12. What Will You Do?

We've all had those moments when we've been misunderstood. Maybe because of appearance, language barrier or simply using the wrong word, there can be confusion about what is really going on. When it comes to Christianity, I have found that there is a huge misunderstanding about what it's all about. Over the years I've had people say, "Well, I could never be a Christian because I find parts of the Bible offensive." In my ministry I've had people be offended about what the Bible says about money, women, creation, marriage, sexual ethics and many other things. My response typically goes something like this: I think every part of the Bible is important, one of the jobs of the Bible is to be offensive, to challenge us to be different. However just for a moment, put the ethical teaching aside: If Jesus was raised from the dead, you're going to have to deal with everything in the Bible. If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, you are free to ignore the Bible completely.  To understand Christianity one must start with the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Everything about the Christian faith is built upon this historical event...and if it is true you must change the way you live. Check out the conclusion of our journey through the Gospel of Mark and discover how Mark's unique ending is an open ended challenge to respond to King Jesus!