“And Laid Him in a Tomb” (Mark 15:42-47)

“AND LAID HIM IN A TOMB”

(Mark 15:42-47)

INTRODUCTION: Why is Mark’s description of Jesus’ burial so             detailed?

I. KNOW THAT JESUS WAS CLEARLY DEAD.

II. KNOW THAT JESUS WAS PUBLICLY BURIED.

III. KNOW THAT ALL WAS OPENLY WITNESSED.

Questions for Family Review/Discussion:

1. Tell about a memorable funeral you have attended.
2. What are some examples of people trusting their inner feelings more than objective, external evidence? Why, do you think, some people say “I feel” instead of “I think”?
3. As deeply entrenched as some people seem to be in the nonsense of trusting their inner feelings as reality, why can we be confident that they really know better? (See Romans 1:18-20)
4. What are some of the alternative theories that have been offered to account for Christ’s empty tomb, other than the biblical report that he rose again? What conspiracy theory has been suggested in this regard? What evidence would make that conspiracy theory virtually impossible?
5. What evidence does Mark supply that Jesus really did die? Why is this important?
6. The women who Mark names were present at both Jesus’ death and burial? Why is this significant? How does this demonstrate a secure “chain of custody?”
7. What are some reasons why the factual nature of Christ’s resurrection was so prominent in the Apostle’s proclamation of the gospel? Why is the same factual report muted today in much public preaching? What is lost when Christ’s real and actual resurrection is neglected in the church’s message?
8. Explain: “For many, the claims of Christ do not pose an intellectual problem but a moral problem.”
9. Explain: “The evidence for God’s existence and his authority and claim over our lives is so clear and compelling that our poor, lost contemporaries have been driven to irrationality as their last refuge.”