A young British lawyer set out to expose the resurrection as a fraud once and for all, and ended up writing a book that, in his own words, refused to be written. That story opens a reflection on the morning when an empty tomb turned everything around, and on the commission Jesus gave his disciples on a mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28). The sermon asks what happened to a group of frightened people locked in an upper room that sent them to the ends of the earth and cost them their lives. Listen and see whether a new beginning is not also a new assignment.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- According to Matthew 28:1-20, the women leave the tomb filled with fear and great joy, while the chief priests pay the soldiers to spread a false story. What do these two reactions tell us about how people received the news of the resurrection?
- Jesus tells the disciples that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him, then sends them to all nations with the promise that he is with them always. Why are these three elements so closely connected?
- The speaker asks what made the frightened disciples leave the upper room and become willing to give their lives as witnesses. How do you answer that question, and what does your answer say about the truth of the resurrection?
- The sermon stresses that the disciples' courage needed two things: meeting the risen Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit. How are these two at work in your life of faith today?
- The speaker contrasts religious observance at the big holidays with a living relationship with Jesus, who wants to enter our lives and stay with us. How do you recognize the difference between the two in your own life?
- The sermon cites surveys showing that fewer than half of Poles believe in the resurrection, and calls us to go out to people with the good news. Who can you tell this week what the living Jesus means to you?
