We are continuing to look at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Life he’s given to the world since his resurrection.
In this episode we’ll get the answers to these questions;
- What happened when Jesus was resurrected?
- What happened to those who died before the resurrection of Jesus?
- What happens when people die since the resurrection of Jesus?
- When will the resurrection of believers happen and what will the resurrected body look like?
The Resurrection of the Messiah in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
The Gospel; Is the resurrection important to the Gospel? First Importance – primary in relation –
- Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
- He was buried.
- He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
The Evidence; Like in a court you need witnesses. Paul presents the witnesses;
- He was seen by Peter, all the disciples, and James (the brother of Jesus).
- He was seen by more than 500 other people (of which most are still alive).
- Finally, he appeared to Paul.
What happened to those who died before Jesus? They never heard or saw Jesus to believe in him, (Romans 1:2, Psalm 2:12, 1 John 2:1-2). Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. There is nothing else required, (Acts 4:12).
How did this work? Since the fall no one would be saved except through the propitiation (to satisfy God) of sin through Jesus Christ. His death was the pivot point for the salvation of every person past and present (Hebrews 10:9-10). At the beginning of Hebrews 10, the writer states that the “Law” was only a “shadow” of the good things to come. This means that everything in the law, all the traditions, rituals, sacrifices, cleansing, and practices of Judaism only revealed sin, it couldn’t remove it. But that Law was a thinly veiled image of the sacrifice that would remove sin once and for all to all who believe.
No one can be righteous by keeping the Mosaic law or any religious law. Righteousness comes from faith. In Romans 4:3-8 it says Abraham believed the promise of God that he would save his descendants. All who have the same faith as Abraham were also saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
In the same way, those who had faith before the law also were saved by Christ without the law. What a person needed to believe was based on the revelation they had at their time.
From the beginning when God promised Adam and Eve that their descendant will crush the head of Satan, to Abraham believing the promise of God for the salvation of his children, to David believing that his son would have an everlasting kingdom, all these and others looked forward by faith to Christ who would redeem them by their faith. This is called Progressive Revelation, (Hebrews 1:1-4). Prior to Christ, people were saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone. There were looking ahead to the coming of the One Promised, by faith, (John 8:56, Hebrews 11:1, John 14:6).
There is only one Gospel for everyone, (Romans 1:17, Habakkuk 2:3-4).
What happens to everyone who dies?
- At death the body and soul are separated; Ecclesiastes 12:7, James 2:26, Psalm 90:10, Genesis 35:18).
Where does the spirit go when it leaves the body; (Philippians 1:23-24, Acts 7:5-59).
NOTE: Genesis 1:26 says mankind was made in the image of God. How were we made in his image? Jesus said God is a Spirit and after God formed man from the ground, he breathed the Spirit of life into him. The Spirit in every person, which gives us life is the image of himself that he shared with us.
When will believers receive their resurrected bodies; (2 Corinthians 5:1-4, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
What kind of body will believers receive; (Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Corinthians 15:12-35, 1 Corinthians 15:36-54).
- The body goes into the ground and decays like a seed going into the ground. (v. 42a)
- Sown and Raised; It goes into the ground as a seed, but it comes out with a plant–like body. (v. 42b)
- Dishonor and Glory; Body goes into the earth in “dishonor” (shameful), and it comes up in “glory” (shameless). (v. 43a)
- Weakness and Power; Body goes to the earth in “weakness” (strengthless), but it comes up in “power” (miraculous strength). (v. 43b)
- Natural and Spiritual; Body goes into the earth as “natural” (physical/instinctive), but it comes up as “spiritual” (ethereal/divine). (v. 44a)
The fact that there are physical bodies means there are spiritual bodies. (v. 44)
Adam and Christ; The first man Adam became a living being, and the last man Adam became a life-giving spirit. In Genesis Adam became alive, but Christ always was “Living”, even before Adam was formed.
- From the Dust and From Heaven; First the person of dust (lower), Second person of heaven (higher). (v. 47)
- Image of the First and Image of the Last; As all lower persons bear the image of the first person, so all higher persons will bear the image of the second person. (v. 49)
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (v.50)
The mortal with immortality and death is swallowed up in victory.” (Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14).
We should always stand firm in our hope that We are promised in Christ and we shouldn’t let anything move us from that hope, (1 Corinthians 15:58).
