Bible Reading: Matt 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
"Resurrection of the dead" is the fifth of the six principles referred to as "foundational" in Hebrews 6. A commitment in heart and mind to the revelation of the Word of God concerning "resurrection" is essential to a sound foundation. Error or weakness here, will affect the whole structure of Christian life. It is faith in a resurrected Christ that gives meaning to our certain hope of the resurrection of our own bodies in the future. In fact, Paul says "... no resurrection . . . our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Cor. 15:13,14). There are three resurrections in the New Testament to which our faith must relate.
"Resurrection" means "a raising up or rising up". In its verb form it means, "to cause to stand up or rise; to raise up; to raise from sleep, and from the dead."
Matt. 28:6 - "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” (The angel speaking to the two Marys)
1 Cor. 15:20 - "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. . . "
Also Acts 2:24; 3:26; 4:10; 5:3; 13:33-34; 13:37; Rom 4:24; 8:11; 8:34; 1 Cor. 6:14; 2 Cor. 4:14; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 1:20; 1 Thes. 1:10; 2 Tim. 2:8.
Acts 1:3 (JBP) ~ "After His suffering HE SHOWED HIMSELF ALIVE TO THEM in many convincing ways, and APPEARED TO THEM REPEATEDLY over a period of forty days talking to them about the affairs of the kingdom of God."
1 Cor. 15:5-8 —"and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
Also: Matt. 28:17; Mark 16:9; 16:14; John 20:18-20; 21:14; Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33; 10:40-41; 13:30-31
John 2: 19-22 — "Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. "
Luke 23:55-24:3 - "The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus."
Luke 24:36-40 - "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet."
John 20:27-28 - "Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!"
Acts 2:30-31 (NIV) — "But he was a prophet (David), and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay." (Peter is referring to Psalm 16:9-11)
1 Cor. 15:1-4 (Weymouth) - "But let me recall to you, brethren, the Good News which I brought you, which you accepted, and on which you are standing, through which also you are OBTAINING SALVATION, if you bear in mind the words in which I proclaimed it - unless indeed your faith has been unreal from the very first. For I repeated to you the all-important fact which I had been taught, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that He was buried, AND WAS SEEN by Peter, and then by the Twelve."
Rom. 10:9 (ASV) - "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
a. JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD
Rom. 1:4 (Amp.) - "And (as to His divine nature) according to the Spirit of holiness, was OPENLY DESIGNATED THE SON OF GOD in power - in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner - by His RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, even Jesus Christ our Lord, the Messiah, the Anointed One."
b. DEATH IS DEFEATED
Rom. 6:9 (JBP) - "We can be sure that the RISEN CHRIST never dies again - death's power to touch Him IS FINISHED!"
c. JESUS CHRIST IS SUPREME OVER ALL CREATED BEINGS
Matt. 28:18 - "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Eph. 1:19-23 (JBP) - "That power is the same divine energy which was demonstrated in Christ WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD and gave Him the PLACE OF SUPREME HONOUR in Heaven - a place that is INFINITELY SUPERIOR to any conceivable command, authority, power or control, and which carries with it a NAME FAR BEYOND ANY NAME that could ever be used in this world or in the world to come. GOD HAS PLACED EVERYTHING UNDER THE POWER OF CHRIST and has set Him up as HEAD OF EVERYTHING for the CHURCH. For the Church is His Body, and in that body lives fully the One Who fills the whole wide universe."
d. THERE IS A MAN ON THE THRONE OF THE UNIVERSE
Heb. 10:12 (NASB) - "but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,"
e. BELIEVERS ARE JUSTIFIED
Rom. 4:25 — "He (Jesus our Lord) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."
f. THERE IS A NEW LIFE SOURCE FOR MEN
1 Pet. 1:3 - "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
g. FUTURE JUDGEMENT IS ASSURED
Acts 17:31 - "For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."
Amp. - "Because He has fixed a DAY WHEN HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD RIGHTEOUSLY (justly) by a MAN Whom He has destined and appointed for that task, and He has made this credible and given conviction and assurance and evidence to everyone BY RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD."
Study Questions for Lesson No. 13
Back to Lesson 12 - "Laying On of Hands (2)"
Read Lesson 14 - "Resurrection (2)"