To be an eyewitness of the resurrected Jesus would have been a surreal experience. What are you supposed to do, after all, when you’re hanging out with someone who was no longer dead but now alive and glorified? You might try to stick your finger through the holes where the nails went through. Or maybe you would speak with Jesus about His apparent ability to teleport from place to place.
However you would have opted to act around Jesus, we should take note that He is not some fairy tale. He is not a myth. He is not a fictional character that a group of religious leaders conjured up. In fact, the early believers would have had nothing to gain by pretending these events happened. Rather, it’s a historical fact that He lived, died, rose from the dead, and then appeared to more than five hundred eyewitnesses over a forty-day period before ascending to heaven. This is how Luke, both a physician and the author of this book, wanted to set the stage for the rest of the book. He wanted his readers to understand that the Book of Acts is a continuation of the Gospels, intended to provide the story of what happened in the lives of the early believers after Jesus’ ascension to heaven. In our study of Matthew 28 and Acts 1, we’ll come to a better understanding of how we as followers of Jesus today fit into that larger story.
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults
Every week for Volume 4: From Captivity to the Wilderness, Ken Braddy, Lifeway’s director of Sunday School, will offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Adults.
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Students
Every week, student ministry leaders offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Students. Listen in as he shares:
- The main point of the session
- Any challenges and opportunities for additional discussion that may arise during this session
- Encouragements for leaders
Podcast (studentsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
A Final Reminder
Don’t forget, you can find tools to help you prepare and lead the discussion in the Additional Resources for this volume. We hope these are a blessing to you as you walk through this session together.
*This week’s leader devotional is written by Daniel Im. It is adapted from the daily devotions for Unit 27, Session 4 from The Gospel Project for Adults’ Daily Discipleship Guide.
