LESSON TEN: Jesus’ DEATH and RESURRECTION
Jesus' Death, Burial, and Resurrection
1. Matthew 27-28 -records Jesus’ trial, suffering, death and resurrection
2. Mark 14: 43- 65 – Jesus’ arrest and trial
3. Mark 15: 21 – 47 – Jesus’ crucifixion, death and burial
4. Luke 22: 66 -71 – Jesus’ trial before Pilate
5. John 18 – 19 – Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, death and burial
All four Gospel accounts in the New Testament have recorded Jesus
Christ's resurrection – Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John
20:1-12.
The most important series of events in the history of the world was the death, the
burial and the resurrection of Jesus. By means of His death, Jesus fulfilled
prophecy and bought man’s freedom from slavery to sin. By means of His
burial, Jesus removed any doubt that He had really died. By means of His
resurrection, Jesus proved He had power over death. This assures us that if
we truly trust and obey Jesus, He will one day raise us from the dead also. In fact
the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest proof that He is indeed “the Christ,
the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16-18; Romans 1:4). The death, burial, and
resurrection of our Lord are the very foundation of the Gospel by which we are
saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Jesus was taken to a hill called Golgotha, the “place of the skull.” Here the
Son of God was nailed to a cross. On either side of Him were crucified thieves.
This fulfilled the prophecy Isaiah had made 700 years before, “and he was
numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12, KJV). Not content with having
brought about His crucifixion, the leaders of the Jews mocked Jesus. The Roman
soldiers also mocked Him as did the thieves who were crucified with Him. However,
one of them repented. He knew Jesus was innocent. He asked the Lord to remember
him when He came in His kingdom. Jesus replied, “Today shalt thou be with me in
Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).
What were the seven last sayings of Jesus?
FIRST -“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke
23:34).
SECOND -“You will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
THIRD -“Woman, behold your son!” (John 19:26-27).
FOURTH -“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have
You
forsaken Me?” -(Matthew 27:46).
FIFTH -“I thirst!” (John 19:28).
SIXTH -“It is finished!” (John 19:30).
SEVENTH - “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit’” (Luke 23:46).
Darkness came over all the land for three hours when Jesus died. An
earthquake occurred. The great veil in the temple which separated the holy
place from the most holy place was torn in two. (Matthew 27:51-53).
Joseph, a wealthy man from Arimathea, asked permission from Pilate to
bury the body of Jesus in his own new tomb where no body had ever lain
before. This fulfilled another prophecy of Isaiah, “And they made his grave with the
wicked, and with a rich man in his death” (Isaiah 53:9).
Jesus was buried on Friday before the Jewish sabbath began at sunset
(Luke 23:54). His body remained in the grave throughout Saturday.
On Sunday morning, the first day of the week, He arose from the dead!
This fulfilled Jesus’ own prophecies that he would be in the grave for three
days (Matthew 12:40; 16:21; John 2:19). When the faithful women came with
spices to anoint the body of Jesus, they found the tomb empty. Angels announced
to them the wonderful news that Jesus had arisen from the dead. They took the
good news to the apostles (Luke 24:10). Peter ran to the tomb and saw for himself
that the Lord had indeed risen from the dead.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news because it provides forgiveness of
sins, restores fellowship with God, gives hope in death, and the promise of
eternal life. In order for one to receive these blessings, he must die to sin
and arise to walk in newness of life. This is done when one obeys the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
(Romans 6:3-5; 16-18).
The Significance of Christ's Resurrection
Consider just three ways the New Testament highlights the significance of the
resurrection.
1. Jesus’ Resurrection means that his sacrificial death on the cross was
sufficient, and therefore our sins can be forgiven.
Paul emphasizes this in 1 Corinthians 15, reminding us that “Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the
third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (vv. 3-4). Then, in verse 17, he argues
that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
In other words, Paul saw a direct connection between the resurrection of Jesus
and the sufficiency of his death to atone for our sins. When Jesus rose again on the
third day, it was the public announcement that God was fully satisfied with the
sacrificial death of his Son. In his resurrection, Jesus was vindicated (1 Timothy
3:16). But in his vindication, we are vindicated too. That’s why Paul says in Romans
4 that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification”
(Romans 4:25).[2]
2. Jesus’ Resurrection means that death is defeated once and for all.
As Peter proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost, “God raised [Jesus] from the dead,
freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep
its hold on him” (Acts 2:24). Death lost its grip on Jesus!
But the resurrection means that Jesus not only defeated death for himself, but
that he defeated it for us. He died and rose as a new representative for humanity,
as the Second Adam. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,” writes
Paul, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also
in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). His resurrection
guarantees ours.
The empty tomb assures us that sickness and suffering, death and disease will
not have the final word.
3. Jesus’ Resurrection means that the material world matters.
Lest there be any misunderstanding, when the apostles said that Jesus rose again,
they meant that his physical body came back to life. The risen Jesus wasn’t a
phantom or ghost, but a breakfast-eating, flesh-and-bone, human being (see Luke
24:36-43 and John 21:10-14).
When Jesus came out of the tomb in a physical body, it was God’s definitive stamp
of approval on the creation project with all of its materiality. The resurrection shows
us that matter matters. And this is why the early Christians looked to the future with
confidence that the created order itself would be redeemed (see Romans 8:18-25).
Though we wait for the full consummation of new creation, the Scriptures also teach
that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is already working within us
(Ephesians 1:19-20). The resurrection, you see, not only assures of God’s
forgiveness and comforts us in suffering as we anticipate the final reversal of death,
disease, and decay; it also motivates and empowers us to push back the tide of
suffering and evil in the present world, through word and deed, in mercy and
justice, all in Jesus’ name.
What the Resurrection Means For Us
[The Resurrection] should make all the difference. In the New Testament, we
see a number of ways in which the reality you have Jesus' resurrection is applied to
us as Christians. As we trust in Jesus, we are united to him by faith. And Paul says,
therefore, there's a connection between what has happened to Jesus and what
happens to us. So Jesus didn't just die and rise, but in Him, we died with Him. We
rose with Him and that has massive implications. That's not just symbolic. We
actually spiritually have been raised with Christ.
We've been given new spiritual life in Ephesians 2. In Colossians 3, we're
told since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts and minds on things
above. So we're to have the perspective of people who have been spiritually given
life. And more than that, we're to have actions as those who have new spiritual life.
We're to close ourselves now in this risen life that we've been given in Jesus. So as
to affect us in terms of our holiness, we are to be what we are. As those who are
raised in Christ, we are to live as risen people.
