The Resurrection Story
This research started when someone at house group asked why, when the disciples and followers of Jesus, had been with him for over 3 years, and Jesus had told them at least 3 times that He would be beaten, crucified, and rise on the third day, that they were very surprised and disbelieved when He rose again!
Jesus had talked to them about many things and they saw many miracles including seeing thousands healed, demons cast out and even people raised from the dead.
Perhaps He had not made Himself clear about what was to happen! Let’s check the scriptures to see what He said !
Matthew 16.21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Matthew 17.22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
Matthew 20.17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them,18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
I don’t know about you but that seems pretty clear to me. On the third day He will be raised to life.
We go now to Resurrection Sunday.
The grave was guarded with Roman soldiers and a very large stone closed the entrance.
Matthew 28 verse 2 tells us:-
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.
The tomb was empty and the grave clothes were folded neatly on the shelf so it was obviously not grave robbers.
Now the women, including Mary Magdelin, had come down to the grave not to welcome Jesus but to anoint His dead body. When they saw the empty grave their first thoughts were not that Jesus had risen as He had told them would happen but that someone had moved or stolen the body. Mary Magdelin rushes off to tell the disciples, who had scattered after the crucifixion, what had happened. She then returned and met Jesus although He had to tell her who He was!
Scripture tells us the response of the disciples when they were told although Peter and John went to the grave to investigate.
Luke 24.11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
In the afternoon 2 followers were walking to Emmaus when Jesus joined them and explained what the scriptures said about the event but they did not recognise Him until :-
Luke 24.30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
Finally in John 20.19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
At last they recognised that the Lord had been resurrected just as He had stated but why had they not understood the very clear statements He had given them before the crucifixion.
We must go back to Genesis to find the reason.
In the beginning in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were walking and talking with God with no barriers between them. Scripture says they were naked and unashamed. Their spirits were synchronised with Him and all was well with them until they broke the one rule that they had been given! They ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and although they did not physically die that day, their spirit died.
1 Corinthians 2.14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
Job 32.8 But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.
Jesus was talking with Nicodemus a Pharisee and part of the Jewish Council
John 3.3Jesus replied, “With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you are born again, you can never get into the Kingdom of God.”
3.12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
Until the disciples believed that Jesus had been resurrected, they could not be born again. The resurrection is very important because if God had not raised Jesus up then the crucifixion was all in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:17-19 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
When Jesus was talking to the disciples they had not been born again!
Once Jesus was sure that His disciples had understood the resurrection
John 20.21Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Their spirit was now open to God’s spirit! They had been born again. The way was now open for anyone who confessed their belief that Jesus had died for their sins and was raised from the dead would have their spirit renewed by the Holy Spirit.
Because the disciple Thomas had not been with the other disciples he was not ready to believe until he had seen the nail marks on Jesus’s body.
Jesus rebuked him and said. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That’s us!
The final question is why was Jesus not recognised by people He had lived closely with for at least 3 years?
A resurrected body is not the same as a body raised from the dead. A body raised from the dead still has the same appearance as they had before death. They will also still have to die again when their appointed time comes.
A resurrected body is a supernatural body that is not subject to the natural limitations of this earth like gravity etc and can freely move between heaven and earth. The person will also appear as they were in their younger days and have no afflictions or diseases etc. They are no longer restricted with death and will live forever.
Jesus would have been so beaten up from the crucifixion that there was no way that if He had only been raised from the dead that He could walk the 7 miles to Emmaus.
Lessons to be learned are:-
When we are talking to someone who has not been born again, be aware that some of the things and beliefs that Christian have, may not make sense to an unbeliever. We need the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom to say the right things.
A second thing to remember is when someone comes to Christ only their spirit is made new, they still must allow their minds or souls to feed their spirit and allow God through His Holy Spirit to feed their mind. They might still have addictions and problems but don’t try to push them to suddenly give everything up, that is the work of the Holy Spirit, and He is well able to do that. Our Job is to pray and encourage them. A mother does not abandon her new-born baby or expect it to feed itself and start walking, she nourishes it, loves it and protects it. We should do the same with new Christians but often we get them to say the sinners prayer and then leave them to find their own way. They need to be taught about the decision that they have made and the steps they will need to take later, like water baptism, baptism in the Holy Spirit and talking in tongues. If there is a small group for beginners, that will help, otherwise try and find a mature mentor that will get along side them that can help them through the early stages. Satan will try to distract them, so they need to be surrounded by prayer.
