Week 1 - Hope in the Gospel
- How would you explain what the resurrection accomplished? Paul identifies both Christ's death and resurrection as essential to the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). We often explain that Jesus died for our sins, but what would be missing from our understanding of salvation if Jesus had not been raised?
- Can we believe something without understanding its implications? The Corinthians apparently believed Jesus had risen but denied the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12–13). What does their inconsistency teach us about examining the beliefs we've accepted? Are there other Christian truths we sometimes affirm without considering what they mean for our lives?
- How has our culture shaped our understanding of heaven? Some Greek thinkers considered death a release from the limitations of the body. Many Christians today picture eternity primarily as their souls going to heaven. Read Philippians 3:20–21 and 1 Corinthians 15:42–49. How does the promise of bodily resurrection challenge or expand your picture of eternal life?
- What would Christianity lose without the resurrection? In 1 Corinthians 15:14–19, Paul describes several devastating consequences if Christ has not been raised. Which of these strikes you as most significant or surprising, and why? What does it reveal about how much of our faith depends upon the risen Christ?
- Why does Paul call Christ the "firstfruits"? Read 1 Corinthians 15:20–23 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. How is Jesus' resurrection more than an extraordinary miracle or demonstration of God's power? How should the promise that his people will also be raised shape the way we face death or grieve the loss of other believers?
- What does it mean to be "in Christ"? Paul compares Adam and Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:21–22. Read Romans 5:17–19 for a fuller explanation. Why is it important that Jesus rose as the representative of a new humanity rather than merely as an individual who escaped death? What changes when we understand ourselves as belonging to him?
- What does the resurrection have to do with our justification? Romans 4:25 says Jesus was raised for our justification, and Romans 5:1 says that having been justified through faith, we have peace with God. What does it mean to be declared righteous before God through Christ? How should this change the way a believer approaches God when struggling with guilt, failure, or uncertainty about being accepted by him?
- How is being born again connected to Christ's resurrection? Read 1 Peter 1:3 and Ephesians 2:4–6. Both passages describe something God has already accomplished in believers, not merely something promised after death. How does this expand our understanding of salvation beyond forgiveness of sins and the promise of heaven?
- What difference does the living Christ make in everyday life? Romans 8:9–11 describes the Holy Spirit dwelling within believers. If Christ is alive and his Spirit is actively at work in us, how should that affect the way we approach temptation, prayer, spiritual growth, and our relationship with God? Where do you particularly need to live more consciously in this reality?
- How personal is your belief in the resurrection? Charles Spurgeon wrote, "The silver thread of resurrection runs through all the blessings, from regeneration onward to our eternal glory, and binds them together." Consider the benefits of the resurrection we've discussed: justification, new life through the Spirit, and future bodily resurrection. Which of these truths do you most need to embrace or live in light of right now, and what might that look like this week?