Lesson 7 Review: Christ’s Victory Over Death

 

Introduction

Memory Text: “When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man, He put his right hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the One who lives; I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and to the place of the dead’ ” (Rev. 1:17, 18, NKJV).

Christ’s victory over death is seen in His resurrection. If Christ had not risen then we who believe in Christ would be among all men the most pitiable, for if the dead in Christ perishes after death, then it means there is no hope.

How did the Chief Priests also provide evidence that Jesus is risen?

They made the tomb as secure as possible just in case the disciples might steal the body and might claim that Jesus had been resurrected.

Who was directly involved in the resurrection of Jesus?

God was directly involved in the resurrection. An angel of the Lord was also involved in this glorious event, the angel came down from heaven and rolled the stone away.

What were the reactions of the religious leaders at the news of Christ’s resurrection?

They most have been disconcerting to the religious leaders when they knew that Jesus had risen, they gave money to the guard who brought the news to them for them to conceal the saying.

What incredible thing happened at the resurrection?

Many bodies of the saints were raised from the grave, they were witnesses to the people of Christ’s own resurrection. According to Ellen G. White, they ascended with Him as trophies of His victory over death and the grave. The existence of these resurrected saints contradicted and invalidated the lies of the religious leaders.

How did the disciples react when they first met the risen Christ?

When the disciples first saw the risen Christ they were frightened and terrified, but then they were filled with joy and marveled at what had happened. Thomas who was not with them when Jesus first met with His disciples doubted that Jesus had risen, but He believed when He felt the scars made from His crucifixion.

How did Jesus reveal Himself to other people?

He first revealed Himself to Mary and other women with here, He had also seen about five hundred brethren at once, James saw Jesus too. Jesus also met with some of the disciples and joined them for breakfast at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus might have also made other appearances before His ascension.

According to Wayne Grudem, what does it mean that Christ is called ‘the first fruits' of those who have died?

‘Paul uses the metaphor that we will be like Christ. Just as the ‘first fruits’ or the first taste of the ripening crop show what the rest of the harvest will be like for that crop, so Christ as the ‘first fruits’ show what our resurrection bodies will look like when in God’s final ‘harvest’, he raises us from the dead and brings us into his presence.” – Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), p. 615.

As a follow-up question to the previous question, does it mean we will still have scars from our sufferings on earth?

No, we will not have marks/scars from our previous sufferings, for we will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:50-54), but the marks that Jesus reserved on Him, was to forever tell the price He had to pay and what He went through to save us from our sins.

In Conclusion,

Christ is the ‘first fruits’ of the dead, since Jesus was resurrected from the grave, we also will be resurrected from the grave but not with marks from our sufferings, though many may doubt Jesus’ resurrection, there is much evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to many even though the religious leaders did their best to stop any supposed resurrection of Jesus, they only succeeded in proving more evidence for His resurrection. If we too, believe in Jesus, we will be resurrected like Him, I pray that God gives us the grace to believe in Jesus so we can be raised as He was raised in Jesus’ name.