HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!! This is the best news in the world for Christians. Our crucified Christ has risen from the dead!

We now find ourselves in the midst of Holy week. Today (Friday), we commemorate the awful sufferings of our crucified Christ. His sufferings are only good to those of us who are believing (hence the “Good” in Good Friday). We spent the bulk of our time together last week discussing the particulars of Jesus’ sufferings and how we are to respond. The most fundamental response that we should have (and do have if we’re actually saved) is to stop sinning! We die to sin, just as Jesus did.

It is only fitting that this Sunday, Easter Sunday…Resurrection Sunday…or whatever you like to call it, we focus on the miracle of Jesus being raised back to life by the glory of the Father. His resurrection from the grave secures for all believers an eternal redemption; it is proof positive that He was able to be the perfect and full propitiation of the wrath of the Father against the sins of His people. That is an utterly mind-blowing truth that ought to land upon us with a great weight.

Without the resurrection of Jesus we would still be lost, in our sins, and our faith would be futile. Read the Apostle Paul’s words in I Cor. 15:12-34 on this matter. We’ll spend some good time focusing on the importance of Jesus’ resurrection from this passage. Then we’ll spend the rest of our time really wringing out Romans 6. Paul writes very clearly here about the effect and response that Jesus’ resurrection (and His death) MUST have on the believers life. Spend some time thinking about this very practical application of Jesus’ resurrection. His death and resurrection are ours also…and they demand much of us. It is absolutely worth it, however, as we are made to be more like Jesus.

Here’s a copy of my class notes, if you find that helpful.

This week, we’ll be focusing our attention on the sufferings of Jesus, culminating in His death by crucifixion on a Roman cross. The physical agony that Christ endured was intense! That being said, it was as nothing compared to the non-physical spiritual suffering He went through. In addition to the physical torture, Jesus also suffered by having the sins of His people placed upon Him. As all-holy God, the One too pure to look upon evil, this must have been sheer agony! He also suffered abandonment by His Father. In a spectacle too difficult to grasp, the eternal Father, one in essence with the eternal Son, forsook Him at Calvary. And in what must have been the worst suffering of all, Jesus absorbed the full, white-hot, searing wrath of righteous, holy God against the sin of His people. Such torment we cannot begin to understand.

In preparation for our time looking into the suffering of Jesus in greater detail, it would be a great idea to read through the events of the days leading up to and including Jesus’ death and burial. These can be found in Matt. 26:1-27:66, Mark 14:10-15:47, Luke 22:1-23:56, and John 18:1-19:42. Take a look again at Is. 52:13-53:12. As you read these passages of holy Scripture, think about the suffering that Jesus went through. More importantly, consider what they earned for Him and for believers. Finally, spend a little time mulling over Rom. 4:24-25 and 5:6-11. How do we see love in the suffering of Jesus? What should be our response (hint: read Rom. 6:1-12)?

Here’s a copy of my class notes, if you find that helpful.

For the next three weeks, we’ll be taking a break from our odyssey through Revelation to focus our attention back on the Easter story. The basic outline (as I envisage it) will be as follows:

week 1- prophecy regarding the Easter events, why Jesus had to die
week 2- Jesus’ death…physically, spiritually, and what it accomplished
week 3- Jesus’ glorious resurrection, what it accomplished, why it’s so important

This first week, we’ll be spending a good deal of time looking at those Scriptural passages that show us that Jesus knew exactly what He was getting into when He came to earth. Spend a little time looking at the story of the fall in Gen. 3 and also Isaiah 52-53. Page through the gospels as well and try to pick out the times when Jesus spoke of His death and resurrection.

We’ll then, Lord willing, turn our thoughts to the HUGE question of why Jesus had to die. Have you ever wondered this or had somebody ask you about it? If God is good and all powerful, why can’t He just forgive everyone without having to kill Jesus? It’s a deep question that strikes right at the heart of the gospel. How would you/do you answer this question? Scripture is full of answers. Spend some time thinking of this and find some Scripture that addresses the question. As a corollary, I recommend the book, “50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.” It’s a great read that opens the Scriptures and answers this fundamental question of our faith.

Here’s a copy of my class notes, if you find that helpful.