Will the Real JESUS please stand up?" by Mark E. Ashton (1992)

[consider splitting this up into two lessons -- it is a bit long]

You may wish to review the challenge given at the end of last week if you studied Mark 12.

This study is different from the past lessons because it uses many more passages. You may wish to explain this to the group before you begin.

Read Mark 8:31-33

If the group asks about Jesus calling Peter "Satan", explain that Satan wanted to get in the way of God's ultimate plan (Jesus' crucifixion). Peter was Satan incarnate, nor possessed by him, but rather Peter was saying things more in line with Satan's plan than God's

Did Jesus indicate that he was going to be killed?

Did he try to avoid this death?

What can you conclude so far about Jesus' mission?

If this is not clear to the group, it may be good to explain that somehow Jesus' mission is related to His death and that is why he never tried to avoid this destiny. The specifics will become clear as we continue the study.

Read John 19:30-34 (also Mark 15:37-41 if the study is going quickly)

Were both Christ's followers as well as those who rejected his claims able to verify the fact of Jesus' death?

Name some of the witnesses there.

Read Romans 5:6-9 (also Romans 3:21-26 if the study is going quickly)

Why did Jesus die?

 

Transition

Jesus' followers made the incredible claim that they saw him after he rose from the dead. The reactions to this claim were as varied in their day as they are today. (Some threw those who believed this to the lions and others were willing to be thrown to the lions!) Let's take a look at the historical accounts of these claims.

Read John 20:24-29 (also John 24:36-43 is the study is going quickly)

Do people claim to have seen Jesus after he died?

Do they claim that they saw a spirit or a flesh-and-bones person?

How is this verified?

Are these people claiming to have seen Jesus resurrected from the dead?

Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Why did Jesus die?

Do you believe Jesus died for your sins and was raised from the dead?

Where do you stand with this?

When confronted with such an abundance of evidence for the resurrection, many skeptics will challenged the reliability of the New Testament. If you think this may become an issue, prepare to defend the reliability of the NT in a discussion after the study. If noBODYchallenges its reliability, there is no need to bring it up.