Sabbath: Crucified and Risen
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 27:11-26; John 3:19; Isa. 59:2; Matt. 27:45-46, Matt. 27:49-54; Heb. 8:1-6; Matt. 28:1-20.
Memory Text:“‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth’” (Matthew 28:18, NKJV).
Christ Risen
An ad in a British magazine asked if someone would donate his or her body to science. It said that scientists had been studying Egyptian mummification and were looking for a volunteer with a terminal illness who is prepared to donate their body after death. These scientists believed, the ad claimed, that they had cracked the secret of how the Egyptians did it, and that the body “would be preserved—potentially for hundreds or even thousands of years”—(www.independent.co.uk/news/science/now-you-can-be-mummified-just-like-the-egyptians-1863896.html).
As Christians, we don’t need to worry about having our corpses preserved. God has promised us something so much better than that. The death of Jesus, where He paid in Himself the penalty for our sins, and then His resurrection, when He was the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20, NKJV)—have paved the way for our corpses, not to be “preserved” like some ancient pharaoh (besides, if you have ever seen some of those corpses, they aren’t too pretty, anyway) but to be transformed into incorruptible bodies that will live forever.
This week, the final chapters in Matthew, we study the inexhaustible truths regarding our Lord’s death and resurrection and the hope that these two events offer us.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 25.
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A comment on the Egyptian practice of mummification:
"The ancient Egyptians believed that when someone died, their soul left their body. The soul would then return and be reunited with the body after it was buried. However, the soul needed to be able to find and recognize the body in order to live forever." (from ancientegypt.co.uk)
In contrast to this, we have the following thought from the Spirit of Prophecy -
"Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave." (Maranatha, EGW, p.301)
God's memory is so precise, so minutely accurate, that to Him it is no problem to reform the body of a dead person... and in the resurrection (both resurrections,) friend will recognize friend. To the ancient Egyptian, it must have seemed that all hope was snuffed out for the person that had been devoured by animals, or that had been torn apart.
I remember reading about how the old Egyptians would bury their dead in the sand, and how well those bodies were preserved by this simple means. But in the end, the whole thought was mistaken, and all their efforts were in vain.
Signs Accompanying Jesus’ Death
Mark 15:38–41; Luke 23:45, 47–49
51 Then, behold, vthe veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
I really appreciate this verses...
Truelly not Just Jesus alone been ressurrected but many bodies of saints...
Amazing
Great Hope for me suffering terminal illness or according to my attendng physician only... but Jesus is the healer ..I trust Him.
So interesting how people want their bodies to be preserved lifeless when there's an offer to have bodies and life itself restored and preserved for eternity!!
We must praise the Lord who saved us after the wrong free choice of our first parents. and gave other chance of making right choice. then we thank God because death has not the last voice on us. the conflict between good and evil will end. our hope is that our King is the winner and he has all the authority in heaven and in the earth. He is Alpha and Omega in our salvation.
I agree. Our hope is that we KNOW our King , meaning we have knowledge and seek Him without ceasing. Because He lives we have victory. I hope is in our choice and commitment to follow Him We must lift Him up in our praise. When the serpent spoke to Eve she should have been suspicious. A warning for us, watch, pray and cling to our only hope Jesus Christ.
What a lesson this week's lesson is because of that mighty power of Jesus rising from the dead to show us that as sinful as we are or as mortal as we are death is not the end.
We should never lose sight of the fact that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was completed in the resurrection. The cross and resuction are intricately tied together in the mystery of faith. As such the resurrection makes no sense without the cross. You can never detach the resurrection from the cross.
It is no exageration to say that Christ's death on the cross remains the single most important act in the human history. Without Jesus' death, humanity would have been condemned to a future without hope whatsoever. This led Paul to declare that the message of the cross was "the power of God and the wisdom of God" for him. His many trials and difficulties connected him to Christ. He was moved to write, "becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:10-11).
Further we must always remember that the cross is the demonstration of God's mercy and justice (Romans 3:25, 26).
The lesson is on point and gives us hope. In the last days our only struggle should be to attain eternity.
Michael, I understand what you are saying but we need to be careful how we say it. It can sound incredibly selfish when we say that we want to attain eternity. Perhaps we should say something more along the lines that our responsiblity is to share the good news so that *others* may experience salvation. I look forward to eternal life but our struggle should never be a selfish one; it should inclusive of others. When I was a little kid we learned a little song that went something along the lines:
J O Y: This must surely mean; Jesus first, yourself last, and others in between. Not a bad precept to live by really.
We do need some mode of preservation as well! We need to be preserved DEAD TO SIN (Romans 6:6-11; Gal 2:20; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:5; Luke 9:24; Matthew 10:39; Romans 12:1-2) before we sleep (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14), or before Christ's second advent (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)
its just amazing for our creator to die for us....i really appreciate my Jesus.
All glory and honor be given unto His throne.
Very inspiring comments. Now one thing we must not forget is this, very important and serious.
Christ is no longer on the cross. He is with the Father in the heavenly sanctuary. We must begin to understand what He is currently doing for you and me. I think,this is what matters most for me. We are leaving in the last days of our probationary time. How we conduct ourselves during this time is of vital importance. we are, each, marking our destines bearing in mind as Christ our High Priest, mediator. Let us follow the Lamb where ever He goes and know or understand what He is doing for us.
What you say is true Renford Mweemba, but we need to recognize that the bit about "How we conduct ourselves" isn't about our destiny but about the destiny of those who we interact with every day. Following the Lamb wherever He goes means that we should be caring for one another, looking after the poor, caring for the broken-hearted, and so on. Salvation is not mental assent. It is very practical and sometimes we muddy the water by concentrating on doctrine, rather than putting the commission into practice.
Maurice
What I mean by conducting ourselves is exactly what you have said. As a Christian- you ought to be Christ-like in your conduct. Christ stands as our Role Model if we are to earn salvation.
Following Christ where He goes. Christ is no longer at the the cross. In as much we acknowledge and appreciate what He did for us at the cross(we can not take it way- brought our pardon-given another chance to obey HIM) but what is more equally cardinal for now is to know what is currently doing for you and me. Knowing this, I believe is of vital importance in our Christian walk. The Sanctuary work of our Redeemer should impact our lives in a positive way because we know that when He leaves His intercessory role, our destines will have been decided. But before then, how ought we live or conduct ourselves with the knowledge of what is happening in the heavenly sanctuary. We are under the investigative judgement. Before it closes on you and me, I am sure we need to iron wash and iron our characters.
Thank you.
A few questions please, when the veil at the temple divided into two, the saints who had died were resurrected and went to holy city. Which is this holy city? Who are the saints, not by name?
Not when the veil was torn, but when, or shortly after Jesus was resurrected. See Matt 27:53. The city was Jerusalem where they appeared to many.
I don't understand your third question though.
did they went to heaven after ressurection ? since am sure they didn't die again are they matyr long died like Abel? are they in heaven now?
Yes Yator, they rose to immortal life . You can read a little more about it in the Desire of Ages, chapter 81 (page 786) but reading the whole chapter is better 🙂