Week 12: Part Three, Chapter 11 — "Resurrection: A Morning Beyond Belief"

1.Yancey begins by noting the strangeness of the resurrection appearances — Jesus appearing in a locked room, being unrecognized on the road to Emmaus, cooking breakfast on the beach. Why do you think the resurrection appearances are so odd and understated, rather than dramatic and public? What does this style of self-revelation tell us about Jesus?

2.Yancey engages the historical arguments for and against the resurrection — the empty tomb, the transformation of the disciples, the testimony of 500 witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6), the implausibility of a deliberate hoax. Which of these arguments do you find most compelling? Which feels weakest to you? Why does the evidence matter, even for faith?

3.The road to Emmaus story (Luke 24:13–35) features two disciples who are walking away from Jerusalem — away from hope — when Jesus joins them unrecognized. It is only in the breaking of bread that they recognize him. What does it mean to you that Jesus sought out the disappointed, the disillusioned, the ones walking away? Have you experienced something like that?