Larry A. Smail's Blog

NOTE: I have been doing a Bible study for around ten years now. I have attendees from the denominations of Free Methodists, Presbyterian, Non-denominational, Catholics and Lutherans. I was considering doing this study again since new people have come on board since I first read the study. With the Coronavirus issue keeping everything shut down I decided to share the study. Hope you can find some hope in these uncertain times.

THOUGHTS ON RESURRECTION
By Larry A. Smail

People hearing of resurrection may have varying mindsets as to what the event actually is. In this study, we are going to use scripture to seek information, and evaluate the meaning of a Biblical resurrection.

First, we need to analyze the word, “resurrection” in regards with scripture. A resurrection is the spiritual and bodily reunion of an individual to eternal life. This body will be a glorified body. We will include scripture, later on, as to what Jesus’ glorified body consisted of prior to his ascension to heaven. How God completes this event is beyond human comprehension, but scripture has many words to express on the event. We need to remember in Matthew 19: 26, Christ states “Nothing is impossible with God.” Christians need to believe this with faith!

One may hear the word used in other ways. One may hear, sometimes, of resurrection in regard to flowers. The thought pertains to the flower drying up and dying in the fall. Flowers will again be resurrected come spring as new life emerges. However, the flowers never truly die. The bulbs: tubers, and rhizomes are still alive as winter moves onto the landscape. These roots are alive, but dormant until the warmth of spring activates the new growth. If the flower dies completely over winter, there will be no growth come spring.

A very early statement of a future resurrection comes to us in Job 19: 25-26. Job who was a righteous, and faithful man of the Lord, stated the following: “For I know that my redeemer lives, and at last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has thus been destroyed then from my flesh I shall see God.” Job knew he was to die, and return to the earth, but he, also, knew he would be brought back to life, and see God on earth. This information had been revealed to Job.

David, in Psalms 17: 15, states: “As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness: when I awake, (resurrection) I shall be satisfied with beholding thy form.”

The prophet, Daniel, in Daniel 12:13, was told by an angel in regards to the end of the age: “Go your way till the end: and you shall rest, (Die) and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”

In Isaiah 26:19, the prophet wrote: “The dead shall live, their bodies shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake, and sing for joy.

Some Verses from Christ Concerning Resurrection.

Many of Christ’s words can be found in the first four books of the New Testament. I will not include all of them, but I will list some verse references. In Matthew 12: 39-40, Jesus told the Pharisees what was to happen. These words were in regard to those people requesting a sign as to who Jesus was. Jesus said, “No sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days, and three nights in the belly of the fish, so will the Son of man be three days, and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 16:4; Mark 8:1; Luke 11:30)

In Matthew 16: 21, Jesus told the twelve he would be killed and rise up on the third day. (Other verses stating this are: Matthew 17:9; Matthew 17:22; Matthew 20: 18-19; Mark 9:9; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:34; Luke 9:21…)

The story of Lazarus is not a true resurrection. The story is in John 11: 38-44. Jesus’ friend, Lazarus had died. Jesus is sent for, but he delayed arriving until four days later. Lazarus had been in the grave for these four days allowing for decomposition to begin. Lazarus’ sister, Martha had hoped Jesus would have arrived before her brother’s passing. Jesus told Martha, prior to raising Lazarus to life, that her brother would rise again. Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life; he who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and whoever lives, and believes in me shall never die.”

Remember the definition of true resurrection. Lazarus, indeed, had been raised from death, however, he didn’t have the glorified body as Christ, and the First Fruit had, and has! Lazarus would die again in the future and be placed in a tomb.

THE RESURRECTION

The resurrection is the most important aspect of God’s plan for salvation for us today. Christ, himself spent three days, and three nights in the grave, or, at least, the physical part of him did. Spiritually, he spent that time in
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Paradise with all the righteous individuals of the past. The word Hell actually refers to the grave.

Sometime prior to the morning of the first day of the week, Christ rose from the grave in victory over death. Take note, the Bible does not state Christ was resurrected on the first day. The evidence of the empty tomb was made known at the break of the next day when some of the women followers approached the tomb. It was empty! He had risen!

The resurrected Christ in his glorious new body spent forty days on the earth preaching about the coming kingdom. (Acts 1) He ascended to heaven and is awaiting the time of the Gentiles to be fulfilled. At that time Jesus’ Second Advent will occur. The resurrection chapters are located in Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24 and John 20.

The Glorified Body

After the resurrection, as stated above, Jesus was on earth for forty days preaching about the KINGDOM! What were some of the features of his glorified body that we can know through scripture? Unfortunately, the writers did not include many details. In John 20:19, Jesus simply appeared with the disciples despite the door being shut. This body was physical, yet he had the ability to appear, and disappear. Notice, when Jesus, again appeared for Thomas’ sake, he told the man to touch his physical wounds for evidence that Jesus was actually bodily present. (John 20:27)

In John 20:30, the writer simply wrote that Christ did many things, and healings.

At another event, found in John 21: 12, Jesus called out the disciples to greet him on the shore of the lake. Jesus had a fire going. Jesus ate the fish, and bread with them.

In Luke 24: 43, scripture says Christ ate with the disciples. So, this glorified body eats food.

In Luke 24:31, Jesus appeared, and later disappeared, after meeting and dining with the two men on the road to Emmaus.
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This glorified, physical, and spiritual body is capable of anything, and everything.
Paul’s Words on the Resurrection

Paul, known primarily as the Apostle to the Gentiles, had much to say in regard to resurrection. Much of what we know of resurrection comes from the words of Paul.

In Acts 24: 14-15, Paul, during his defense at Caesarea, told those in attendance of resurrection…”having hope in God which these themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just, and unjust.” In Acts 26:8, Paul said, “Why is the thought incredible to any of you that God raises the dead?”

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote in Romans 6: 4-5, “…as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too, might walk in new-ness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall (Not may.) certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

Romans 6: 9, “For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again.”

Romans 4: 24, “It will be reckoned to us who BELIEVE in him that raised from the dead, Jesus our Lord who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

Romans 5: 21,”as sin reigned in death, grace, also, might reign through righteousness (Faith) to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 10: 9-10, states the following: “because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and BELIEVE in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart, and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips, and so is saved!” (Gospel)

The Apostle, Paul, goes into great depth reinforcing the truth of resurrection in his letters to the Corinthian people. These letters were in response to questions, and concerns from members of the Corinthian church.

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The next paragraph is one example of the gospel needed for salvation.

THE GOSPEL FOR SALVATION

In 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4. Paul reminds the members of the GOSPEL TO BE SAVED! He wrote, “I would remind you brethren, (Believers) in what terms I preached to you the GOSPEL (Good news) which you received, (These people had heard and received the gospel of grace through Paul’s preaching.)in which you stand, by which you are SAVED, if you hold it fast- unless you believed in vain. (This gospel is for salvation if you truly believe in faith.) For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance which I, also, received. (This message of salvation is the MOST IMPORTANT words he received from the Risen Christ.) that Christ died for our sins in accordance with scripture. (Christ was crucified so ALL could be forgiven of their sins as prophesied in the Old Testament prophecies.)that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according with the scriptures…” (CHRIST RECEIVED RESURRECTION BACK TO LIFE.)

1 Corinthians 15: 12-14, “Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead (Resurrected) how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. (Jesus would still be dead.) Then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain.” (Everything we have preached and everything you believed is in vain.) Paul, through verse 18 wrote of futile faith if Christ has not been raised, and we all are STILL IN OUR SINS, and those who have died have perished.

1 Corinthians 15: 20, “Christ has been raised from the dead, the FIRST FRUITS of those who have fallen asleep.” (Died)

In 1 Corinthians 15: 51, Paul wrote of a revealed secret to him. “We shall not all sleep (Die) but we shall be changed. At the last trump, the dead will be raised, and we shall be changed. He wrote of the perishable putting on imperishable, and the mortal putting on immortality. (Those dead coming back to life and those believers changing to immortality occur through the resurrection.)

Galatians 3:11, Paul wrote…”He who through faith is righteous shall live.”
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In 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17, Paul wrote explained that the dead in Christ (Those who had died as believers of the gospel.) will rise first, then we who
are alive shall be caught up together…

1 Thessalonians 5:9…”to obtain salvation through out Lord, Jesus Christ who died for us whether we wake, or sleep we might live with him.”

One more from the pen of Peter. In 1 Peter 1: 3-4, Peter, towards the end of his life, wrote: …”By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading..”

First & Second Resurrections

There are two primary resurrections shown in scripture. The first one will be those who have passed in righteousness, and those martyred during the tribulation period. The second resurrection will be against all those from the beginning who had died faithless, and rejected, with unbelief God’s words.

The angel told Daniel, in Daniel 12:2: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Jesus, in Luke 14: 14 talked of being repaid at the resurrection of the just.

Jesus talked of two resurrections in John 5: 29, when he stated: “…for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good (Righteous believers) to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil (Rejection and no belief) to the resurrection of judgment.

The Book of Revelation talks of the two resurrections in Revelation 20: 5 where the writer stated, that after Christ’s thousand years of the kingdom has been completed the second resurrection will occur. (Those who have been lost over time and those who had taken the mark and worshiped the beast will be resurrected after this time. This is known as the Great White Throne Judgment prior to the second death.) He, also, states blessed are those who share in the first resurrection.
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