Matthew 27:51-53
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This is the third week in our series Perplexing Passages. This sermon is called "The Resurrection of the Dead?"
Questions and going deeper resources
Small group questions
Connect Spend some time reflecting on the truths of God (from the Bible) of lasting and eternal significance for which we can be certain.
Warm-Up
- What parts of the Bible do you often skim over? What parts of the Bible would you like more information about?
- Why might it be helpful to look at where perplexing parts of the Bible fit in with everything else and focus on what the passage might be pointing to? When have you needed to do this before?
Read Matthew 27:45-53
- What is the main event Matthew is recording? Compare this account with the other gospels. Which details do they all include?
- Read verse 51-53 again. What details does Matthew include? What questions do they raise?
- How is there ambiguity in Matthew’s use of time? Which events are in the present and in the future?
- Can we know with certainty when the bodies of those raised to life came out of the tombs? Across all the gospel accounts, what can we know with certainty?
- Have you ever known someone to be fixated on a question of faith or of the Bible? Have you ever been fixated on a question? How might our questions sometimes prevent us from seeing the focus of the text and what God is trying to communicate to us through the Bible?
- What has helped you (or could help you) to focus on what we can be certain of?
- How is looking at the placement and purpose of a passage helpful to see what it points to?
- What happens to point to the power (and uniqueness) of Jesus’ death? What does each signify?
- What hope and confidence do you draw from the power of Jesus’ death? How can you grow in this?
Read Ezekiel 37:12-13
- Who raises the dead? How is Ezekiel and Matthew similar? What does this tell us about Jesus?
- Looking at Matthew’s account, who is resurrected first? Why is that important?
- What do we know to be certain about resurrection? What does this passage tell us about physical resurrection?
- How does Jesus’ resurrection give us certainty about our future in Christ? What helps to remind you on your frontline each day that our ultimate future in Christ is physical, eternal, and with God?
Apply What helps to remind you on your frontline each day that we await a resurrected future in Christ, that is physical, eternal, and with God? How does that change and shape your day to day perspective?
Prayer
Gracious Father, we thank you for sending us your son Jesus. Please by your Spirit, open our eyes to the power and our hope found in Jesus’ death and resurrection. We pray for those on our frontline who don’t yet know you, that they might grasp the forgiveness and life found in Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Going deeper resources
On Your Front Line this Week
What would advocating for truth look like for you this week?
For Families
- Download: some of the family resources to use at home: stbartskids.org
- Watch: “God’s Story: Balaam” by Crossroads Kids’ Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PaRIJ_hfNo
Listen, Watch, and Read
- Listen: “The Prophet Who Pleased Nobody” by Rupert Higgins:
https://bit.ly/3C3HsL3 - Listen: “The Donkey Speaks” by William Taylor:
https://www.st-helens.org.uk/resources/talk/50925/ - Listen: “God’s Promised Blessing” by Vaughan Roberts:
https://stebbes.org/sermons/gods-promised-blessing/ - Watch: “Numbers” by the Bible Project:
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/numbers/
Series Resources
- Book: “A Doubter’s Guide to the Bible” by John Dickson (available in the Church library)
- Book: “Reading the Bible for All It’s Worth” by Gordon Fee (available in the Church library)
- Book: “Modern Genre Theory” by Andy Judd
- Watch: “Writing Styles of the Bible & Why They’re Important to Understand” by the Bible Project:
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/literary-styles-bible/
