64 SESSION 7 SESSION 7HE IS RISEN

Transcription

1 64 SESSION 7 SESSION 7HE IS RISEN

2 WHAT S THE MOST SURPRISING THING THAT S EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 65

3 THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE FAC T: THE QUOKKA IS KNOWN AS THE HAPPIEST ANIMAL ON EARTH. 1 W H Y? BECAUSE THEY CAN T STOP SMILING. PLUS, THEY DON T MIND A GOOD SELFIE EVERY NOW AND THEN. LOOK IT UP. THEY RE PRETTY CUTE. Admit it. In your teen years, you ve behaved in a way that s at least a little peculiar at times. And I m sure you ve heard your parents blame it on your teenage brain, which pumps out loads of hormones that contribute to physical growth, brain development, and interest in the opposite sex. This increased hormone production can also lead to severe mood swings, including anger and intense sadness. Describe a time when you felt overwhelmingly sad or angry, and didn t know what to do about it. In Luke s Gospel, we read of a group of women who loved Jesus intensely, and when He died, felt the worst kind of grief. Yet they carried on in spite of their feelings. They went to Jesus tomb to honor Him and were totally caught off guard by what happened next. Jesus was alive! And that changed everything. The great news is that Jesus is still alive today. That s a fact! In those moments when life is difficult, even overwhelming, focusing on this can impact us in surprising ways. So remember, Jesus is alive! 66 SESSION 7 THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM.

4 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? LUKE 24:1-8 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. Why are you looking for the living among the dead? asked the men. 6 He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day? 8 And they remembered his words. LUKE 24: As they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, Peace to you! 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 Why are you troubled? he asked them. And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have. 40 Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. THE SETTING Women who loved Jesus, and who had followed Him, went to the tomb Sunday morning to anoint His body with spices. To their surprise and joy, they discovered the tomb was empty. Jesus had risen from the dead. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and showed them His scars. Though some of His disciples needed convincing, the resurrection proved that Jesus is the Son of God, and they believed. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 67

5 LUKE 24:1-6a Today, Easter is a celebration. There s a certain excitement Christians experience when we gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. And there should be! After all, we have victory in Him because He defeated death. However, the first Easter morning didn t begin on such a positive note. Jesus had just endured a death that was excruciating. Respectable Romans wouldn t even use the word crucifixion because it was so heinous, so they created a word that means out of the cross. Jesus, the man on whom the disciples had placed all their hopes, was gone, and there was nothing they could do about it except grieve. Because Jesus died only hours before the Jewish sabbath, His followers only had enough time to place Him in the tomb. They hadn t been able to honor Him with a proper burial, so a group of women went Sunday morning to do just that. WHEN DID YOU FIRST UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS IS GOD S SON? Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection. 2 Watchman Nee? To find life in Christ, we must first be willing to lose our lives (Mark 8:35). In your own words, how is the history of your life centered around having died and been raised with Jesus? They found, amazingly, the tomb was empty. Jesus was alive! Many have tried to disprove the resurrection, but there s no way to explain away the empty tomb. If Luke had been trying to invent something that didn t happen, he would have told the story much differently. But he stuck to the facts: Jesus tomb was empty and the women were the first witnesses. They found, amazingly, the tomb was empty. Jesus is alive! #ChristID 68 SESSION 7 THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM.

6 LUKE 24:6b-8 You can probably predict certain things in your life. For instance, before tryouts occur, you may have a sense of who will be the new quarterback. Or you may have a pretty good guess about who s going to be the class valedictorian. However, there are certain things we just can t predict. What s a pleasant surprise you ve experienced this year? Perhaps someone could look at the odds and predict their approaching death. For example, a soldier headed into an intense battle might do this, but not with any certainty. Jesus repeatedly announced His death long before anyone else could see His arrest on the horizon, so His followers shouldn t have been surprised when it happened. WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT THAT JESUS KNEW IN ADVANCE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HIM?? Jesus also predicted His resurrection. Certainly no one else could have predicted this. This was all part of God s plan to redeem His people and restore creation. Let s look at what this means: Jesus death was no unfortunate accident: Jesus came to earth on a mission to rescue the lost. Jesus died in our place: Sin s penalty is death, and only Jesus, a perfect sacrifice, would suffice. Jesus defeated death: Because Jesus arose, death lost its power, and we will be raised with Him. Only God could accomplish these things, and He did! BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 69

7 ACTION POINT As disciples (meaning followers ) of Jesus, we are to follow in His ways, including His death and resurrection. The old sinful self must be put to death so that the new spiritual self can be raised with Jesus. List three areas of difficulties in your life (either past or present). Describe in a few words what you re doing to put those sins to death, and briefly describe the changes you will commit to. Feel free to keep this private. DIFFICULTIES SINFUL SELF: DEATH SPIRITUAL SELF: LIFE 70 SESSION 7 THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM.

8 WHAT MAKES THE RESURRECTION SO IMPORTANT FOR BELIEVERS TODAY? LUKE 24:36-40? The disciples heard reports that Jesus was alive. First, there were the women who had been to the empty tomb. Two men had reminded them this would happen. Now, two disciples were reporting seeing Jesus while on the road to Emmaus. Yet they had a hard time believing it themselves. When Jesus appeared, they were terrified, as if they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus, always patient and gracious, held out His hands so they could see not only that He was flesh and blood, but also bore the scars of the cross. There was no denying this truly was Jesus! ACTION POINT In the movie Batman v Superman, Superman appears to be defeated. Then, he makes his return and helps save the day. This happens often in superhero movies, and we re always excited to see the hero overcome great adversity to defeat the villain. When it appeared Jesus had been defeated by death, those who followed Him felt great loss. But He rose from the grave and conquered sin and evil. Read the passage from Luke 24 again, and list three ways His victory impacts your life: And He spoke. Peace to you is a typical Jewish greeting, and a general wish for well-being. But Jesus resurrection appearance took that phrase to a whole new level. Jesus resurrection provides peace: When we face difficult external circumstances: The disciples were surely afraid they would soon experience the same fate as their Teacher. But Jesus resurrected presence brought them peace. When we face internal doubts: Jesus being alive was hard to believe, but Jesus ministered to His disciples in a way that removed their doubts. Through His resurrection, Jesus defeated death and brought us peace with God. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is present in those who have faith in Him. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 71

9 LIVE IT OUT THE KEY TO OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS TODAY IS HOW CLEARLY WE SEE BY FAITH THE RESURRECTED CHRIST. 3 DAVE HUNT BIBLE READING PLAN DAY 1 JOHN 18:1-14 DAY 2 JOHN 18:15-27 CHRIST This week, pray every day that God would help you live in light of the resurrection. As He answers your prayers, make note of the following experiences, as well as any other resurrection realities in your life: Peace in difficult circumstances Strength to overcome temptation Faith amidst doubts DAY 3 JOHN 18:28-40 DAY 4 JOHN 19:1-16 DAY 5 JOHN 19:17-30 DAY 6 JOHN 19:31-42 DAY 7 JOHN 20: SESSION 7 THE POINT JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM.

10 COMMUNITY Jesus resurrected body is present today in the church. The church isn t an organization as much as it is a living organism, but it s alive and healthy only when its members serve. As a member of Christ s church, make a list of the gifts and talents you possess, how you re currently using those to serve the church, and other ways God may desire you to serve. MY TALENTS HOW I SERVE ADDITIONAL WAYS CULTURE The resurrection of Jesus is offensive to the world. In what ways has your new life in Jesus brought the ridicule of others? What have you learned from this session that will help you show the power of Jesus resurrection this week? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 73