350. ALIVE FROM THE DEAD
€ And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins"
With the above words the Apostle Paul emphasises the importance of the doctrine of Christ's resurrection. The fact of the empty tomb has shaped the course of the last two thousand years of history, and has determined the Ruler of the next one thousand years, for the glorified Lord will return and reign in righteousness and peace; God has given assurance of this "unto all men in that He hath raised him from the dead".
The aim of this lesson is to show the indisputable evidence that Jesus rose from the dead, and the significance and importance of this for us.
Matthew 27:62-66; Luke 24:1-47
A FINAL PRECAUTION.
Jesus died on the Day of Preparation and the following day was a Sabbath (Matt. 27:62; Lk. 23:54). The chief priests and Pharisees were still troubled lest their plans to take Jesus should fail. Fear gripped them as they mocked him, for the heavens were darkened and the earth shook. They were further disturbed when the veil of the Temple was inexplicably rent from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51). These were ominous signs (cp. Psa. 18:6-8). If they were to succeed (against God!) then they must take every precaution. So they sought from Pilate a special guard of Roman soldiers to ensure that the sepulchre was seal ed until the third day. They feared that his disciples would steal his body from the tomb and claim "the deceiver" was raised from the dead. The governor agreed to the request: "You have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can". And so they did, rolling the stone across the doorway and setting a guard.
It is pathetic to see the leaders of the chosen nation assiduously preparing to thwart the resurrection of their Messiah! Yet their actions have served to confirm the historical truth of the resurrection of Christ. For whoever hated Jesus more than these elders? Who in all the centuries since could have been as sure to have meticulously watch ed the tomb? If that stone moved, then it must have been God who did it!
THE WOMEN FIRST TO THE TOMB (Lk. 24:1-10).
When the Galilean women departed from the tomb after closely observing the burying by Joseph and Nicodemus, they had resolved to return with spices and ointments to complete the embalming of the body (Lk. 23:55-56; Mk. 16:1). And so, having rested on the Sabbath, they came at early dawn (RV) of the first day of the week to the tomb, questioning among themselves who would roll away the stone (cp. Mk. 16:3). On arrival, they found to their amazement that the stone was rolled away from the door of the sepulchre and, furthermore, that the body of their Lord was not within the tomb! Their consternation was then turned to fear for within the tomb of death two immortal angels in shining garments announced that the Lord had risen: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here but is risen!" So the tomb of death had been conquered and had become the birthplace of life (2 Tim. 1:10). Sin, the captor of all mankind, had now been led captive (Eph. 4:8; 1 Cor. 15:55). It is striking to note the angels' recognition of the Lordship of Christ, and how they refer respectfully to his earlier words concerning rising from the dead (cp. Matt. 28:6; Lk. 24:7-8).
In fear and wonderment the women hastily retraced their steps through the quiet streets of Jerusalem. They burst in upon the com pany of the sad and disillusioned disciples (cp. Mk. 16:10). The news was too good to be true, and so the report of the excited women "seemed to them as idle tales and they believed them not!" (v.11).
Peter, however, probably accompanied by John (cp. Jn. 20:3-4), set off for the tomb to see for himself. There in the darkness of the tomb he could see the linen graveclothes neatly placed on one side; yet he departed unconvinced despite the fact that Jesus many times had spoken to them about his resurrection (Mk. 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34).
THE STRANGER ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS (Lk. 24:13-35; Mk. 16:12).
The sadness that swept the company of the disciples soon turned to disillusionment. All their hopes had centred on this Jesus of Nazareth: he was the victorious Messiah promised. They had seen him taken and crucified; now they knew not even where his body lay (Jn. 20:2). Their respect for him was now mixed with dashed hopes, and they began with heavy hearts to depart from Jerusalem. Two disciples were mak ing their way to Emmaus, a small village some 11 kilometres from Jerusalem, when a stranger joined them and enquired what melancho ly affairs they were so intensely discussing (Lk. 24:13-17). One of them, Cleopas, was surprised that the stranger was unaware of the dramatic events of recent days that had filled Jerusalem € concerning one, Jesus of Nazareth, "a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people", and how the Jewish rulers had delivered him to be crucified. Cleopas openly stated their former belief, "we trusted it had been he which should have redeemed Israel". Since this was now the third day since Jesus' crucifixion, they had lost faith in his Messianic claims. Yet there was a ray of hope in that certain women had reported a vision of angels at the tomb and claimed to have receiv ed a message that Jesus was alive! However, others of their company had not been able to find him although they had found the tomb emp ty as reported (vv. 19-24)!
The visitor listened with great interest until Cleopas had finished his narration. Then he said unto them, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ (Gk. for "Messiah") to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" Then in a grand and masterly way, the stranger expounded unto them the facts of Messiah from Moses and all the prophets. They were elated and spellbound. This awe-inspiring oration must have been one of the greatest in history. Israel's Old Testament scriptures abound with references to a glorious King who would exalt the nation and bring righteousness and peace to all (Num. 23:21; 24:17-19; 2 Sam. 7; Psa. 2; Mai. 4:1-2). So much Israel knew and they awaited its fulfilment. Yet with equal clarity those same scriptures speak of a low ly one who would suffer and die for sin, and then rise from the dead (Ex. 12; Psa. 22, 69, 118; Isa. 42, 50, 53; Zech. 13:7; Dan. 9:26). The early work of Messiah was not understood. Prophets and angels had enquired into the meaning and sequence of these two great facets of Messiah's work (1 Pet. 1:10-12). Jesus, however, had repeatedly told them about his coming humiliation, death and resurrection; blindness prevented them accepting these things. Now he was with them, newly risen from the grave, expounding the very things they had seen and heard him speak about during those last momentous days!
Hour followed quickly upon hour and the company reached Em maus as evening was falling. Cleopas and his partner successfully con strained the "stranger" to abide with them. There was something comely and appealing about him. Though he had indicted their ig norance, his flowing discourse had rekindled their hopes in Jesus (v.32). So they desired his company for the evening, and the three sat down at meat together (cp. Heb. 13:2; Jn. 14:23; Rev. 3:20). Mark tells us that on this occasion Jesus appeared in "another form" (16:12). It was not until he took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave to them, that they knew it was their Lord! Often before they had witnessed his reverent presiding over the breaking of bread (Mk. 6:41; 8:6; 14:22).
The Lord's appearance was irrefutable evidence that he had risen from the dead. After being recognised he vanished from their presence, leaving them in sheer elation: "Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (v.32). They immediately set out on the dark road back to Jerusalem to carry the wonderful news to the disciples.
JESUS APPEARS IN THE MIDST OF THE DISCIPLES (Lk. 24:33-43).
On arriving in Jerusalem, Cleopas and his companion found the disciples alive with the fact that "The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon" (cp. 1 Cor. 15:5)! Joyfully they added to the evidence with their own experiences. Suddenly as they spoke who should appear in the midst of them but the Lord himself! Seeing their apprehension he said unto them, "Peace be unto you . . . Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have" (vv.36-39; 1 Jn. 1:1-2; cp. 1 Cor. 15:50). They gazed upon the hands and feet so recently pierced, so symbolising the coming conversion of Israel (v.10; Zech. 12:10). It was simply too wonderful to be received by doubting human hearts. So while they "yet believed not for joy", Jesus requested food and ate before them, to verify his physical presence and life (vv.41-43).
Thomas must have been absent from this first meeting, but eight days later he was persuaded also and expressed his conviction in the risen Son of God with the words, "My Lord and my God" (Jn. 20:24-28; cp. Jn. 10:34-36). His initial doubts only serve to emphasise the fact that the Lord had risen indeed.
RESURRECTION OF CHRIST € FOUNDATION STONE OF THE GOSPEL.
The importance of the doctrine of resurrection cannot be over emphasised. To deny it is to overturn the gospel, for without it there is no hope: "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:14-18; 2 Tim. 2:16-18). It was the basis of apostolic preaching. Without Christ's death the lusts of the flesh could not have been over come, nor would the Father's righteousness for the remission of sins have been declared. The resurrection of Christ was the Father's spon taneous response to the perfect obedience of His Son (1 Pet. 1:21). It was not possible that the Righteous One should be held by the pains of death (Acts 2:24). Thus was forged the pathway to life through the grave (1 Tim. 6:16; Jn. 5:26). Life eternal can only be found through the Name of the risen Christ (Acts 4:12). Baptism identifies the believer with the burial and resurrection of Christ: "we are buried with him by baptism into his death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12-13; 3:1; Jn. 3:5).
In this age of foolish conjecture it is good to observe the great con fidence that the apostles placed in the resurrection of Christ. They boldly asserted: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses". These words were addressed to the only generation which could have disputed the fact, and whose leaders had every desire to do so (Acts 2:32). But they were silent. The apostles made many other bold and unchallenged declarations of the resurrection of the Lord (Acts 2:24; 3:15, 26; 4:10, 33; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 33; 26:26). We can rest confidently on the fact that the Lord has risen and our faith in him and in his return as King over the earth is not in vain.
LESSONS FOR US:
- The resurrection of Christ turned sorrow into joy for doubting disciples. It can do the same for us today.
- It is not the wise and prudent of this world who seek the power of the resurrection: humble women and fishermen were the first to believe.
- We must not be "fools and slow of heart to believe all that the pro phets have spoken" (Lk. 24:25).
- The resurrection of Christ is the foundation fact of the gospel and of history. There is no wisdom in any system of thought which is not founded upon it.
REFERENCE LIBRARY:
"A Life of Jesus" (M. Purkis) € Book 8, Chapters 1 and 2
"Nazareth Revisited" (R. Roberts) € Chapter 59
"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield) € Vol. 12, Pages 150-158
PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:
- What action did the rulers take regarding the body of Jesus? How does this strengthen our belief in his resurrection?
- When the disciples saw the wounds in Jesus' hands and feet they believed. How does this foreshadow the conversion of Israel?
- What does the death and resurrection of Christ symbolise for the believer?
- What is the significance of the resurrection of Christ?
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1. Write an essay on the sequence of appearances Jesus made after his resurrection (as in Luke 24).
- Give an account of the events that followed when Jesus joined the
two disciples on the road to Emmaus. How did their understanding of the Messiah differ from his explanation of his Messiahship? - What evidence is there for believing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? What difference should this make to our lives?
- Write an account of the events which took place when the women came to the tomb of Christ on the first day of the week.