He is Risen

April 12, 2009

Background Scripture: Luke 24:1 – 12
Lesson Passage: Luke 24:1 – 12

Last week’s lesson ended with the body of Jesus being placed in the sepulcher and a group of women noting where the body was laid. These Galilean women had followed Jesus during his ministry and ministered to him of their substance because he had healed them of evil spirits and other infirmities. They prepared spices and ointments to be used after the Sabbath to anoint Jesus’ body because they did not have enough time to do it before the beginning of the Sabbath. These women observed God’s commandment to remember the Sabbath day and therefore they rested in anticipation of finishing the work after the Sabbath was ended. Luke named three of them as being Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The Gospel of Luke identifies these women as dedicated supporters during Jesus’ ministry who had followed him from the region of Galilee in the north to Judea in the south. Now that Jesus was dead, they seemed determined to show their respect and give him a proper burial by anointing his body. Their well-intended plans were about to be disrupted. They would have to throw their anointment mixture away or find some other use for it.

The greatest story ever told has not yet ended but the middle scene is absolutely awesome! “He is not here, but is risen:” are words that can cause demons to tremble. This is the gospel’s stamp of authenticity. All who came before Jesus and all who have and shall come after him failed this one crucial test. Are they really bigger than life? Do they have power and authority over death? Can they lay down their life and pick it up again? If the answer to these questions is not “yes”, then they are not authentic. Sooner or later death overtakes them and they are silenced by the grave. The only one who can undo their situation is the one who has the keys to death and the grave. Those who claim to be equal to or better than Jesus must depend on Jesus to wake them up out of death. They are all phonies, impostors, perpetrators, “wanna be’s”, and deceivers. There is only one who is the real deal; that one is Jesus. He declared at the beginning what he would do and then he did it. Those who lived during that time showed that they could not refute what had happened even when they tried to silence Jesus’ followers. There is no recorded history of anyone offering proof at that time that what is reported in the gospel accounts was incorrect. Many fought the spread of the gospel story because it seemed to have conflicted with their personal interests, but still, none offered a rebuttal to the witness of the apostles or the other over five hundred eyewitnesses (according to the Apostle Paul). To this very day, some two thousand years later, the gospel message engenders hope in the hearts of believers. This hope is further bolstered by the gift of the indwelling Spirit of God in the hearts of believers. After the gospel message is received and believed, then God places his seal on all believers. “He is not here, but is risen:” continues to inspire followers today. That phrase is dwarfed only by the promise that he’s coming back again in bodily form to receive his church.


Robert C. Hudson
April 2, 2009

Jesus is Crucified

April 5, 2009

Background Scripture: Luke 23

Lesson Passage: Luke 23:32 – 47

The heart of the gospel message is that Jesus was without sin but yet he died as a substitute for sinful mankind. His death was the price that had to be paid for sin. There is no other event that concisely conveys the message of the gospel like the death of Jesus. For centuries, many have sought to understand the full essence or meaning of the death of Jesus. Jesus’ death is a historical fact. That he was sinless and the substitute for sinful man is the doctrinal basis of salvation by grace. The gospel accounts show that many who knew the man Jesus had difficulty accepting the totality of his being. It was easier to accept Jesus as being a Jewish martyr than for them to think of him as being larger than life—in fact, the life giver. “But as many as received him to them he gave the right to become the children of God.”

In our lesson today, we examine the historical account of Jesus’ death as recorded by Luke. Luke was the beloved physician according to the Apostle Paul. The gospel account that Luke recorded is filled with details not found in the other three accounts. As a historian who was not an eyewitness, Luke depended heavily on the accounts of others. No doubt, his curiosity and attention to details would have been honed as part of his training as a physician. Luke’s name indicates a Grecian background. The Greeks were known for their love of wisdom (phileo sophia) which gave rise to many highly regarded philosophers. His account of the gospel as well as early recording of the history of the New Testament church (Book of Acts) were addressed to Theophilus; who also had a Grecian name. Luke’s account emphasizes the humanity of Jesus. This makes his account a very good document for understanding historical facts about Jesus. Luke presents the facts without detracting from the Lordship and miracles of Jesus.

Chapter 23 picks up after the betrayal by Judas Iscariot, the arrest by the Jewish officers, and the Sanhedrin trial. The three civil trials (two by Pilate and one by Herod) are presented where it is made clear that there were no legitimate charges against Jesus. This was declared by those who sat in judgment of him. This historical fact is important to understanding the vicarious nature of Jesus’ death. If he deserved to die, then it would have been for his own crime or sin. Since neither Pilate nor Herod could find any evidence against Jesus, it is a historical fact that Jesus was punished for something he did not do. On the other hand, there was a criminal, by the name of Barabbas, who had been sentenced to death for rioting and murder and he was being held by the Romans. At the demand of the Jewish religious leaders and the crowd they were encouraging, Barabbas was set free and Jesus was sentenced to death. Just as Jesus was the substitute for sinful man, Barabbas is symbolic of unredeemed man justly sentenced. The crucifixion, the repentant thief, the suffering and then death of Jesus ensued. The chapter closes with the body of Jesus being taken from the cross and buried in a cave and his mourners returning to their homes to rest during the Sabbath.

Robert C. Hudson

March 30, 2009