Resurrection Sunday

Liz and I enjoyed staying close to home this Resurrection Sunday. It was a blessing to fellowship with the people of our sending church. Michael also had the blessing of teaching a short lesson in the SS hour on how the resurrection is pivotal for our justification. His outline is below:

I. Promise

a. John 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

b. John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

c. John 6:54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

d. John 11:23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

e. John 11:24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

f. John 11:25-27 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

i. How does Martha’s statement in 11:24 relate to Jesus’ teaching in John 6?

ii. Compare Jesus’ teaching in John 6 and 11? What new thing does Jesus say in chapter 11?

iii. According to 11:27, what must one believe to participate in the resurrection from the dead?

II. Prediction

a. Matt 16:21 From that time [Peter’s confession] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [Peter responds by telling him no way!]

i. What was Peter’s response to Jesus’ prediction?

ii. Why did Peter respond this way?

iii. What was Peter focused on? What did he miss?

b. Matt 17:9 And as they were coming down the mountain [from the transfiguration], Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

c. Matt 17:22-23 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, ²³ and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

i. Why were the disciples greatly distressed?

ii. What does their distress reveal about what they heard?

d. Matt 20:19 See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

e. Matt 26:32 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

III. Proof

a. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

i. To whom was Paul speaking?

ii. What purpose did the resurrection serve according to verse 31?

b. Rom 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ² which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴ and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

i. To whom is Paul speaking?

ii. What did the resurrection accomplish according to verse 4?

c. 1 Cor 15:3-8 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

i. How essential does Paul think the resurrection is?

ii. What proof does he offer for believing in Christ’s resurrection?

iii. What does Paul say is true if Christ did not rise from the grave?

IV. Conclusion

Romans 4:24-25 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, ²⁴ but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, ²⁵ who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.