Death Defeated

Theme: The Risen King

Objectives (from the D6 Fusion study guide)

Know: An angel rolled back the stone, revealing that Jesus was not in the tomb. He had risen from the dead.

Think: Be confident in my faith, knowing there is solid evidence for the Resurrection.

Do: Worship the risen Savior and spread the good news.

Scriptures: Matthew 28:1-15

Notes and questions

B1 Outline:

• Jesus rises from the dead Matthew 28:1-10
• Soldiers are bribed by chief priests Matthew 28:11-15

B2 Timeline

• Jesus is crucified (Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday--probably Thursday)
• Friday is special Sabbath, the Day of Preparation
• Saturday is Regular Sabbath
• Time runs from 1800 to 1800 the next day (“...evening and morning were the first day.” Genesis 1:5).

B3 Facts about Messiah’s Resurrection

• Sources
• Bible
• Four Gospels
• Epistles of Paul
• Secular: The Toledoth Jesu, a compilation of early Jewish writings, is another source acknowledging this. It acknowledges that the tomb was empty, and attempts to explain it away. Further, we have a record of a second century debate between a Christian and a Jew, in which a reference is made to the fact that the Jews claim the body was stolen. So it is pretty well established that the early Jews admitted the empty tomb. Link.
• On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, 'He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Anyone who can say anything in his favor, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.' But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of the Passover! Link.  Search the document for the word “Yeshu.”
• Prophecy
• "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Psalm 16:10 NKJV) Compare Acts 2:25-28.
• "O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit." (Psalm 30:3 NKJV)
• 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. (Matthew 12:40 [ESV]). So also Matthew 16:4, Matthew 16:21, Matthew 17:23, Matthew 20:19, Matthew 26:32, etc.
• New Testament teaching
• "...whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it." (Acts 2:24 NKJV)
• "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses." (Acts 2:32 NKJV)
• “He was holy and good, but you rejected him, and instead you asked Pilate to do you the favor of turning loose a murderer. You killed the one who leads to life, but God raised him from death—and we are witnesses to this.” (Acts 3:14-15).
• Shows
• He is God. He is sinless. He has the principle of life in Him. “...and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4, NKJV)
• Fulfillment of Scripture. See the prophetic verses above. Also, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NKJV).
• He has conquered death. Romans 6:9 with Ephesians 2:6
• Proof and promise of our resurrection. The promise of a new body like Jesus’. Romans 6:5, 1 Corinthians 15:12-13, 21, 42.
• We are justified. Proves His authority to forgive sin. Romans 4:25, 1 Corinthians 15:17
• Gives us hope. 1 Corinthians 15:19
• Is a picture of our new life. Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12
• He is King of the Universe (and all). Revelation 1:17-18
• Proofs
• Many witnesses, the more the better. Among many passages--Thereafter He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, of whom the majority remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. (I Corinthians 15:6 [EMTV])
• Hostile witnesses-- Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and taking counsel, they gave sufficient silver coins to the soldiers, saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were sleeping.' "And if this reaches the governor's ears, we will influence him and make you secure." So they took the silver and did as they were instructed. And this saying has been widely spread among the Jews until this day. (Matthew 28:11-15 [EMTV])
• Recorded close as possible to the event. The Gospels were written in the first century.
• It was well known. “Now when some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus. As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix; about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for a sentence against him. To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction, before the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him. When therefore they had come together here, I didn’t delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought. Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed; but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive[Emphasis--edit]. Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar.” Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.” So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.” (Acts 25:13-25 [WEB])
• Excuses
• Swoon theory
• Jesus didn’t die. He passed out. The soldiers thought he was dead.
• In the tomb He revived, moved the heavy stone out of the way, overpowered the Roman guards, and walked nearly a mile after being dehydrated for over 4 days, wounded, beat, bruised, etc.
• Not exactly good logic or reason any victorious celebration.
• Totally false
• Hallucination theory
• Jesus died and was buried.
• The disciples believed so strongly that over 500 people had a mass hallucination of seeing him alive and victorious in Jerusalem.
• The first mass hallucination that included followers and non-followers.
• The list of witnesses (from “The New Evidence the Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell)
• To Mary Magdalene: Mark 16:9, John 20:14
• To women returning from the tomb: Matthew 28:9-10
• To Peter later in the day: Luke 24:34, 1 Corinthians 15:5
• To the Emmaus disciples: Luke 24:13-33
• To the Apostles without Thomas: Luke 24:36-43, John 20:19-24
• To the Apostles with Thomas present: John 20:26-29
• To the seven by the Lake of Tiberias: John 21:1-23
• To a multitude of 500+ believers on a Galilean mountain: 1 Corinthians 15:6
• To James: 1 Corinthians 15:7
• To the eleven: Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-20, Luke 24:33-52, Acts 1:3-12
• At the ascension: Acts 1:3-12
• To Paul: Acts 9:3-6
• To Stephen: Acts 7:55
• To Paul in the Temple: Acts 22:17-21, Acts 23:11
• To John on Patmos: Revelation 1:10-19
• Totally false
• Substitute theory
• Jesus didn't die
• The substitute died
• A few days later Jesus shows up and proclaims that He has risen from the dead.
• Pilate and the religious leaders didn't have a clue what Jesus looked like.
• Jesus had a twin who volunteered to be crucified.
• Totally illogical and false
• Stole the body theory
• The scared and cowardly disciples overpowered the Roman guards by showing up and scaring them.
• After the guards fled from the disciples, the disciples removed the dead body of Jesus and proclaimed that He had risen.
• Nobody saw Jesus walking around after the resurrection.
• The dogs ate Jesus body theory.
• After Jesus died, his body was thrown out into a ditch were some wild dogs ate his body.
• No one could find Jesus body, so the disciples decided that Jesus has risen from the dead.
• Eleven of the Apostles were put to death in the first century believing this lie.
• This theory is not even good fiction. There is no proof, no witnesses, and no argument.
• Resurrection was not physical; it was a spiritual resurrection.
• Jesus died and was buried.
• He rotted in a few hours and could not be found.
• The disciples wanting a good story said that Jesus raised from dead and went to heaven.
• No one saw Jesus do this including God.
• No evidence, not even a little bit of thinking.
• The wrong tomb theory.
• Joseph of Arimathea, his servants, and the women were clueless to get around Jerusalem.
• Joseph didn't even know where his tomb was.
• The Romans guards or Jewish leaders didn't know where the tomb was either.
• When the disciples came looking for Jesus, they got lost, and found some grave that was empty, and decided that Jesus had raised from the dead.
• The Roman soldiers, Jewish leaders, and Joseph of Arimathea became disoriented and couldn't find the grave with the dead body. They wanted to show everyone that Jesus body was in the grave, but no one knew where that grave was.

B4 Matthew 28:1-15

• Parallel passages
• Mark 16:1-8
• Luke 24:1-12
• John 20:1-10
• When did the Sabbath end? (The previous sunset).
• When did the two women journey to the tomb?
• Who were the two women? (Mary and probably Mary the mother of James and Joseph. Matthew 27:56)
• Who is already at the tomb? (The Roman guard. It was not the Temple Guard. The religious leaders had asked Pilate for a guard (Matthew 27:62-66).
• What was happening at the tomb before the women arrived?
• What happened to the guards?
• Why was the stone rolled away?
• What is the significance of holding Jesus’ feet? (Proves He is a real body, not a ghost/spirit).
• Why did the Roman guards go to the chief priests and not Pilate? (Pilate would have had them killed for letting the “prisoner” go. These guards knew the chief priests could help them out).
• Why did the priests give the guards this particular message?
• How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ affect you today?