Jesus submitted to death for our sake
“I’ve always been puzzled by a prayer of Jesus just before His arrest. From what I’ve heard, it almost sounds like He didn’t want to die, and was even asking God to stop what was about to happen. Is this true?”
Answers
Christ's death and resurrection are equally important for our salvation
“In your opinion, which was more important, Jesus’ death on the cross or His resurrection from the dead? Some of us were talking about this the other day in our small group Bible study, and we couldn’t come to any conclusion.”
Like Christ's disciples, we can fail to understand His promises
“Why were Jesus’ disciples so depressed after He was put to death? Hadn’t He promised them that He’d come back from the grave? Why didn’t they believe Him?”
Christ's resurrection tells us we need not fear death
“Was Jesus really dead when they took Him down from the cross? I have a hard time believing that, because everyone knows that dead people just don’t come back to life — which is what you Christians claim Jesus did, don’t you?”
Christ's sacrifice makes this a very 'Good' Friday
“Why is the day on which Jesus died called ”
We, like Judas, can be deceitful and betray Christ
“Why did Judas betray Jesus? It’s never made sense to me, because for years he’d been close to Jesus, hearing His teachings and seeing His miracles. And anyway, why did the authorities even need to find someone to betray Jesus?”
As in his own day, many people still resist the message of Christ
“Out of curiosity, I read through one of the Gospels recently, and I was puzzled why some people opposed Jesus and even wanted to kill Him. It seems to me that they should have welcomed Him. It didn’t make sense to me. ”
Jesus willingly sacrificed himself for our sins
“Did Jesus know in advance that He was going to be put to death? If so, why didn’t He just back away or try to escape?”
Jesus did not come to defeat the Roman rulers, but to save our souls
“Why didn’t Jesus take advantage of His popularity and allow the people to proclaim Him their king? With such strong support He could’ve done a lot of good, it seems to me.”
Don't let exercise regimen come before your family responsibilities
“My wife gets after me because she says I spend too much time at the gym. I admit I do go there every day for several hours or so after work, but God wants us to take care of our bodies, doesn’t He?”
Pray that friend will learn the full meaning of Easter this year
“I have a friend who doesn’t bother with God or church most of the year, but as Easter approaches she suddenly gets religious—goes to church, observes Lent and so forth. Do you think she’s a real Christian, or is it all fake?”
A modern translation may help you understand the Bible better
“I don’t mean to offend you, but I’ve tried to read the Bible and found it kind of dull. And yet some of my friends find it exciting. What’s wrong? Why don’t I get anything out of it? ”