Jesus Is The Risen Lord
Jesus Is Buried
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, religious leaders who believed in Jesus, got permission from Pilate to bury Jesus. They knew He was dead because, just to be sure, one of the soldiers had plunged a spear into His side. They wrapped the body in grave clothes, put it into a new burial cave, and rolled a big stone over the entrance. Nicodemus remembered Jesus’ words: that He must be “lifted up,” crucified.
John 3:14-16 – “The Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.”
Jesus’ enemies remembered that He had said, “I will be raised to life after three days.” They got Pilate to send some soldiers to guard the grave so that it would be impossible for anyone to steal the body and say that Jesus had risen again.
For You to Do
1. Who buried Jesus? ______________ of ___________ and _____________.
2. Jesus had said that He would come back to life after how many days? ___________
3. Memorize what Jesus had said to Nicodemus in John 3:14-16.
Jesus Comes Back to Life
Early Sunday morning, the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion, He came back to life.
Matthew 28:1-9 – As Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake; an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and sat on it. . . . The guards were so afraid that they trembled and became like dead men.
The angel spoke to the women. “You must not be afraid,” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said. Come here and see the place where he was lying. Go quickly, now, and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from death.’” . . . So they . . . ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Peace be with you.” They came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.
Jesus showed himself to His friends five times that day. He could go through locked doors and appear or disappear whenever He wanted to because He had a changed, glorified body.
John 20:19. It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.
At first the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost. But after they touched Jesus’ body and He ate with them, they knew that He had really come back to life. One of the disciples, Thomas, was not with them at the time and wouldn’t believe what they said. The next week when they were all together, Jesus suddenly stood there among them again.
John 20:27-29. He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting, and believe!”
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”
These words of Jesus are especially for us. We don’t have to see Him to believe that He actually rose from the dead. For forty days He met with His disciples from time to time and taught them. They wrote about it in the Bible. Their enemies whipped them and put them in jail for telling that Jesus was alive again. But they knew that it was the truth. They would die before they would say that it wasn’t so. They were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.
For You to Do
4. On what day of the week did Jesus rise again? ______________
5. For how many days did Jesus show himself to His followers? ________________
6. What proof did He give them that He wasn’t just a spirit?
a) He told them to take His word for it.
b) He ate with them and had them touch His body.
c) He gave them no proof.
7. What did Thomas call Jesus? ______________
Jesus Tells His Plan
Jesus’ plan was that every believer should be a witness to tell others about Him. He said:
Matthew 28:18-20 – “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Jesus knew that His followers would fail unless they had the power of the Holy Spirit in them to carry out His plan. So He said:
Luke 24:46-49 – “This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, . . . You are witnesses . . . . But you must wait in the city until the power from above comes down upon you.”
For You to Do
8. Read five times the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-49.
9. In Jesus’ plan, all of those who believed in Him were to
a) form a political kingdom.
b) just enjoy salvation.
c) be Jesus’ witnesses.
10. What did Jesus’ followers need so they could be His witnesses?
a) Power of the Holy Spirit
b) Government permission
c) Good church buildings
Jesus Goes To Heaven
Acts 1:7-11 – Jesus said to them, . . . “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them and said, “Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”
As the disciples went back to Jerusalem to wait for the Holy Spirit, they thought about what Jesus had told them:
John 14:2-3 – “There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. . . . I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.”
For You to Do
11. How did Jesus go to heaven?
a) He was taken up bodily
b) He went in a spaceship
c) He just disappeared.
12. What did Jesus promise to do?
a) Wait for the disciples
b) Send the Holy Spirit
c) Start ruling the world
Jesus Keeps His Promises
Ten days after Jesus went to heaven, the Holy Spirit came and filled the believers. From then on they had power to tell others about Jesus. They were thrown in jail and beaten, but they kept on witnessing. They fled from Jerusalem to save their lives, but everywhere they went, they told the good news about the Savior. Jesus has kept His promise. He still fills believers with the Holy Spirit and gives them power to be His witnesses. Jesus will keep His promise to come back again. We expect Him to come very soon.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. The Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Are you ready if Jesus should come today? If you like, you may say this prayer:
Prayer
Jesus, I accept You as my Savior and the Lord of my life. Please forgive all my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me tell others about You. Whether I die or live until You come, take me to live with You forever in Your home in heaven. Your Name __________
For You to Do
13. Read five times 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Are you ready for Jesus to come? _____________