Lesson #25
THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD

Reading: 1 Corinthians15
Click here to return to the Main Bible StudyPage.

The word "resurrection" means comingback to life again

It must have been the most wonderful event in the historyof the world, when Jesus Christ came out of the grave after being dead forthree days. When his disciples saw him, they just could not believe theireyes. They thought they were seeing a spirit, but Jesus said to them:

"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. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said to them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them" (Luke 24: 39ñ43)

At last, they were convinced that he was really alive again.God had brought him back from death, and given him eternal life. We readof Jesus saying:

"Behold, I am alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:18)

 

Jesus will raise his followers

Jesus taught his disciples that they, too, would be raisedfrom the dead. Look again at the verse we have just quoted. Jesus went onto say:

"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (or, the grave) and of death" (Revelation 1:18)

Now, if you have the key to a door, it means you are ableto open the door. Jesus has the keys to the grave. This is a way of sayingthat he has power to open the graves, and set free those who are buriedthere. This power has been given to him by God. Read John's gospel, chapter5, verses 20-29. Notice particularly verse 21, which says:

"For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the son quickeneth whom he will."

To quicken is to bring to life; and God has given Jesusthe power to bring men and women back to life again.

Abraham was promised resurrection

As we have already learnt in Lesson 12, God made greatpromises to Abraham. They included:

"all the land thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever" (Genesis 13:15).

Yet we know that Abraham died without this promise beingfulfilled. Abraham must be raised form the dead so that God can fulfil Hispromise. The Lord Jesus used this very argument to prove the resurrectionof the dead. You can read this in Matthew 22:31-32.

Again, Jesus told the Jews of his day that they would seeAbraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God, and they themselves castout (Luke 13:28).

A hope shared by all faithful men

Men of God throughout the ages have died looking forwardto the day when they would be raised to life again. Paul tells us of someof these men, that they

"died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off" (Hebrews 11:13)

Further on, he speaks again of these men who

"received not promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:39-40)

We see from this verse that the gift of eternal life isgoing to be given to all true worshippers of God at the same time.

The early Christians too looked forward to this time. Whenone of their number died, they spoke of him as having "fallen asleep",because just as men wake up after sleeping, so the disciples would be awakenedfrom the sleep of death. In the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, which youhave read, Paul speaks of over 500 disciples who saw Jesus after his resurrection:

"Some are fallen asleep" (verse 6)

This hope of resurrection and eternal life has been sharedby true followers of Jesus from that day to this.

The friends of Jesus understood that Jesuscould raise the dead

Jesus had three friends, Lazarus and his sisters Marthaand Mary, who lived in Bethany, a little village near Jerusalem. One day,Lazarus fell ill. His sisters sent for Jesus, but by the time he arrived,Lazarus was dead. When Martha saw Jesus, she said to him:

"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died."

Jesus said to her:

"Thy brother shall rise again."

Now notice Martha's answer very carefully. She said:

"I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Martha knew there was to be a day of resurrection in thefuture. Jesus said to her:

"I am the resurrection, and the life."

Then, to show all who were there that he had power toraise the dead, Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave. And Lazarus cameout - alive!

Unlike Jesus, Lazarus was not given eternal life. He woulddied again but, as Martha said, he will rise again in the resurrection atthe last day. This is what Jesus taught his friends, and they understoodand believed him. You can read this story in John 11.

Something better than life today

Life is full of problems for us all. Most of us know whatit feels like to be ill; we get anxious about many things. Death can takethose we love at any time. We know, too, that old age must come in time,with all its aches and pains. Do we really want to live for ever in thisimperfect world?

The life which Jesus promises to his followers when hecomes back is something quite different from our life today with all itscares. In the beautiful words of Revelation 7:16, 17 we are told of thosewho will be given that life, that:

"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; Neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

They will no longer have bodies which corrupt, but theywill share the spirit-life of God Himself. In Mark 12:25 Jesus says:

"For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven."

Those who are given eternal life by Jesus when he comesback will enjoy perfect health and unlimited energy, free from all the troublesof today.

When will the resurrection take place?

Nearly 2000 years have passed since Jesus was raised fromthe dead. When is he going to raise those who have"died in faith"?The apostle Paul answers this question for us. He says in 1 Corinthians15:22, 23:

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

We have seen already that Jesus Christ is coming back toset up the Kingdom of God and reign over the whole earth. When he comesto do this, he will raise the dead. Then those who have been faithful willbe given eternal life, and will enjoy the great privilege of helping Jesusto rule the world. We read in Revelation 5: 9, 10 the words of a song thatthey will sing in that day:

"thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."

 

Some will be alive when Jesus comes back

What of those who are sill alive when Jesus comes back?In 1 Thessalonians 4: 14-17 Paul tells us a little more about this. He says:

Notice the words "caught up together with themin the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air".

You might think that he is speaking of going to heaven.But look again. Paul does not speak of meeting the Lord in heaven,but meeting him in the air. So after the resurrection of the deadand the gathering together of those disciples who are alive at the Comingof Jesus, all those who are accepted will be miraculously taken to servethe Lord Jesus in his work of ruling the earth.

The important thing for all the followers of Jesus is thatin that day they will be "for ever with the Lord"; that is inhis Kingdom on the earth.

You cannot have it both ways

Many people, probably most people who believe in life afterdeath, believe that men and women go to heaven when they die. The dead bodyis laid in the grave. But, they say, man has a "spirit" or "soul"that goes on living when the body is dead. When a man dies, this spiritgoes to heaven to be with God.

The Bible, on the other hand, says plainly that Jesus willcome back to earth and raise the dead.

Now, both ideas cannot be right.

To speak of the soul which has been with God in heavencoming back to join the body and be brought to judgement is nonsense. TheBible says nothing about any man going to heaven. It does say thatdisciples will lie in the grave, knowing nothing until the Lord raises themfrom the dead at his coming.

When Christ comes

All who have heard the Gospel will be brought before theLord Jesus Christ. The dead will be raised, and the living will be gatheredtogether. Before he gives some of them eternal life, there must be a judgement- but you will hear more about that in the next lesson.

Read again 1 Corinthians 15: 51-58. Here the apostle speaksof the time when the faithful Christians will be given that great gift ofeternal life - or, as he calls it here, immortality. As we look forwardto that time, the apostle Paul tells us to be "stedfast, unmovable,always abounding in the work of the Lord".

Summary

1. God has given Jesus power to raise the dead.

2. He will do this when he comes back again to the earth to set up his Kingdom.

3. At the same time, he will gather those "in Christ" who are living when he returns.

4. To those who have been faithful he will give eternal life and they will live and reign with him on the earth.

Chapters to read: 1 Thessalonians 4; Hebrews 11; John 11; Matthew 22:23ñ33

Good verses to memorise: John 5: 28, 29

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."