Coed Class: NTS_Jesus Rose from the Dead

Jesus Rose from the Dead:

(Matthew 27-28: Luke 24)

What you need to do and what you want to do

Desire vs. Will

Idealism vs. Realism

Religion vs. Relationship

REALITY:
- Someone rising from the dead? (dismiss resurrection or seek explanation)
- Jury duty = weighing the evidence

A GUARDED TOMB (MATTHEW 27:62-66)

WHEN =
- Saturday = preparation for Sabbath (not for the Passover)
- Jewish day began at 6:00 PM on Friday = conversation could have occured anywhere between 6 PM Friday and 6 PM on Saturday

WHO =
- Chief Priests = those that had condemmed Jesus to death, Parisees (opposed Jesus through his public ministry)
- Two groups went to request a guard for the tomb (before Pilate)
- Judas = spread word to the authorities (...rise again in 3 days / Matt 16:21; ...arrest, death, ressurection / 17:22-23; ...Jesus taught on the way / 20:19)
- Jesus = (...experience resurrection in three days / 12:40, John 2:19-21; ...event recorded to tear temple down in 3 days / Matthew 26:61)
- Disciples = could steal the body to confirm the resurrection
- Disciples, Judas, Chief Priests = secure the tomb and guard the tomb...great steps to protect the tomb and the body
- The Guard = lose the body them punishable by death / applied a substance (wax?) as a seal on the tomb...seal / if body was stolen, why did they not bring it out when Christianity began to spread?

WHAT =
- Jesus = did not die but "swooned" or passed out (...profession soldier and death before burial...varified and did not break legs after verification...spear and piercing of the side...blood and water from emotional or physical anguish / John 19:31-34)
- Deception = Chief Priests referred to Jesus as the "deceiver" but prevented Jesus from ever "decieving" (i.e. the possible deception)...all disciples except John died horrible deaths because of a hoax (?)

AN EMPTY TOMB (MATTHEW 28:5-8)

WHEN =

- Angel = (after the resurrection) hurry and go tell the disciples … He is going ahead of you into Galilee (returned to location mentioned before death / confirmation of promise / Matthew 26:32)

WHO =

- Joseph (rich man) = (offers a "new" tomb / Matthew 27:60) … used tomb then mistaken for another body in the tomb but new then only one body (vs. a "family" tomb)

- The women (preparing the body) = died at 3:00 PM and Sabbath began at 6:00 PM / no time to prepare the body for burial … to woman went to the wrong tomb (vs. 61) … the came back on Friday to finish the process

WHAT =

- Prepared Jesus and took him to the wrong tomb?

- Violent Earthquake = angel rolled the stone to the entrance away (Matthew 28:2 / …called women to see the empty tomb)

- "He Is Not Here" / angel = saw where Joseph's tomb was (27:61)

- The guards protected the wrong tomb (fell in fear at the earthquake)

- "Has" been resurrected … passive (Jesus did not raise himself)

- Angel = "come and see the place where He lay" … disciples did not take the body, the soldiers did not take the body, the women did not go to the wrong tomb

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS (LUKE 24:13-16, 32-33, 35)

- event that happened the same day as the resurrection of Jesus

- Two of the disciples mentioned in Luke 24:9 as “all the rest” had heard the stories of the resurrection, but they had not yet seen the risen Christ

- village called Emmaus [eh MAY uhs], a town about seven miles from Jerusalem, they contemplated the incredible stories that they had heard on that incredible day

- Luke said that they were discussing and arguing. People who had not yet seen Jesus had their own explanations for what might have happened—further evidence the believers were not carrying out some elaborate hoax by stealing Jesus’ body. They were baffled by all they had heard. However, something important transpired to meld their discussion and arguments into belief—Jesus appeared to them.

- coming near to them and walking along with them. As any person on a road might do, Jesus overtook the traveling duo and joined in the walk with them. This was not unusual in that day, because safety in numbers discouraged people from walking alone

- the men were prevented from recognizing Jesus. Many Bible students understand Luke to mean that the disciples did not recognize Jesus because God prevented them from doing so. Often people did not recognize the risen Jesus at first contact with Him (John 20:14-15; 21:4). The time was not right for Jesus to reveal Himself to them. He would do so through the Scriptures and through His actions in serving a supper to them, reminding them of the time when He broke bread with His disciples in the upper room.

- Jesus asked the travelers about their conversation, and they stopped, “discouraged,” probably that they did not have answers to their own questions (Luke 24:17). One of the disciples named Cleopas asked in amazement how the unrecognized walker could have been in Jerusalem without hearing the stories of the supernatural events. The travelers proceeded to present the story of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and burial (vv. 19-21). These events were facts. However, then they told the latest developments of how the women had arrived at the tomb and did not see a body but an angel (vv. 22-23).
- Jesus began to explain the Scriptures to the travelers. He explained how the death of Jesus, as the Messiah, was predicted by Moses and the Prophets. As He explained the Scriptures, the disciples’ hearts were ablaze with anticipation and excitement. However, they still did not recognize that the One walking with them was Jesus. Only when they invited Him to stay with them, as He reclined at the table, broke bread, and blessed it, did they realize what was happening. As He distributed the bread, they recognized that the visitor was Jesus.
- The two disciples acknowledged that as Jesus had taught them the Scriptures, their hearts burned within them. They knew that the things they heard were real. Jesus was explaining the Scriptures to them. (See this lesson’s word study on “Explaining.”) The disciples did not wait around and bask in their new truth. That very hour the disciples returned to Jerusalem to share their story. They found the Eleven (the apostles minus Judas who had killed himself), and they shared their eyewitness testimony with those who had gathered.

- In their witness to the others, the two disciples from Emmaus began to describe what had happened and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. They clearly were impressed that Jesus had been revealed to them in a unique way as they gathered for fellowship around the table. In the future as the church would gather around the Lord’s Supper table, they also had the assurance that Jesus would gather with them (Matt. 18:20).

Word Study: Explaining (Luke 24:32)

The word translated “explaining” (dianoigo) in Luke 24:32 is literally the word for “opening.” The same phrase occurred in Acts 17:3, where Paul explained the gospel to the Thessalonians by opening the meaning of Scripture to them about the Messiah’s death. In Luke 24:32, Jesus opened the truths of Scripture so that the disciples could understand them. The same word occurs in the previous verse in verbal form to describe how Jesus opened the eyes of the disciples who were blinded to who He was. In verse 31, the word is passive, emphasizing that God, not the two themselves, opened their eyes to recognize Jesus. In verse 32, the verb is active, emphasizing that Jesus opened the Scriptures to them.

JESUS DIED ON WEDNESDAY:

John 19
[31] The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Notice the sabbath spoken of was a "high day"! Besides the weekly 7th day Sabbath God also gave us additional sabbath days, which were called "high days". These "high days" or “high Sabbaths” were to be observed in the same way the 7th day sabbath was. Let's look at a few of them;

First let's find God's weekly 7th day sabbath;

Exd.20
[8] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[9] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
[10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

Lev.23
[3] Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

Notice not only are we to rest, but we are also to have an holy convocation and no work is to be performed. This let's us know that it is a sabbath day of the Lord.

Now on to some of God's 'high day' Sabbaths;

Lev.23
[5] In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover.
[6] And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
[7] In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
[8] But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

In the 7th and 8th verse above God tells us of (2) sabbath days; the day after the passover is called the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and it is a sabbath day. The 7th day is also a sabbath day. Since these are not the normal 7th day sabbath the nation of Israel called these days 'high days' or 'high sabbaths'. These feast days are not fixed days. God uses the moon to start and end the months so these days did not always fall on the same day every year.

Because of this it is possible to have MORE than one Sabbath in a seven day period. This was the case when Jesus was crucified.

Now let’s read the events leading up to Jesus death, burial and resurrection;

In the week that Jesus died, Passover started on the evening of what we now call Tuesday. Tuesday evening, which was actually the beginning of their next day which is our Wednesday evening, Jesus ate the passover meal with His disciples. Late that night our savior was captured and sentenced to death. All that night He was beaten and tortured. That morning, our Wednesday, still being the passover day, He was put on the cross. Around the 9th hour (3pm) He died, just as the passover lamb was supposed to do; be killed on the passover. Just before the sun went down, around the 12th hour (6pm) our savior was laid to rest. Since the next day, which started at sunset, was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a 'high sabbath', NOT the weekly sabbath, Mary and the other Mary prepared spices and rested seeing it was a sabbath. Remember now, sundown starts the next day. So that means the first day of the Feast of Unleavened bread started on what we call Wednesday evening. Wed. evening to Thurs. evening Christ was in the grave for 24hrs., (1day and 1 night). Thurs. evening to Fri. evening Christ was in the grave for another 24hrs., (1 day and 1 night). And from Fri. evening to Sat. evening He was in the grave for another 24hrs., (1 day and 1 night). At which time, 3 days and 3 nights, exactly 72hrs. later, he was raised by the Father.

Now let’s confirm the feast Jesus kept with His disciples;

Matt.26
[2] Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
[17] Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

Mark 14
[1] After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
[12] And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?

Luke 22
[1] Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
[7] Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
[8] And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
[11] And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?

Jesus ate the passover meal with His disciples and that same day was killed. It was the only day He could die. For Jesus was our passover, and just like the passover lamb had to die the day of the passover, so did our Lord.

Now there are those that say, “Well the Jews of the day counted any part of a day as a day.” They say this so that they can continue to keep Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the traditions of man.

Well let’s put their thinking to the test and just use logic to see if it would even stand today.

Let’s say it’s Fri. and the time is 11:56:00pm and a person is due to be buried today; on Friday. Now if the person is laid to rest and is in the grave at 11:59:59 it is still Fri, but was that person in the ground for any real part of Fri? Of course not! Because 1 second later, 00:00:01 the day Fri. is over, and it is now Saturday. So could you really say the person was buried for (2) days, Fri and Sat?

Before answering…..let’s read how Jesus measured a day;

John 11
[9] Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

Did you catch that? Jesus Christ Himself just told us how HE reckons a day to be. And Jesus said a day has TWELVE HOURS!!! So do I really care how the Jews of His time calculated their days? I could care less!

To put Jesus statement another way;

For as Jonas was three days x (12hrs) and three nights x (12hrs) in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

According to logic and the fact that Jesus Himself gave us the timeframe He considers a day to be, He had to be in the grave for 72hrs.

Now 72hrs. from a Fri. evening burial would give you a Mon. evening resurrection. Doesn’t work!

But 72hrs. from a Wed. evening burial gives you just what God’s word says;

Matt.28
[1] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

And was Jesus in the tomb when they arrived? Let’s read;

[5] And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
[6] He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Did Christ Die on Friday?

http://www.rapturechrist.com/did_christ_die_on_friday.htm

The Chronology of Christ's Resurrection and Crucifixion

http://www.centuryone.com/crucifixion.html

Christian Doctrine Debate & Discussion Forum

http://www.christiandoctrinediscussion.com/doctrine-debate-forum/1871-true-timeline-jesus-death-burial-resurrection.html