Resurrection

Christ's resurrection

• Christ's resurrection is a historical fact (Matthew 28: 5-10)-Matthew 28:5 (NIV) The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  Matthew 28:6 (NIV) He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Matthew 28:7 (NIV) 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.”  Matthew 28:8 (NIV) So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Matthew 28:9 (NIV) Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.  Matthew 28:10 (NIV) Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact.  After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.  They saw His tomb was empty.  And they saw an angel that spoke to them and said "I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He's not here; he has risen, just as he said."  The angel even invited them to "come and see the place where he lay."  The angel then instructed them to go quickly and tell the disciples.  So, we see this is something that really happened.  The reason this happened is so that people can see and understand that all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and receive Him as their personal Savior, will be guaranteed eternal life as heir in His Kingdom, and will one day be resurrected just as Jesus was resurrected.  At His Second coming when the trumpet sounds, our bodies will be raised from the grave and transformed into a glorified and eternal body able to go through walls, rooftops, etc.

• All people will be resurrected (John 5: 24-30)-John 5:24 (NIV) “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.  John 5:25 (NIV) Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.  John 5:26 (NIV) For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  John 5:27 (NIV) And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.  John 5:28 (NIV) “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice  John 5:29 (NIV) and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.  John 5:30 (NIV) myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

So we see in this passage that "all who hears God's word, believes in Christ, has eternal life, will not be judged, but crosses over from death to life.  The dead will hear the voice of Jesus, and will live.  So, just as the Father has life himself, he has granted the Son to have life also.  He has given His Son authority to judge; because He is the Son of Man.  This means He has the wisdom and experience of God and of man.  He has experienced life here on earth as a human being and has the ability to judge all who have ever lived on earth.  We should not be amazed although this is extremely amazing revelation from God himself.  But, the time is coming when all who have passed away and their bodies lay in graves will hear God's voice!!!!!!!!  The dead will come out of their graves; those who accepted Christ, and lived honorably will rise to live eternally in heaven with Jesus for all eternity, and those who did not believe in Christ, nor live for him will rise to be judged and condemned to eternity in hell.  As children of God, there's nothing we can do without direction from God Himself.  We must hear from God, judge justly as God judges, and seek to please God only.

• Jesus promised to raise his followers (John 6: 38-40)-John 6:38 (NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.  John 6:39 (NIV) And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  John 6:40 (NIV) For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Jesus has promised to raise His followers.  He came to do God the Father's will.  All who have been given to the Son by the Father will not be lost.  He will raise them up at the last day.  His Father's will is that all who look to Jesus, believe in Him, shall have eternal life, and will be raised up at the last day when the trumpet sounds at the Second Coming of Christ.

• We know we will be resurrected (John 11: 24-26)-John 11:24 (NIV) Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  John 11:25 (NIV) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

All who believe in Jesus will live eternally even though they die.  Jesus spoke the words to Martha when her brother Lazarus died.  He said "I am the resurrection and the life.  The one who believes in me will live, even though they die."

• We will experience resurrection (Romans 6: 3-11)-Romans 6:3 (NIV) Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  Romans 6:4 (NIV) We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  Romans 6:5 (NIV) For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  Romans 6:6 (NIV) For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--Romans 6:7 (NIV) because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.  Romans 6:8 (NIV) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  Romans 6:9 (NIV) For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.  Romans 6:10 (NIV) The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  Romans 6:11 (NIV) In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We will experience resurrection like Jesus has.  Everyone who has believes in Christ, is baptized, also gets baptized into His death.  What this means is that we also will experience what He experienced after His death.  At His Second Coming, we will rise from our graves to live eternally with Him in His Kingdom.    At death, everyone gets set free from sin.  You are no longer able to sin after you die.  So, when we die, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we also will be raised from our graves, to live with Him for all eternity.  Since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again.  Death cannot have power over His eternal and glorified body.  His death paid the penalty of sin for all who believe in Him.  The life He now lives, He lives for God.  Likewise, we also should count ourselves dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 

• Jesus' resurrection is the foundation of Christianity (1 Corinthians 15: 12-21)-1 Corinthians 15:12 (NIV) But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  1 Corinthians 15:13 (NIV) If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  1 Corinthians 15:14 (NIV) And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.  1 Corinthians 15:16 (NIV) For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.  1 Corinthians 15:17 (NIV) And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.  1 Corinthians 15:18 (NIV) Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  1 Corinthians 15:19 (NIV) If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.  1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV) But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  1 Corinthians 15:21 (NIV) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

The foundation of Christianity is the fact that Jesus raised from the dead.  Some people do not believe that there is resurrection of the dead.  I do not understand how they do not believe even after Christ Himself has risen after death.  Without the resurrection of Christ, we would have no faith in resurrection, nor eternity in heaven with Christ Jesus.  Therefore, we would all be condemned in sin.  However, we know that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.  This is the first blessing that those who have passed away in Christ will receive.  Since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, they (man and woman) brought on death to humanity.  Likewise, Christ brought on the resurrection of the dead.

• Our resurrected bodies will be eternal bodies (1 Corinthians 15: 51-53)-1 Corinthians 15:51 (NIV) Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--1 Corinthians 15:52 (NIV) in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  1 Corinthians 15:53 (NIV) For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

The point of our resurrection is to receive our eternal bodies to live in God's Kingdom for all eternity.  So, we know that we will change to become a glorified version of who we are now.  We will become immortal.  We will receive a new glorified body that will be able to fly, go through walls, roofs, and we will no longer feel pain, sickness, sorrow, etc.  We will live in eternity in peace with God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit which lives with us now.  To God be the glory forever! Amen!

We hope that this study is helpful to you to better search the Holy Scriptures, and understand what happens to those who die in Christ, and to those who do not believe or live for Christ.  May you all be blessed, and continue the good fight of faith, until the next study!