Friday: Further Thought ~ Christ’s Victory Over Death
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “In Joseph’s Tomb,” Pages 769-778; “The Lord Is Risen,” Pages 779-787; “Why Weepest Thou?
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
”, Pages 788-794; “The Walk to Emmaus,” Pages 795-801; “Peace Be Unto You,” Pages 802-808; in The Desire of Ages.
Modern sentiment doesn’t believe in something like the resurrection of Jesus. However, the historical evidence is so strong that even those who can’t accept the reality of the resurrection are forced to admit that many people believed that they had seen the resurrected Jesus. Thus, much anti-resurrection apologetics is the attempt to explain what could have caused all these different people to believe that they had seen the risen Christ.
Some have argued that all the disciples hallucinated the resurrected Jesus; others that Jesus hadn’t really died but only had swooned and then come back to life after He had been brought down from the cross, and when He had reappeared, His followers thought that He had been raised from the dead. And (believe it or not) some have argued that Jesus had a twin brother whom the disciples mistook for the risen Christ. In other words, the historical evidence is so strong for Christ’s resurrection that these are the kinds of arguments people concoct in order to try to dismiss it. With the resurrection itself so important, we should not be surprised by all the good reasons we have been given to believe it.
“The voice that cried from the cross, ‘It is finished,’ was heard among the dead. It pierced the walls of sepulchers, and summoned the sleepers to arise. Thus will it be when the voice of Christ shall be heard from heaven. That voice will penetrate the graves and unbar the tombs, and the dead in Christ shall arise. At the Saviour’s resurrection a few graves were opened, but at His second coming all the precious dead shall hear His voice, and shall come forth to glorious, immortal life. The same power that raised Christ from the dead will raise His church, and glorify it with Him, above all principalities, above all powers, above every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 787.
Discussion Questions:
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During this week I read a number of accounts of how the Christian Church presented the death and resurrection of Christ in their liturgy, art, and music. This period of Christ's life is known as "The Passion" coming from the Latin "passus sum" to suffer with patience.
It has been represented in the stations of the cross. Typically a series of icons depicting events of the Passion Week. The practice was instituted by Francis of Assissi with the idea that people would move between the stations to contemplate the significant events of the week.
Various musical compositions have been created, some of the most notable being Bach's "St Matthew's Passion" and "St John's Passion". Of course, Handel's "Messiah" is the most well-known of the musical passions
Various Passion Plays are performed on a regular basis. One of the most famous is the Oberammergau Passion play performed in a village in southern Germany every 10 years.
In modern times one of the most well-known productions is Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of Christ."
It is very easy to be critical of some of these depictions but we need to be aware that many of them were made at a time when most people were illiterate and unable to read the biblical account for themselves. They served the purpose of communicating to the people the events leading up to the cross. The danger is that the depictions themselves became the objects of worship. In the modern world, how many of the singers in a Messiah performance are committed Christians? Or are they just there to take part in fine music?
Martin Luther wrote:
In spite of this, the Lutheran church was quite happy to use Bach's depictions of the passion. But I understand what Luther was saying. The way we live our lives is more important than just art and liturgy.
One other thought that I think is pertinent to this week's lesson: Most of the Passion art and liturgy is directed towards the suffering of Christ. Mel Gibson's film, in particular, highlights the suffering (which is one reason why I don't watch it) While I think it is important to recognize Jesus' suffering, we do not need to dwell there. The events of the Passion week culminate not with Christ's crucifixion but with his triumph over sin and death.
I like how Handel's Messiah concludes with the Hallelujah and Amen Choruses, sung with a full orchestra and choir. The suffering is finished and it's time for joyful triumph.
And that leads me to the conclusion that our lives should reflect the joyful triumph of the resurrection.
The two verses complement each other because they give us the evidence and guarantee of a new life. When Christ said, “It is finished”, that signalled His sacrificial atonement for sin, humanity, and the natural world from perishing. Christ died the second death by becoming the sin bearer for the world. The sins of all ages (past, present, future) were shouldered by Him on the cross. Christ was perfect without blemish, yet He became the sin-carrier for our sake (antidote to cure sin). When Christ became the sin-carrier, God the Father was separated from God the Son since God and sin cannot be in the same room (co-exist). This is the reason why Jesus felt abandoned and alone (Mark 15:34). Thankfully, hallelujah !!! God the Father accepted Christ’s sacrifice as the authentic offering to take away the sins of the world (Hebrews 10:4-5). The death of Christ complements His resurrection because the resurrection of Christ confirms the promise and covenant given to the Saved (God’s chosen people) by defeating the final enemy called death (1 Corinthians 15:26). The hope found in these words for us is the opportunity and chance to be a part of the family of God. How? By accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior. If He’s your Lord then you will obey Him. If He’s your Saviour then your life is secured and predestined for a second chance of life without sin (Ephesians 1:5). A second life without sin? How? We no longer live in the spirit of sin (sinful nature), but we live on with the Spirit of Christ (Christful nature). We die by the spirit of the 1st Adam, but we live by the Spirit of the 2nd Adam.
This account helps reveal the reality of Christ’s empty tomb because it actually happened. The tomb of Christ was heavily guarded by top of the line security. Security was provided by the military Roman soldiers fit for guarding a king, emperor, and president. It will be nearly impossible to believe the words of the Roman soldiers to say Christ’s disciples stole away the body when the tomb was gated with walls and layers of guards. The message of the empty tomb is so important for the believer because Christ is risen. Meaning life does not have to end at death because Christ has the resurrection power to raise us up again (John 6:40).
My Week 7 Sabbath School Summary & Comment
Christ’s victory over death confirms that He holds the keys of the dead. Rather, He is the Key to unlock death and make alive again to those sleeping saints who died in Jesus at their final resting place (grave or unmarked grave). Amazingly, not only does He have authority over life, but He has authority over death (Ephesians 5:14). This is Good News! Why? Christ’s victory over death gives hope to a resurrection. Whereas, Adam's defeat over death gives no hope at all to the living (Genesis 2:17). When we choose Jesus, we choose life. Not only life, but everlasting life.
Reggie,
An SDA pastor once said in his sermon. "In Christ, all past, present, and future sins are forgiven." I tried to reason with him that our future sins aren't "already" forgiven. 1 John 1:9. We must repent and ask for forgiveness and repentance. I left the church for over 30 years mainly because of I didn't want to be misled by a sermon.
Even with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we still have a sinful nature. Something goes wrong, and in a split second we react like we shouldn't react. As David said in Psalm 51, that he was born in iniquity. The apostle Paul said that he does the things that he should not do and realizes it. We need to constantly remind ourselves that "without Him I could do nothing."
Hi Tom,
You must have misunderstood my comment somewhere. This quarter’s theme is on death. While we are still living in this sinful world, we still have our sinful nature. We can be lost or saved at any point of our lifetime, because we still carry the sinful nature in us. For example, Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus, but chose to betray Him by sinning in the end. Whereas the thief on the cross chose Jesus to save him from his sins and doomed life. While we are still alive in this sinful body there is still a risk of losing your salvation. But once we are changed in a twinkling of the eye we receive a new glorified body with a perfect Christful nature created for the new heaven and new earth. This sinful body won’t ever touch down on the new earth because sin and death are finally destroyed (out of existence) by the second death known as the eternal fire (unquenchable lake of fire). When I mentioned the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was for all sins in every age of earth’s history guarantees salvation for the Saved who died in Christ from the Old Testament Church to the New Testament Church resting in their graves before Jesus returns. Those who are living and didn’t taste the earthly death are sealed by God’s grace giving them the strength to overcome the times of trouble and the seven last plagues. Similar to that of Elijah who represents those translated without tasting the earthly death will join the resurrected saints. The resurrected saints are similar to that of Moses who represent those who tasted the earthly death to meet the Lord in the air.
Referring verses: Romans 7:9, Luke 22:48; Luke 23:42; Hebrews 6:4-6; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; Revelation 20:14; Hebrews 10:11-14; Revelation 7:3; Daniel 12:1; Revelation 15:1-4; 2 Kings 2:11; Jude 9, Philippians 3:21; Revelation 21:1
Hi, Tom. I'm very glad that you have come back to the church. Your position is very well supported by Scripture. I trust that familiarity with the Bible, and the aid of the Holy Spirit, will be sufficient to keep us from being misled. Reggie pointed out that Jesus bore all of the sins of mankind, past, present, and future, thus making ample provision for our forgiveness and salvation, if only we avail ourselves of this by receiving the gift of repentance, and by humbly confessing our transgressions.
In response to Reggie, I might note that Judas had been cherishing selfish ambition, and enmity against the teachings of Jesus, for some years, before becoming capable of such a betrayal of sacred trust. (John 6:70) I also believe that the Holy Spirit had been working on the now-penitent thief for some time already.
While it is never safe to indulge in sin, I believe our greatest danger is from the imperceptible hardening that takes place over time, as we persist in having our own sinful or selfish way. Thus, our safety would seem to lie in a humble, obedient walk with Jesus, and in total reliance on His power and grace, as we come to know and appreciate His infinite love for us.
You always seem to have such awesome insights to God's Word and Power, R.G. White, and I always try to look for your comments and counter comments. But sometimes we need to do more than just "receive," the gift of repentance. Sometimes we have to "Wrestle with the angel," as did Jacob when he did this all night long, Genesis 32:24-28, and also "ask" for this gift along with a "Repentant and contrite heart," before we can even go on to the step of "receiving said gift."
Hi, Pete.
I would hasten to point out that none of us has any insights that were not graciously given to us. (1 Corinthians 4:7) All things are from God. (1 Corinthians 11:12)
You are certainly correct that receiving God's gifts, as they pertain to our salvation, can be anything but passive. As I see it, this is due to the inherent corruption of our nature, along with any perverse traits that we may have cultivated. Nevertheless, there is no merit to be derived from any of our efforts.
Thanks again, R.G. White, and as far as "our efforts," relating to Jacob and his wrestling with the angel, there is nothing in the account that indicates in any way that Jacob made any efforts to go wrestle with the angel at all. It just simply says that a man wrestled with him that night etc. Apparently "That Man" turned out to be Jesus in human form (maybe Melchizedek?) like this King met Abraham? Now He was wrestling with Jacob as an anonymous personality at first. I never meant in any way to infer that our wrestling with the angel was something God required of us to do first before He would give us His Gift of Repentance. But it seems that God knows when He will put this in our paths, like He did with Jacob to experience, before He grants us the gift He wants us to possess to have a closer walk with Him.
As you say, Pete, Jacob did not seek out his wrestling match with the "Man," who he came to believe was God. (See Genesis 32:30) But he certainly was persistent in seeking the desired blessing, despite his excruciating pain. (Genesis 32:25-26)
Maybe there are times when it's not so easy to let go of what's hindering us, in order to make room for us to receive God's blessings. In His own wonderful way, God means to transform us from selfishness to perfect love.
This week's lesson study was very interesting. Using part of today’s quote from Ellen White: “The same power that raised Christ from the dead will raise His church, and glorify it with Him, … .” It has been and still is a long process to bring about the awareness that God is, that Jesus Christ is His Son, and that mankind - Jews and Gentiles - have both received the Light of Truth to recognize this.
It came to my attention that one of the main achievements of Christ Jesus Mission was the unification of the 'brotherhood of man' through faith – Eph.1:9-10. Jesus Christ came to bring peace between heaven and earth, between the Jews and all Gentiles; no more separation as had been required under the Law of Moses. Chosing to come to earth and live among men showed that God's Love is available to all mankindman by faith; this has broken down “the middle wall of partition” -v.14.
Paul speaking to the Gentiles in Eph2:1-22:
Eph.2:1 –
"And you has He quickened, who were dead in your trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”
Eph.2:4-7 -
”But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
Eph.2:8-22 -
Verse 10: ”For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Verse 14-15: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;”
Verse 16-19: ”And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”
Hi Tom. Your pastor was correct. In Christ all sins are forgiven. Think for a minute...
Suppose you yell angrily at your cabin steward right before your plane crashes but before you have a chance to recognize and repent of your sin. If your version of salvation is correct, you would be lost... forever... because of one unforgiven sin.
John Bradshaw (well-known SDA Pastor) tells that when he was younger and still a Catholic, he used to pray that when it was his time to die, God would arrange for him to get hit by a bus right after walking out of weekly confession. In this way, he could die with no unconfessed/unforgiven sins. Does that sound like "good news" to you?
We don't jump into and out of salvation like a swimming pool. If you believe that Jesus died for all of your sins, you will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9; Acts 16:31).
Does God want us to pursue and demonstrate to others a high standard of Christian living? Of course (1 John 2:6). Will anything you do save you? Emphatically, NO! (Galatians 2:16 NET).
I was raised in an SDA church that had many you have to do this to be saved stipulations. This is not only unbiblical, it is certainly not "good news," for the simple reason that I can never be good enough to deserve heaven. I can never fully and perfectly meet the demands of the law.
And it turns out, I'm not the only one (Romans 3:10; 1 John 1:8). Jesus took away our sins and saved us by grace through faith = belief (Ephesians 2:8-9). This doesn't give us license to sin (Romans 6:15-18). It releases us from the "law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2) since in Christ we are no longer under the law but under grace. Every converted Christian must realize he is no longer under law but under grace (Romans 6:14 KJV).
I hope the moderators will graciously allow me to post this link in which an SDA pastor I greatly admire explains this critical issue clearly.
Chapter 10 – Law and Grace
https://www.jacksequeira.org/dyunit10.htm
Happy Sabbath my dear brother in Christ.