1. Would you risk dying
for?
Your country
Your family
Someone in trouble
A friend
For kicks
For romantic love
A belief that is important to you
For money
For advancement of medical or scientific knowledge
Many thousands of men and women
have
died for their country in wars. Others have risked dying for a
principle
they believed in, others have chosen to die rather than be separated
from
the one they love, or have given their lives so that someone else might
live.
BUT WHO WOULD DIE FOR A LIE?
Something they knew was a lie? No one would be dumb enough
for that!
How did the key followers of Jesus die?
Disciples & New Testament
Writers
|
Method of death for following Christ |
Peter, Andrew, Luke, James son of Alphaeus,
Paul, Phillip, Simon, Bartholomew |
Crucified
|
| Matthew, James son of Zebedee |
By sword |
| Mark |
Tortured to death |
| James |
Stoned |
Thaddaeus
|
Killed by arrows |
Jude
|
Murdered |
| Thomas |
Spear thrust |
| John |
Natural death (But had been boiled in
oil) |
They were flogged, tortured and finally killed. Why?
Because they would not deny:
That Jesus Christ rose from the dead and that Jesus Christ
was the Son
of God.
John 20:24-29 "But
Thomas said,
"First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my
finger.
I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won't believe
unless I do this!"
A week later the disciples
were together
again. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came in while the doors
were
still locked and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his
disciples
and said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put
your
hand into my side. Stop doubting and have faith!"
Thomas replied, "You are
my Lord and my
God!"
Jesus said, "Thomas, do
you have faith
because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without
seeing
me are the ones who are really blessed!"
2. What did Thomas
say that he had
to see before he would believe that Jesus had risen?
3. How did Thomas know it
was Jesus
and not just a vision or a ghost?
4. What was his reaction to
seeing
Jesus?
5. What was the reaction of
Jesus
to Thomas?
6. How do we know that Jesus
came
back to life again?
7. Why do you think the
resurrection
is so important?
8. What would you need to
see to
believe?
9. Why do you think the
early Christians
were willing to die rather than deny Jesus?
