Lent Drama III: March 18th

(These come from our Confirmation Small Groups)

Questions For Further Thought:

In tonight’s skit, the Prosecuting Attorney attacked the integrity of the early church by implying that James was merely using his brother’s fame to come to power himself. This implies that Christianity as a whole is merely the result of a few people’s desire for power and prestige.

1) What do you think about this argument?

2) How might someone say the same thing about Christianity today? (Think about the hierarchy of the church, the power of the Pope, etc.)

3) How did the witness, James, and the Defense attorney respond to this claim? (Notice that James didn’t have a great argument, but could only say that he was caught up in the love of God through his experience with Jesus.)

4) What about you? Why would you say that you believe in Jesus and his resurrection? What would you say to someone who claimed the church was just a man-made sham? (Let the kids really think about this one, even if they don’t put answers into words. Point out that we trust the witness of James, Peter and the others and that this witness has been carried down over the years through the Bible and in the preaching and teaching of people like Pastor John, Pastor Nancy, and more importantly moms and dads, grandparents, etc.)


Bonus Question:
5) Some people still like to argue that Jesus was not raised from the dead and that the early church merely created the resurrection story to cover up his defeat. Can you think of any logical arguments against this theory?

(One of the best logical arguments against this idea might be the fact that the gospel accounts often show how much the disciples did NOT understand about Jesus and his teachings. They are often shown to be incompetent, unfaithful friends who don’t have a clue. If Christianity were merely a lie to maintain honor and prestige, why would they allow themselves to be portrayed in this way?)