Preschool
I am the resurrection, and the life. John 11:25
A New Beginning
Memory Verses
Primary
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25
Junior
Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25
Background Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24
Lesson Scripture: John 20:1-18; 1 Corinthians 15:14-17
Introduction
The mercy of God changes that which was dull and cheerless into something bright and new. With hearts of gratitude we can say, “Thank you, Lord, for granting new beginnings.” 1 Beautiful springtime flowers, the fresh, clean air after a summer rain, and a heart that is washed free from guilt and sin all speak of the power of God to create new beginnings. This Easter may we again experience the awakening and renewal that the followers of Christ experienced the day He rose from the grave and took away the curse of death.
Key Verse
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Pet. 1:3).
Lesson Scripture
John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Studying the Lesson
The loving devotion of Mary Magdalene was shown as she, along with other devoted followers of Jesus, went to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. It appears that after witnessing Jesus being falsely accused, wrongfully condemned, and finally executed through ignominious torture, his followers had completely forgotten the words He had spoken about rising the third day. Their hopes and dreams had been shattered; however, in the rubble of their broken futures they retained a deep thankfulness for what Jesus had done for them. Mary, whom Jesus had delivered from seven devils, showed her gratitude by her acts of service to the deceased. She had been forgiven much, and she loved much.
As the group of sorrowing women approached the sepulchre, they were astonished to see the obstacle was removed that separated them from their loved one. With fearful hearts they ran to tell the disciples that their Lord had been taken away. Interestingly, at this point there was still no remembrance of the words that Jesus had spoken to them of his resurrection.
John and Peter raced each other to the tomb and saw the grave clothes placed neatly where Jesus had taken them off. The Scriptures say that then John believed. What made him believe? It clearly states that still they had not remembered Jesus’s promise of rising again (John 20:9). Possibly it was the grave clothes neatly and purposely placed together as if they had been deliberately taken off. They were not thrown haphazardly around as if someone had stolen the body.
Mary Magdalene appears to have returned to the garden after alerting the disciples to their missing Lord, and once again being alone, she wept tears of sorrow over the great loss of her most precious loved one. Suddenly she realized, when looking into the sepulchre, that she was not alone. In the tomb she saw two heavenly beings occupying the place where Jesus had so recently lain. In her grief she does not appear astonished to see the angels but only inquires where Jesus’s body now resides.
Presently Jesus comes on the scene. Why did He choose to appear to Mary first? We do not know the workings of the Lord, but his compassionate heart reached out to this sorrowing lady and wanted to fill her with his unspeakable joy. Her request to the One who spoke to her was only to know the whereabouts of her slain Lord, but when Jesus gently and lovingly spoke her name, light broke through the darkness of her night. Just like the curtain of the temple that was rent at the time of Jesus’s death, so the veil that shrouded her hope was pierced by Jesus Himself, the Light of the World.
As God ordained from the beginning, Jesus died for the sins of the world. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:22 that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Jesus was the only One who was pure and holy. It took a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the wrath of God against sin and ungodliness, but if Jesus had only died and not resurrected, the plan would still have been incomplete. The plan of salvation needed the Savior to die and resurrect to break the bounds of sin and death. It is through the resurrection of our Savior that we can have the lively hope of eternal life and access the power and grace to live above the ever-present influences of this world.
Practical Truths for Today
Our great God, on the first day of creation, created light. Is there something symbolic with this and the resurrection of the Son of God on the first day of the week? Jesus is truly the Light of the world. His resurrection gives light and direction to all who believe on his name.
Christ’s resurrection was infallible proof that He was the Messiah. The writers of the Gospels were explicit in describing this event and the record of Jesus’s appearances until his ascension to heaven. His enemies, on the other hand, were adamant that there would be no evidence of his resurrection and paid large amounts of money to those watching the tomb to say that his disciples had stolen his body away while they slept. It is evident that Jesus’s resurrection was paramount to the authentication of his being the Son of God, the Savior of the World.
Our sojourn through life is fraught with many trials, sadnesses, and temptations. There are burdens we bear for ourselves as well as our loved ones. Often we must admit that we have not been as faithful in maintaining our Christian lives as we would have liked to be and have erred from the right way. When the realization dawns on our hearts that we have sinned and the burden of guilt presses down upon us, may we realize that it is God’s grace that leads us to repentance. At these times, our flesh will put up a tremendous fight. It does not want to surrender to God or admit failure and defeat. It has no desire to be subject to the correcting rod of God or the direction of the brethren. These experiences can be like the time Christ spent in the garden of Gethsemane. When God places his finger on our lives, we need to submit and allow his purging of our lives, or by default we choose to start down our own path of self-justification or self-pity. If we continue down this path, we will soon find ourselves distant from God and his Holy Spirit’s leading. It may not take long until we find ourselves estranged from our spiritual brothers and sisters.
The storm may not always abate when one becomes willing to submit, but with submission comes a rest, and there will be direction. As Jesus wrestled in agony in the garden, He submitted to the suffering and cross that He would need to bear. Jesus said He had the choice of calling ten thousand angels to deliver Him from his terrible plight, but He chose to submit and won a place in heaven for all of us. In man’s case when he does not submit, he estranges himself from God.
God does not delight in our times of test and struggle, but He knows what is best for the refining of our lives and spirits. As we submit to the refining fire, we become sanctified and prepared for the Master’s use. Paul sums up what should be the cry of every Christian today. With deep feeling he says, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead (Phil. 3:10-11).
“The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest event and the greatest victory there has ever been in this world. By this Jesus conquered death and destroyed the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).” 2
It was only after the disciples witnessed the power of their risen Lord that they realized and appreciated what his death meant for them. Likewise with us, many times it is after Christ reveals Himself to us in a special way and we see Him for who He is and what He has done for us that we can appreciate the valleys we have passed through. At these times we can look back and see where He has walked beside us or carried us when we were not aware of it. God is ultimately interested in our eternal salvation and in drawing us into a closer relationship with Himself. This earth life is only a preparation for us to make ready for the greatest reunion ever to be held—the resurrection of the saved.
Questions
- Relate what the resurrection means to you personally.
- Is it possible for a sinner to repent but not experience the power of the resurrection?
- Why were the disciples so slow to believe that Christ had risen?
- 1 Irma Toews, “Our Wedding Thank you Prayer,” Precious Promises in Song No. 2
- 2 Bible Doctrine and Practice, Gospel Publishers, p. 44
- Unsubscribe
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).