Teague Bible Church

A REAL, BODILY RESSURECTION    

Jimmy Petty  BA.  M Div.     TeagueBibleChurch

 

    We spoke before that someone may die for something they believe in strongly, but it turns out to be a lie. They are sincere; but sincerely wrong. An example would be all the people who died thinking communism would work, and bring in some kind of political utopia, in this life. That was not true.

    Today the Muslim extremists use violence to try to force people to accept their views and are willing to die for their views, but their cause is wrong.

 

What about the people who follow a “good cause?”

                Remember the Chinese student  who stood in front of a tank at

                    Tiananmen Square to protest communist  ideas a few years back?

                       That was a “good cause.”

 

The apostles felt they were following a “good cause.”

 

The apostles had the same views, that most Jews had, at the time of the beginning of Christ’ public ministry. Even though they learned better, it was still hard for them to rid themselves of their previous misconceptions.

 

QUESTION: Does anybody remember what kind of a Messiah the Jews were

                          looking for when Christ began His ministry?

 

ANSWER: The Messiah would be a ruling, victorious, political king who would stop

                       Roman oppression. It would restore Israel to an independent nation ruling

                         with a son of David on the throne. Basically they looked for a national

                            liberation, with religious overtones.

 

QUESTION:  How did the disciples receive the news on the occasion Jesus told

                            them He would die on the cross?

 

 Let us check out these four verses

 

  Matt. 16: 21-23

    Matt.17: 22-23

       Matt. 20: 17-28

          Luke 18:31-34

 

 

ANSWER:   Matt. 16: 21-23

                        They thought it would be a contradiction for the Messiah to die,

                           since the Scripture said Messiah would reign forever.

                               (The Old Testament also said He would die first,

                                   ( Isaiah 53/ Psalms 22) but they did not get that, at the time.

                                        (We often hear only what we want to hear.)

 

 

  Matt. 17:22-23

      They were sad because they assumed He was Messiah,

         and if He died then they would be mistaken.

 

    Matt. 20:17-28

          Definitely felt it was a political earthly kingdom.

 

         Luke 18: 31-34

 

               They did not understand.

 

 

What happened to the “good cause” the apostles were following?

 

Answer: He died on the cross.

 

What did Jesus predict, and the disciples fulfill, when they realized that He was really going to be killed?

 

 

ANSWER: :  He predicted they would run, and they did.   

 

                         READ   Matt. 26:31, 56.

However, after 3 days He is raised from the dead; 50 days after the crucifixion, in spite of their former doubts, and all the dangers to themselves, the disciples were in Jerusalem proclaiming Jesus as Savior and Lord, as the Messiah of the Jews, and the Savior of the world.

 

QUESTION: How did a frightened band of followers of Jesus transform into the

                             greatest believers in the real, bodily resurrection of

                                 Jesus in so short a time?

 

 

QUESTION:   What happened to these guys?

 

 READ   I  Corinthians 15:1-8       

 

ANSWER:   They saw Jesus alive; not “we think He rose from the dead”

 

Most of the disciples were called upon to die a martyr’s death.

  None of them denied the resurrection.

 

 Who would die for a lie?