Lesson for April 19, 2023
The Doctrine of Christology
Lesson 7
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ coincided with the Jewish Feast of the First Fruits, where a portion of the harvest was gathered first and given to the priest for the blessing of the entire harvest. This feast pointed to the resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ as the first fruits for every believer. It was celebrated three days after the Passover. Paul wrote about “the first fruits” in I Corinthians 15:20-25. Jesus spoke of this when He described Himself as the grain of wheat that fell to the ground and died that it might spring to life and bring forth much fruit. The “fruit” is all those who believe in Christ as Savior. (John 12:23-24)
The uniqueness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ sets Him apart from all religious leaders. Furthermore, Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship. The word “religion” comes from two Latin words, “re,” which means “back” and “ligio,” which means, “to bind.” Combined, they mean “to bind back.” This is exactly what religion teaches – that we must, by our own efforts, “bind” ourselves back to God. The Bible teaches that it is impossible for us to “bind” ourselves to God by human good works. Therefore, it is faith alone in Jesus Christ as the payment for our sins that “binds” us to God. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; John 3:36)
God’s plan was for Jesus Christ to become a human being, live a sinless life, die on the Cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world, and be raised from the dead after three days, all in fulfillment of prophecy. (Job 19:25-26 – 1520 B.C.); Psalms 16:9-10 – 1000 B.C); John 2:19-22 – 26 A.D.)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is definitive proof that He is the Son of God, and that physical death has been conquered. For those of us who place our trust in Him, He guarantees us a resurrection as well. The divine power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that will raise all believers from the dead at the Rapture of the Church. This same power also enables us to fulfill God’s plan for our lives. (Romans 6:4,10-13)
There are some false theories of the Resurrection, in an attempt to discredit it:
- Swoon Theory: this theory says that Christ fainted on the Cross and then later revived. It is doubtful that Christ could have survived the spear that thrust into His side, and the Scripture says that when this was done by a Roman soldier, He had already died.
- Vision Theory: this theory claims that Christ was a vision, and not a human being. Historically, we know that Jesus was born, lived in Nazareth, and walked, talked, and ate. He even allowed Thomas to touch His wounds after the Resurrection. (Luke 24:39)
- Legend Theory: this theory says that a legend of Christ arose many years after His death regarding the Resurrection. Once again, we know that the Resurrection is true, being well-documented throughout the Word of God, and in secular history by Jewish historians such as Josephus.
- Falsehood Theory: this false theory claims that the disciples of Christ fabricated a lie when they said that Christ had risen. However, it is documented that Christ was seen by over 500 people after the Resurrection.
- His Disciples Stole His Body Theory: this false theory is that Christ’s disciples stole His body. The disciples could not have rolled away the stone covering the opening to the tomb. The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers. The tomb was empty when they arrived.
Post-resurrection appearances of Christ prove the reality of the Resurrection. Jesus appeared to the following people after His resurrection: to Mary Magdalene in John 20:14-18, to a group of women in Matthew 28:9, to Peter in Luke 24:34, to two men on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35. Jesus also appeared to ten of the disciples where they were assembled (Thomas being absent) and reappeared to them when Thomas was with them in John 20:19-29.
He appeared to seven disciples at the Sea of Galilee in John 21:1-23, to over 500 believers in I Corinthians 15:6, to James and all the disciples. Jesus then appeared to the eleven disciples (Judas had already hung himself) in Matthew 28:16-20, to His disciples at His ascension in Luke 24:50-51, to Stephen in Acts 7:56, to Paul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9 and to John on the Isle of Patmos in Revelation 1:12-20. The empty tomb and the Roman soldier who saw an angel roll away the stone at the grave are proof of Christ’s. resurrection. Matthew 28:2-15, John 20:1-10.
When Christ arose from the dead, it was a bodily resurrection. He still retained the scars in His hands, His side, and His feet. However, His resurrection body was a glorified body, which meant that His human body had been changed and was different. For example, His resurrection body was the same, in that He could still eat, He could be touched, He could be seen, He breathed, and His appearance was the same, though some did not recognize Him. Christ’s resurrection body was different in that He could walk through closed doors, He could move through space and time in an instant and He could appear and disappear at will. (John 20:14-19, 21:4-7; Luke 24:13-39)
Jesus was raised by all members of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He was raised by the Father. (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:24-31, 13:30; Romans 6:4; Ephesians 1:19-20) He raised Himself. (John 2:19-22, 10:17-18) He was raised by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 1:4)
The Resurrection is proof that Jesus was God in the flesh. (Acts 2:36; Romans 4) Without the Resurrection, the death of Christ on the Cross makes our faith null and void. (I Corinthians 15:14) The Resurrection is proof of the value of Christ’s death. (Romans 4:25, 10:9; John 11:25) The Resurrection is part of the Gospel message, God’s salvation solution. (I Corinthians 15:1-4)
The Resurrection is proof of the truth of the Word of God, which would be meaningless without the Resurrection. Our entire Christian faith depends on the Resurrection. (Romans 1:4-6, 5:9-10) The Resurrection is the first step in the exaltation of Christ. (Acts 2:14-36)
The Resurrection is necessary for the present work of Christ in giving life to believers (John 11:25-26), in indwelling believers (John 14:18-21; Ephesians 3:14-21; Colossians 1:25-27), in becoming their Intercessor (Hebrews 7:25), in giving spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:7-13), in giving believers power (Ephesians 1:15-23), in seating us with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-7), in being our Advocate (I John 2:1-2), in becoming our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), and in being our Chief Shepherd (John 10:16)
The Resurrection is necessary for the future work of Christ in assuring our resurrection, (I Thessalonians 4:13-18), in preparing a place for us for eternity (John 14:2-3), in becoming King of kings and Lord of lords in His millennial reign on earth (Revelation 17:14, 20:4-6), and in preparing the feast in Heaven for His bride, the Church. (Revelation 19:5-10)
The Resurrection is necessary for believers to become new creations in Christ. When Christ arose from the dead after three days in the grave, He rose to new life, never to die again. (Romans 6:9) In resurrection, Christ became the head of a new creation – the Royal Family of God. (I Corinthians 15:20-23; II Corinthians 5:17-21) Without the Resurrection of Christ, there could be no salvation, no eternal life, no Royal Family of God, and no new creation in Christ. (II Corinthians 15:12-19)
The Ascension of Christ to Heaven occurred 40 days after His resurrection. It was an event that is well-documented in Scripture, and anticipated by Jesus while He was on earth. Christ is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father, an exalted position above every created being, called the Session of Christ. (John 6:62, 7:33, 14:12,28, 16:5, 10, 16, 28; Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-52; Acts 1:6-12; Ephesians 4:8; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 4:14; I Peter 3:22)
Jesus Christ continues to minister to Church Age believers while He is in Heaven, by means of His indwelling of every believer. (John 14:18-21; Romans 8:10; Ephesians 3:14-21; Colossians 1:27)