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Lesson 29 – The Resurrection, Ascension and Session of Jesus Christ

Lesson 29 – The Resurrection, Ascension and Session of Jesus Christ

Lesson for July 7, 2021

The Life of Christ

The Resurrection, Ascension and Session of Jesus Christ

The Resurrection

(Matthew 27:57-28:15; Mark 15:42-16:1-14; Luke 23:50-24:1-49; John 19:38- 20:1-23)

The uniqueness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ sets Him apart from all human beings.  In the Person of Christ, God manifested Himself to all mankind. This was planned in eternity past with each of us in mind. The purpose of this plan was to resolve the Angelic Conflict. You may recall it as the rebellion of Satan with one third of the angelic host against God.  In order to resolve this conflict and show Satan and the fallen angels that God was fair in sentencing them to the Lake of Fire God created man.  If throughout the history of the world, only one person trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, it would prove that God was just in His sentence.  As we know, many have trusted Christ as Savior and Satan’s doom is sure.

The Order of Events

  1. The earthquakes, and the angel roll away the stone – Matthew 28:1-2
  2. Three women come to the tomb – Mark 16:1
    1. Mary Magdalene
    2. Mary, mother of James
    3. Salome
  3. Mary Magdalene leaves to find the disciples – John 20:1-2
  4. Mary and Salome see the angel – Mark 16:5-6
  5. Mary Magdalene finds Peter and John returns to the tomb – John 20:2
  6. Peter marvels at what he had seen – Luke 24:12
  7. John believed Jesus had risen – John 20:8
  8. Mary Magdalene does not recognize Jesus – John 20:11-18

Post-resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ

  1. Pre-ascension
    1. To Mary Magalene – John 20:14-17
    2. To other women – Matthew 28:9-10
    3. To Peter – I Corinthians 15:5; Luke 24:34
    4. To believers on the road to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-33; John 19:25
    5. To ten of His disciples (minus Thomas) – John 20:19-25
    6. To the eleven disciples (with Thomas) – John 20:26-29
    7. To seven of the disciples by the Sea of Galilee – John 21:1-23
    8. To more than 500 believers – I Corinthians 15:6
    9. To James, the half-brother of Jesus – Galatians 1:19; I Corinthians 15:7
    10. To the eleven disciples on the mount near Galilee – Matthew 28:16-20
    11. To an unnumbered group of believers at the ascension – Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11
  2. Post-ascension
    1. To Stephen – Acts 7:55-56
    2. To Paul on the road to Damascus – Acts 9:1-8, 22:6-11, 26:13-18; I Corinthians 15:8
    3. To Paul in Arabia – Galatians 1:1-17
    4. To Paul on several occasions – Acts 18:9-10, 22:17-21, 23:11; I Corinthians 9:1
    5. To John on the Isle of Patmos – Revelation 1:12-20

Christ’s Resurrection Body

    1. Retained the nail prints – Zechariah 12:10 with John 20:25-27
    2. Retained the scar of the wound in His side – John 20:25-27
    3. It was recognizable as a human body – Luke 24; John 20:26-29
    4. His body could be touched – Luke 24:39-40
    5. He breathed – John 20:26
    6. He carried on conversations – Luke 24; John 20:26
    7. His voice was recognizable – John 20:16
    8. His body had flesh and bones- Luke 24:39-40
    9. He ate – Luke 24:30, 43
    10. His body’s structure was different because He just appeared and disappeared – John 20:19,26; Luke 24:17, 36
    11. He could move vertically and horizontally – Matthew 28:10; Acts 1:9-10

Facts Regarding the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

    1. His humanity was resurrected because it was His humanity that died – Luke 24:39
    2. Evidenced by an empty tomb, which was witnessed by friends, family, and followers – Matthew 28
    3. Religious leaders attempted to suppress information regarding the resurrection – Matthew 28:11-15
    4. Jesus Christ is the only Person in history to be resurrected (some were resuscitated – arose and later died) – John 11:1-44
    5. Because of His resurrection, believers will also be resurrected – II Corinthians 4:14; Philippians 3:21; I John 3:1-2

Prophecy of the Resurrection

    1. Job 19:25-26 (1520 B.C.)
    2. Psalms 16:9-10 (1000 B.C)
    3. John 2:19-22 (26 A.D.)

Participation by the Trinity

    1. The Father – Romans 6:4; Ephesians 1:19-20; Colossians 2:12; I Thessalonians 1:1
    2. The Son – John 10:10-18
    3. The Holy Spirit – I Peter 3:18

Doctrinal Significance and Application of the Resurrection

    1. Indicated the completion of justification – Romans 4:25
    2. Jesus Christ became our Mediator, equal with God and equal with man – Hebrews 9:15; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25
    3. Set up the priesthood and Jesus Christ became our High Priest -Hebrews 10:5,10-14, 7:28; I Peter 2:5-9
    4. Fulfilled the Davidic Covenant – Psalms 89:20-37; II Samuel 7:8-16
    5. Without the resurrection, Christ could not be glorified, and the Holy Spirit could not have been given – John 7:39
    6. Resurrection is the guarantee of ultimate sanctification – I Corinthians 15:20-23; I John 3:1-2; Philippians 3:21
    7. The doctrine of the Resurrection gives the believer hope in this life – I Corinthians 15:19

The resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the believer not only eternal life, but also a glorified resurrection body. The glorified body of the believer will be like that of Christ. For those Church Age believers who die before the Rapture occurs, their soul and spirit go into the presence of the Lord. At the Rapture, the soul and spirit are returned to the glorified body. (I Corinthians 15:51-57; II Corinthians 5:1-8; Philippians 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I John 3:2)

The Ascension of Jesus Christ

(Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11; Ephesians 4:8-9)

Mark16:19, “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” After the Resurrection, Jesus Christ led a group of His disciples to a place near Bethany and there He ascended to Heaven. Upon His entrance into Heaven, Jesus was seated at the right hand of God. The payment for sin by our Savior was accepted by God the Father as evidenced by the place of honor that He was given in Heaven. This acceptance also means that we are accepted. The believer is seated positionally with Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father. The humanity of Jesus Christ is now higher in order than the angels (while He was on earth His humanity was lower in order than the angels). Because in Christ we are positionally higher than angels, we have guardian angels that serve us. (Ephesians 1:6, 2:6; Hebrews 1:13-14, 2:9-11, 10:10-14)

Jesus prophesied that He would ascend into Heaven and return to God the Father in John 3:13; 6:62; 14:2, 12; 16:5, 10, 17, 28. The Ascension was visible because the disciples could see Jesus going up into the atmospheric heaven until a cloud hid Him from their view. The resurrection was bodily in that it was His body that ascended. He was received by clouds. Jesus went up in the clouds of Heaven, the very clouds that hid the rest of the Ascension.

The Ascension concluded with the arrival of Christ into Heaven. This is so important that fifteen specific passages speak of His arrival into Heaven. (Acts 3:20-21; 9:3-6; 22:6-10; 26:13-18; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:16; I Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:14; 6:20; 7:26, 9:24; I John 2:1; Revelation 1:17; 5:5-12)

Jesus prophesied when He said He would go to the Father, and the Ascension fulfilled it. (John 14:28) The Ascension means that Jesus is preparing a place for us. (John 14:2). The Ascension means that God the Father has exalted His Son above every creature and given Him a name that is above every name. Upon His arrival into Heaven, it completed the Exaltation of Christ. (Ephesians 1:19-23; Philippians 2:9-11) The Ascension means that Christ is the head of the Church. (Colossians 1:18) The Ascension is means that Jesus in His humanity is seated at the right hand of God the Father. (Acts 2:32-35) The Ascension means that Christ has become our High Priest making intersession for us. The Ascension began a new type of ministry in which the Holy Spirit permanently indwells believers.  (John 7:39, 16:7; Acts 2:33). The Ascension means that Jesus Christ is our forerunner into Heaven; we will follow Him. (Hebrews 6:20) The Ascension means that because Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father that believers are seated at the right hand of the Father, as well (positionally). The Ascension means that the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit could be given. (Ephesians 4:7-11) The Ascension means Christ will come again in like manner as he left, in the clouds of Heaven. The Ascension means that the Old Testament saints are now in Heaven. Before His ascension, the Old Testament saints were in a compartment of Hades called Paradise. When Jesus ascended, He took the Old Testament saints with Him to Heaven. (Ephesians 4:8)

The Session of Jesus Christ

Hebrews 1:4, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

Session means a sitting or to be seated. Theologically, the session of Jesus Christ means that upon His entrance into Heaven, after the Ascension, He was seated in the place of highest honor at the right hand of God. This demonstrated that the justice and righteousness of God the Father regarding sin were completely satisfied by the death of Christ on the Cross.