Resurrection Foretold
Notes
Transcript
Have you had an opportunity to look outside lately? We are beginning to see signs of spring. Trees beginning to bud out, flowers starting to bloom, birds beginning to return, spring peepers beginning to croak, it foretells of a time of renewal. All of the earth is beginning to be resurrected. The word resurrection comes from the Latin resurrectio, meaning “rising again.” A return to life after having died. While we know the plants have not died, but are in a time of dormancy, a deep sleep, when we see the pictures Jesus paints of His death and subsequent resurrection, this is not a period of dormancy. Christ did not enter into a time of deep sleep, but did indeed die.
He alludes to this when asked by the Scribes and Pharisees to show them a sign in Matthew 12:38-40
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Three times He foretells of the resurrection that is to come to His disciples. Three times He tries to prepare the disciples for what was to come. Three times He confirms His Fathers plan to the disciples. Three days he will be like Jonah in the belly of the great fish, but like Jonah he will only be there for three days. For us today, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the New Testament, and foundational for the theology of the Church.
Preparing the Disciples
Preparing the Disciples
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
This discourse comes just after Jesus has fed the 4,000, entered a boat, and went to the region of Magadan on the Sea of Galilee. Once again, we see the Pharisees and Sadducees tried to get Jesus to say or do something He shouldn’t. They again asked for another sign.
4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
Again, He points to the sign of Jonah as He used in Chapter 12.
Shortly after, we read of Peter confessing Jesus as the Christ when the disciples were asked “Who do people say that the Son of Man is”? Answers started to come in; John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the prophets. But then Jesus asked a more direct question “But who do you say that I am?”, and Peter answers “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.
Peter spoke out in faith from what he had witnessed. Jesus knew it was the Father who had revealed this to Peter, and declared the church would be built upon Peter, the rock. But again, He demanded the disciples not tell anyone He was the Christ. Why? It was not the appointed time. Some time after these questions, Jesus began to show His disciples the future leading to His death, burial, and resurrection.
Christ was revealing His future fate. It wasn’t that He hadn’t been telling them, but they were not understanding what He said. Up to this time, Jesus had been speaking of His fate being like Jonahs. But now, He would speak plainly and directly to the disciples. God’s Son was to die and be raised again for the sins of the world. The disciples now understood more fully that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16). They had taken a great leap forward in their understanding of His nature, just who He really was. Now they needed to learn two things: that the real way into God’s kingdom and glory was through death, sacrifice, and self-denial.
He taught them that His death was necessary. The resurrection was also necessary. While it may be clear to us today, it was not to the disciples at that time. No one had ever risen from the dead that would not experience death again.
Time is Getting Closer
Time is Getting Closer
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men,
23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
Leading up to the second teaching of His death, burial, and resurrection we find Jesus and the disciples as He has just healed a boy with a demon and speaks of our faith as it relates to a mustard seed. How we must believe, and if we had just a SPECK of faith we could move a mountain. Again we find them around the Sea of Galilee. As they were ministering there, Jesus and His disciples were ministering to the needs of the people.
Jesus continues to prepare the disciples and again talks to them about His death and resurrection. Why was it so hard for His disciples to understand?
The Messiah’s death and resurrection were new experiences, new happenings. History was to be made.
The Messiah’s death and resurrection were thought to be impossible. How could God die? They had to learn that God was dealing with spiritual and eternal life (and death), not just with physical and temporal life (and death) on this earth.
The Messiah’s death and resurrection were contrary to all their hopes and expectations. It was just different from all the disciples had ever heard or been taught. The Messiah was thought to be a Messiah of power and sovereign rule not a Messiah who had to suffer and die in order to save man.
Jesus continued to enforce that His death had to happen. Being delivered meant there had been a scheduled time made prior. This was a time set aside by God for Jesus to be delivered into the hands of His persecutors.
18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
The Jewish leaders were waiting for Jesus to make a slip us so they could put Him to death. I think this is why so often we see Jesus telling others to tell no one what He had done for them. He knew it would hasten their persecution. He knew the timeline God had laid out, and He wanted to be faithful to do the Father’s Will.
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
This time, as Jesus explains His death and resurrection it impacted the disciples on a different level. They were beginning to understand the magnitude of what Jesus was telling them and “they were greatly distressed”. It grieved them as they understood Jesus was talking frankly about His death, even though He would assure them of His resurrection.
Final Reminder
Final Reminder
17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death
19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Jesus knew His ministry was coming to an end. He knew He would have to take the disciples into Jerusalem and prepare for the Passover.
This time, we see Jesus taking the disciples off to the side, separated from everyone and everything else that could potentially distract them. He wanted them close, He wanted no interruptions, He wanted a time where He could be alone with the ones He had poured His life into. He wanted them to know as they got closer to Jerusalem that He would be facing death. The memories of the tenderness Jesus showed during this time would be a fond memory that would strengthen the disciples when they would hit tough times.
Can you imagine the mood, the atmosphere, when Jesus once again spoke of His death and resurrection. You can imagine the tension that must have been there. Mark goes on to describe the feelings.
32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,
Amazed and afraid. Their minds must have been going in a thousand different directions. They weren’t able to think clearly. Not only was Jesus beginning to feel the reality of His future setting in, but now the disciples did too. He was trying to prepare them for the shock of His death and the amazement of His resurrection. But even in this time on tenseness, we can find encouragement. Jesus was deliberately “going up to Jerusalem.” He did not have to go. He could have said no. He could have gone another direction. But He would not do anything against the will of God.
Closing
Closing
Just as Jesus was preparing the disciples, He is preparing us today. We have the Bible to tell us what His future plans for us, and this earth is. But like the disciples, it is up to us to accept by faith and still follow Him.
Even though we many not be able to understand it all, we can still follow Him by faith. He is patient with us, as He was the disciples. He continues to point out to us that we are sinners and He provides the way of salvation.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
But it is up to us to accept Him as THE Savior who died and was resurrected so that we could have eternal life with Him. He paid the price we could not pay. As we look forward to Easter, it should put us into a different mind set. We should be looking at the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us, and understand the magnitude His death and resurrection has for each of us.
You see, we have the fortune of being able to look back and what He has already done for us.
1 John 2:2 (ESV)
2 He is the propitiation (substitute, sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
If you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, if you have never asked for your sins to be forgive, I invite you today to come forward so you can have the peace of eternal life today.