SESSION WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? HE IS RISEN THE SETTING LUKE 24:1-8 LUKE 24: 36-40

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1 SESSION 7 HE IS RISEN THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE We are bombarded with information often touted as news that too often is unsubstantiated. When you begin to research the information, it often turns up that facts are skewed and opinions are presented as fact. Many people view Jesus Christ in the same way. What they hear presented as truth gets written off as opinion or simply what someone wants to believe. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, however, is solidly grounded in fact. THE POINT Jesus is alive and present with those who trust in Him. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? LUKE 24:1-8 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. 8 And they remembered his words, LUKE 24: As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, Peace to you! 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. THE PASSAGE Luke 24:1-8,36-40 THE SETTING Women who observed Jesus burial went to the tomb on Sunday to anoint His body with spices. They discovered the tomb empty and were informed Jesus was not there. Later that night, Jesus appeared to His disciples, showing them His hands and His feet. His resurrection affirmed that He was and is the Son of God. The disciples witnessed His resurrected body and came to believe, though it took convincing for some of them. 76 SESSION 7 For free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/ BibleStudiesForLife For free Midweek Options for your group, visit lifeway.com/bsflftwspr17

2 PREPARE LEADER LIVE IT OUT He Is Risen Luke 24:1-8,36-40 It s easy to let busyness get the best of us. At times, we let our work schedules, family responsibilities, or even leisure activities take up a larger space in our lives than they rightly should. When this happens, we tend to give more attention to the less important things. When the Sabbath was over and the women were free to honor Jesus by anointing His body, He was the only thing on their mind. All other cares drifted out of their minds, and in that moment, He was the most important thing in all the world. Easter provides a beautiful opportunity for us to focus on Jesus victory over death. This week and beyond, remember that in the middle of a thousand things clamoring for your attention, the resurrection of Jesus is a reality that defines your eternity. As God works in your heart, make note of the ways you re newly impacted by the resurrection and help your students to do the same. 1 Prepare: While you prepare for this session, it is critical to allow the truth of Scripture to challenge your heart. God works in our hearts as we teach others His Word. ONE CONVERSATION Scripture: Luke 24:1-8,36-40 Topic: He Is Risen THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: We are bombarded with information often touted as news that too often is unsubstantiated. When you begin to research the information, it often turns up that facts are skewed and opinions are presented as fact. Many people view Jesus Christ in the same way. What they hear presented as truth gets written off as opinion or simply what someone wants to believe. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, however, is solidly grounded in fact. THE POINT: Jesus is alive and present with those who trust in Him. What s the most surprising thing that s ever happened to you? When did you first understand that Jesus is God s Son? Why is it significant that Jesus knew in advance what would happen to Him? What makes the resurrection so important for believers today? Discuss the following quote: The key to our lives as Christians today is how clearly we see by faith the resurrected Christ. 1 Dave Hunt 1. Dave Hunt, They Knew Him Not, The Berean Call, 1 January 2001, [accessed 13 September 2016]. Available from the Internet: LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to take practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out in the Personal Study Guide. Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live out their faith with Christ personally, in community, and in their culture: Y Christ: Pray with your student this week for peace in difficult circumstances, strength over temptations, and faith amid doubts. Y Community: Spend time with your student reviewing his or her talents and how those talents could better be used to serve the church. Y Culture: With your student, consider the ways you can live in light of the resurrection every day. 2 Follow Up: Don t forget to text a picture of the One Conversation section to parents or post it on Facebook and tag them after the session. This will equip them for further family discussion. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 77

3 ENGAGE (15 MINUTES) THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM. 1 2 Engage: Begin the session with one or more of the Engage Options on the next page (optional). Discuss: Ask students, What s the most surprising thing that s ever happened to you? 3 Guide: Call attention to The Point. Keep coming back to it throughout the session. 4 Read: Summarize the Bible Meets Life for your group. 5 Pray: Transition into the session by praying that students would be more convinced than ever about the truth of Jesus resurrection. 78 SESSION 7

4 ENGAGE OPTIONS LEAD WITH ACTION One at a time, briefly project simple images of familiar objects (cat, ice cream cone, even the student pastor) on the screen. Give three contestants 30 seconds to draw the images (preferably on whiteboards or easels) while blindfolded. Say, Sin blinds us and keeps us from knowing God, but Jesus defeated sin and death so we can clearly see Him. LEAD WITH ATMOSPHERE Collect trophies from your students and place them all around the room. Say, When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, He defeated death and sin. Let s celebrate the greatest victory in history. LEAD WITH MEDIA Search the Internet for Resurrection - video illustration with Amena Brown. Play the video as you begin the session. Say, Jesus died and rose from the grave, so we can experience peace and have a relationship with God if we place our trust in Him. SECOND OPTION Choose three students to play Old or New. Place three old/ antique objects and three new/ modern objects on a table (watch, phone, pen, etc.). Blindfold the three students and have them wait outside the room. One at a time, ask the students to enter the room and feel the objects in order to guess whether they re old or new. The student with the most correct guesses wins. Say, When we place our faith in Jesus, we receive new life that stands out from the old. NOTE: Always make sure you preview any video clip you show students and ensure that it is appropriate for your church and ministry. LEADER PACK ELEMENTS If you have the optional Leader Pack, consider one of the following: DVD: Play the Unit 1 Session 7 DVD opener to introduce the session and get everyone on the same page. FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS Divide the students into groups of three or four for a Selfie Scavenger Hunt. Allow five to ten minutes for students to check as many items as possible off the list (something green, smaller than a mouse, something shiny, tasty, etc.). The group with the most selfies wins. Say, It can be exciting to find something we re looking for. Jesus disciples were thrilled to find that He was still alive. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 79

5 IMPART (10 MINUTES) THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM. Ask: Read the question and encourage students to share. Read: Invite a student to read the passage aloud. Summarize: Share your thoughts on this section. Emphasize the meaning of excruciating and how truly heinous Jesus death was. Do: Have students read the quote and write their thoughts. Explain: Help students understand the sabbath and why the women desired to anoint Jesus body the following day. 6 Engage: Encourage students to share about Jesus resurrection. 80 SESSION 7

6 COMMENTARY LUKE 24:1-6a But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. LUKE 24:1-6a Verse 1. The empty tomb points to the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus was crucified and laid in a borrowed tomb on Friday; He rose to life victoriously on Sunday, the first day of the week. No one knows the exact time Jesus arose from the dead, but it must have been extremely early on Sunday, for the women went to the tomb very early in the morning. Interestingly, in a time when women were less than second-class citizens, these women were the first people to whom Jesus resurrection was revealed. The women went to the tomb. Tombs were often carved into existing caves, with several chambers for bodies. After burial preparations, for which the women had come, were completed, the bodies were laid on shelves in the rock. The spices were used to prepare the body for burial and offset the odor of decay. The additional spices brought on Sunday show proper respect for the dead. Evidently, the women felt it was necessary to apply extra spices and ointment to the body, either as an additional show of honor and respect or out of necessity to finalize the process. Either way, the women wanted to complete the burial process. Verse 2. A large, circular stone probably at least four feet in diameter and fourteen inches thick sealed the tomb. Removing the stone would have been a major obstacle. The stone s sheer size and weight would have made it impossible for them to roll it up the slanted channel. When they arrived, they found the stone rolled away. Miraculously, God had solved the stone problem for them. May we be reminded that God rolled away the stone for the women to peer in, not for Jesus to get out. The tomb was open and empty. Jesus was not there. Verses 3-4. A sad labor of love was transformed into mystery. Yet the absence of the body was not sufficient to lead them to belief in Jesus resurrection. As we read in verse 41, even when Jesus followers saw Him face to face they experienced joy, but they still could not believe. The women stood surprised and wondering, unable to process what was happening. Suddenly two men appeared. They were angels. They stood beside, which means to step up suddenly or to burst upon a person. Verse 5. The women were terrified, a common response to angelic appearances. Their fear may have been more reverential awe rather than stark terror. They bowed down with their faces to the ground a mark of respect in the presence of the angels. The angels asked why the women were looking for the living among the dead. The question revealed the folly of believing that Jesus was still in the tomb. The angels gently rebuked the women for seeking Jesus in the graveyard. Verse 6a. He is not here, but he has risen! is a statement of faith, the capstone of Christianity, the very essence of the gospel message that changes people s lives and eternity. Jesus is not dead; He is alive. In contrast to all other leaders of world religions, who died and their grave sites sit undisturbed, Jesus is alive and His grave is empty. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 81

7 IMPART (10 MINUTES) THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM. 1 Read: Invite a student to read the passage. 2 Discuss: Introduce this section and invite students to share. 3 4 Summarize: Share your thoughts on this paragraph. Ask: Read the question and invite students to respond. 5 Connect: Highlight these points and help students see how the resurrection impacts their lives today. 82 SESSION 7

8 COMMENTARY LUKE 24:6b-8 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. And they remembered his words, LUKE 24:6b-8 Verses 6b-7. Jesus foretold His resurrection. The angels not only informed the women of Jesus resurrection, they also challenged the women to remember how he spoke when he was still in Galilee. All of Jesus disciples had failed to anticipate or understand His pending death and resurrection, but it was not for lack of instruction on Jesus part. He had plainly revealed His resurrection from the dead as occurring on the third day (Luke 9:22; 18:32-33). The third day does not refer to three 24-hour days, but inclusively to any part of three days. He was buried on Friday before sundown, the beginning of the Sabbath as the Jews reckoned time. Thus, Friday was the first day He was in the tomb. Saturday would have been the second day, with Sunday (from sundown Saturday evening until the time of His resurrection) being the third. Jesus often spoke metaphorically and the women, along with the rest of Jesus followers, had probably taken the strange words about resurrection in the same way. Or perhaps, in their anguish and grief, the women simply had forgotten Jesus prediction that He would rise from the dead. Either way, a bodily resurrection was beyond their comprehension and hopes. Yet Jesus had clearly told His followers that He would be betrayed, crucified, and resurrected. Without twenty centuries of hindsight, we can understand how His words might have sounded preposterous, if not downright ludicrous. But even today, when we know His words to be a living reality grounded solidly in historical fact, many people still fail or refuse to recognize the simple truth of Jesus resurrection. They found, amazingly, the tomb was empty. Jesus is alive! #ChristID Verse 8. Having been prompted by the angels, the women remembered his words. His words were Jesus prophecies concerning His resurrection. On several occasions Jesus told His followers that He would suffer and die and be raised from the dead (Matt. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Luke 9:22,44; 18:31-34). Even though Jesus had uttered these words, with the fact that He had died such a cruel death on the cross, it never entered the minds of these women (or the other disciples for that matter) during their despondency and sorrow that Jesus would rise again. But once they realized that not only was Jesus resurrection possible but now a reality, the women could again clearly recall Jesus words. They now interpreted the empty tomb in light of Jesus foretelling. The women then understood that the body had not been removed or relocated, but that Jesus had risen from the dead. The tomb was empty. Now, the remembrance of Jesus words flooded their hearts and minds. They had a story to tell. They couldn t wait to return to the others to report what they had seen and heard. It was the news that would transform them into powerful proclaimers of truth and birth a movement. They hurried off from the tomb and reported what they had seen and heard. Unfortunately, the others did not believe the women, considering their story to be nonsense or an idle tale (Luke 24:9-11). They would not believe without a personal experience. Luke recorded that Peter went to check out the story for himself and was amazed at what he discovered (v. 12). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 83

9 Do: Allow students time to finish the optional Action Point (p. 70) in the PSG. Ask: Read the question and allow students to share their thoughts. Read: Invite a student to read the passage aloud. Summarize: Share your thoughts on these first paragraphs. IMPART (10 MINUTES) THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM Highlight: Explain the significance of Jesus greeting and highlight these points. Connect: Help students understand how, by Jesus resurrection, the peace of God can be a reality in our lives. Do: Direct students to complete the Action Point. Discuss your answers as a group. 84 SESSION 7

10 COMMENTARY LUKE 24:36-40 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, Peace to you! But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. LUKE 24:36-40 Verse 36. The disciples saw Jesus after His resurrection. Before the day was over, other disciples would hear the news and see the resurrected Christ. Believers gathered in the evening to share their exciting stories of Jesus appearing. Suddenly, Jesus himself stood among them. Although the doors were shut and locked for fear of the authorities (John 20:19), Jesus appeared by supernatural power within the closed room. Jesus was no longer bound by limitations of an ordinary earthly body. Jesus sought to console and to calm the gathered believers. He uttered a familiar blessing: Peace be with you. It was the normal greeting of the day, but it carried a far deeper meaning this day. No reason remained for them to fear. The God of peace was with them, not just in Spirit, but in bodily form. Verse 37. One might think that upon seeing Jesus the believers would sigh in great relief or burst forth in song, but instead they were startled and frightened. Startled is not surprising. After all, the risen Lord suddenly appeared in their midst behind locked doors without warning, without knocking, without entering through the door. That they were terrified or frightened is not as easily explained, since several of them had already seen the risen Christ earlier that day and they had been talking about Jesus appearances. Small wonder they thought they were seeing a ghost or a disembodied Jesus. Their fear was a natural reaction to the supernatural. Verse 38. Why are you troubled? Jesus asked. The verb for troubled means to agitate, to stir up, to get excited. Jesus called on them to look upon the situation in a clearheaded manner. He also asked why their doubts were raised. The doubts likely originated with whether Jesus had actually been raised bodily from the dead, or whether the person they were encountering was actually Jesus, or whether Jesus were a ghost. Luke had in mind that the disciples were wondering if Jesus were a ghost. Verse 39. Jesus sought to calm the disciples not only with His presence but also by showing them His wounds. Jesus command to see His hands and feet was an invitation to verify that it was Jesus Himself who stood before them. Touch me or handle me would have shown them He was not a ghost. The proof of Jesus human body could be felt. Jesus presence was neither the simple resuscitation of a swooned body nor the appearance of a disembodied spirit or ghost, but rather a true resurrection into a new and glorified body. Verse 40. The text says nothing about scars, though we can be certain the prints of Calvary were on His body. Those prints Jesus bears throughout all eternity as a reminder of the price He paid for our salvation and the victory He won over death by being resurrected to life. Jesus is the risen Lord. Through His resurrection He conquered death so His followers can experience true, authentic, and everlasting life. The facts are clear Jesus resurrection provides a foundation we can build our lives on. Tip: When leading a session during a holiday, encourage your group to celebrate. Have students bring food or holiday related items to the session. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 85

11 IMPACT (10 MINUTES) THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM. 1 Discuss: Read and discuss the quote with students. 2 Guide: The Christ portion of the Live It Out section encourages students to dig deeply into God s Word and examine their motives for serving others. Remember the Bible Reading Plan provides students with a custom reading plan to stay in God s Word and follows along with each session. 86 SESSION 7

12 IMPACT 3 4 Guide: As you guide your students through the Community section, remember to emphasize the importance of community with believers outside of group. Guide: The Culture section equips students to apply this session to their lives every week. Help students see themselves and others through the lens of God s Word to develop a lifestyle of investing in others for the gospel. 5 Pray: Close in prayer thanking God that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is present in us. Ask that He would help us to live like it. 6 Follow Up: This week connect with your students by texting them each morning to remind them to live every day with the assurance that Jesus is alive. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 87