hope of the resurrection

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By John T Klassek

The resurrection isnt a new idea, but a forgotten truth.

You cant ignore this! Either you die and remain as dust forever; oryou die only to awaken, sometime in the future, to literally stand upagain and finally see God. The resurrection is neither a myth nor is it

folklore its the best news we could ever hear!


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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The

NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United StatesPatent and Trademark Office by Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission

of Biblica.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson,Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved

Cover Design: John T Klassek

Cover photo: Leah Klassek pauses at the grave of her great grandmother, Irma Klassek,near Devonport, Tasmania, Australia. The bronze plaque features the epitaph of Until

the Resurrection.

Hope of the ResurrectionAuthor: John T Klassek

Appendix: Ernie KlassekCopyright John T Klassek, 2010-12

ISBN 978-0-646-53966-9

www.message7.org

www.messageweek.comm.message7.org

Published by MessageWeek MinistriesPO Box 777, Northam, WA, 6401, AustraliaTelephone +618 9622 5727 Mobile +61 417 177 683

Revised Second Edition 2012

This book is not to be sold. It is offered free of charge as a community service.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any

electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval system,without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote

brief passages in a review.

Printed by Optima Press, Western Australia


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Thanks be to our Great Eternal and Loving God for the

Hope he has given us. We are his children, created in hisimage and likeness for an awesome destiny.

A special thanks to my family and friends whose insight andsupport have been invaluable:

Thanks so much to my wife Rebecca for her support. Thanks tomy daughter Leah for her work in proof reading and wordsmithing. Thank you Peter Thomas for your encouragement andsuggestions. Thank you David Kidd for your comments andappraisal. Much appreciation to my father Ernie Klassek for hissupport, ideas and discussions that weve shared over the yearsduring the writing of this book, with special attribution for histhoroughness in proof reading and translation.

We can take no credit for what is given to us, but rather behumbly reminded of the following:

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serveothers, faithfully administering Gods grace in its various

forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking thevery words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with thestrength God provides, so that in all things God may be

praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and thepower for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.(John 3:27)

Take time over the words that await you. Enjoy the book.Consider the references cited, and rest in the hope assured.


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Contents

Chapter 1 What Might We Expect? . . . . . . . Page 1

Chapter 2 A Generation Earlier . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

Chapter 3 The Resurrection of Lazarus . . . . Page 16

Chapter 4 Jesus Ordeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 29

Chapter 5 The Resurrected Jesus . . . . . . . . . . Page 48

Chapter 6 The First Resurrection . . . . . . . . . Page 60

Chapter 7 The Second Resurrection . . . . . . . Page 74

Chapter 8 Abraham Believed . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 99

Chapter 9 God Raises The Dead . . . . . . . . . . Page 111

Chapter 10 The State of the Dead . . . . . . . . . . Page 118

Chapter 11 Out of Body Experiences . . . . . . . Page 125

Chapter 12 Hope Beyond all Hope . . . . . . . . . Page 137

Chapter 13 By The Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 142

Chapter 14 Two Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 148

Appendix A Glimpse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 155


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Hope of the Resurrection

1What might we expect?

It was hard to believe that Larry had died. It was sounexpected. Larry looked well and happy when we talked afew weeks ago. He had started a new business venture and I

remember discussing it with him. So here we were at hisfuneral.

No one could have imagined that within a few weeks of our

conversation Larry would have all his friends and familyaround him and hed never know it. Perhaps the onlyredeeming aspect of any funeral service is that sometimes itsthe only occasion when friends, workmates, neighbours andfamily members actually get together.

Some funerals are sad, low-key events where mourners hidetheir eyes behind sunglasses. Not so with Larrys friends. People

were shaking hands and hugging, others chatting as if they wereat a weekend backyard barbecue. The minister who officiatedtalked about celebrating life as well as how much Larry wouldbe missed; his younger brother told some childhoodrecollections conveying just how he was loved, and the eulogiesall reflected on just how remarkable a man Larry was.

Larry used to attend church in his boyhood years together with

his parents and younger brother. Later, during his teens withweekend sports and other distractions, Larry gradually driftedaway from church. Its not that he didnt know that there is aGod, but church life and liturgy became less relevant to theeveryday distractions of business, sports and travel.

All these things and more came to mind as the funeral servicecame to a close. If there is any consciousness beyond this life,what might we expect? What might Larry expect? Is he

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completely dead, is he experiencing the pearly gates, or is hequickly being escorted to the other place?

As Larrys family and friends made their way out of thecemetery, the funeral director released a cluster of white heliumballoons. As they floated away and out of sight, the fewremaining balloons were given to some of the youngest childrenwho seemed reluctant to let them go.

But despite the positive farewell, Larry was gone. And, nomatter which way you look at death, death is the end. No more

Larry. No more business plans. No more barbecues well, notwith Larry anyway. As we left the cemetery, we were leavingLarry behind, buried among those aging granite tomb stones,rusting iron fences and weather beaten epitaphs. If we nevergive our mortality a thought during the busyness of life, wecertainly cant avoid a passing nod at a funeral.

The cemetery is not the usual sort of place we really want to

visit. Its often referred to as the dead centre of town, and ourassociations are sad ones. For at every epitaph lie the memoriesand experiences of people just like you and me people whoonce lived and laughed and loved but now no more. Is that itfor them, and eventually us? I guess its the sort of question forwhich we all would like a definitive answer.

Although the Bible has much to say on the resurrection of all

people, it isnt the first thing that usually comes to mindnowadays when a loved one dies. Talk to people on the streetabout the subject and you might be surprised at how differentindividual beliefs are. Some, for example, imagine theirdeceased relatives to be blissfully in heaven. Others simplyshrug and say they believe in something else beyond this life,but cannot say what that is. Atheists and evolutionists believethat our few years of what we call life is all there is. A few,however, still believe in a literal resurrection back to life.

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Search through a variety of books or talk to theologians as youseek specific information that deals with the resurrection of allpeople and you may be disappointed as this subject is often

treated somewhat forlornly.

Certainly, there are a variety of online articles on theresurrection; a quick internet search by typing in hope,resurrection yields over 26 million references. While there are avariety of scholarly treatises also on the resurrection subject,they are not usually written for the every-day person.

The resurrection theme is generally accepted as a core belief bymainstream Christianity, and yet it seems that there is someambiguity as to what it actually means. As a result, this book isan attempt to clearly articulate the hope of the resurrectionsolely from a Biblical position.

So, what does the Bible, the book of all books, that hasinfluenced Western civilisation probably more than wed like to

admit, have to say about life and death and the things that mayor may not exist beyond our experience today? We mightwonder how the ancients viewed death. Does theirunderstanding and commentary help us? In fact, what did Jesushave to say about it? How did the early church that developedin the first century view death? If there is anything beyond ourhuman experience, what might we expect?

These are important questions, because the answers to themessentially fashion how we live our lives today. If you knewwith certainty what lies ahead beyond death, then you wouldprobably live your life somewhat differently.

Of course, many western countries affirm their increasingsecularity; were all familiar with the term post-Christian era.

Over the years you may have discussed, with close friends orread articles on, the subject of death exploring differing beliefs

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as to what may, or may not, lie beyond this life. Perhaps youmay have attended various funeral services, where you mayhave heard a preacher share either words of hope, a message

generally celebrating life, or some variation of going toheaven. Perhaps youve pondered the tombstone epitaphs inreally old cemeteries that reflect resurrection belief. If youre achurch-goer, youve probably listened to sermons that havesomewhere touched on the Resurrection life in Jesus Christ.Perhaps, like many people however, you may have never reallythought about it at all, and so favour a secular funeral simplycelebrating the deceased with no religious overtones.

(While its not the intention of this book to discuss the merits ofatheism versus faith, note that we strongly and intelligentlycontend that there is a personally knowable Creator God. Tosuggest that we evolved into existence is simply ludicrous; thesingle cell has been discovered to be more complex than the sumtotal of all the communications in New York city. We arefearfully and wonderfully made).

Most of us usually prefer not to dwell on the merits of thesesubjects too much. But, from time to time, we cant help butbecome confronted by death especially when it affects ourown mortality.

There are a variety of different services today that provideremarkable assistance to those in diverse areas of need. Some

excel in articulating Gods grace through, for example,providing food ministries for the down and out. Others are yetinvolved in aged care, school chaplaincy, gospel broadcast,youth activities, medical missions, and so on. All these servicesand more reflect the eyes, ears and hands of the living Godworking among us as his Spirit motivates the faithful believerin the service of others.

And yet, at a time that could perhaps be described as ourgreatest moment of need when, for example, attending a funeral

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service, sometimes we intuitively know that what were toldduring that service isnt all that helpful or true. Were still leftfeeling grey. Its a service area that needs Biblical integrity,

because were often left with a mix of equally competingChristian and sub-Christian ideas designed to placate thegrieving soul.

A glass of fresh water satisfies the thirsty; fresh bread satisfiesthe hungry, but to say that Uncle Larry is either in heaven or inhell, simply falls short of what the Bible actually tells us, andleaves us for the most part confused and dissatisfied.

A celebration of life at a funeral service should be able todelineate hope, purpose, and a divine, Biblically based reality.Sometimes, however, the core message were left with is notmuch less than a feel-good piece of folklore based on populartradition.

We hope that, having read the Hope of the Resurrection, your

view of life and death can be more inspiring than dreadful,heartwarming than sad, and more hope-filled than ever before.

Our research into the resurrection themes, as found in the Bible,began some fourteen years ago when media streaming was stillin its infancy. Few then regarded the internet as a seriouscontender for content delivery, but it was a good starting point.More than just pioneering the gospel message with new

technology, we saw a need for the good news to be refreshing,inspiring, and not just a rehashing of already well-servicedareas. Over time, we found that the subject of the resurrectionkept cropping up because it seemed that many peoplesexpectations associated with death differed from a basic Bibleunderstanding. As the years went by, we produced numerousshort films, some of them filmed in cemeteries and others in-studio, each covering different aspects of the hope of theresurrection.

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The short films were remarkably successful in that they cateredfor an area of ministry that needed addressing, and this wasreflected by the many positive comments we received in

response to our online work.

When friends asked what we had been doing lately in filmministry, there was a natural moment of hesitation to admit thatwe had been filming on-location in cemeteries. Far from beingmorbid, however, the experience of setting up a camera on atripod, arranging lighting, microphones, and then presenting ascript amidst the landscape of tombstones and epitaphs is

surprisingly more inspiring than you might expect becausewhat were dealing with is the future of all people who haveever lived, good and bad, young or old, regardless of gender,race or religion.

I remember an Australian History teacher as he helped a groupof us students glean information from old, Australian pioneercemeteries. The results of these studies were amazing. For

example, the small historic cemetery at Greendale near BacchusMarsh in Victoria revealed an abnormally high infant mortalityrate in those early pioneering days. Its not the sort ofinformation you can easily walk away from unaffected.

In one sense, the resurrection theme that prompted this bookbegan in earnest when I personally experienced a sudden andpalpable sense of grief when reading the epitaphs dedicated to

those infants as inscribed on those tombstones. A third of thoseburied there were less than five years old. When you considerthe sad loss those pioneer families experienced, their pain stillreaches across to us today because their loss is really our losstoo. The infant mortality rate was unmistakeably high by anysense of the imagination, and even though today we aredistanced from those times by over a hundred and fifty years,the loss still feels personal and can only be offset by the hopethat one day all these children will rise to live again, this time toreach their full potential.

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One epitaph, typical of that era, that expressed deep loss readsas follows:

Thy voice is now silent, That true heart lies coldWhose smiles of welcome oft met me of oldI miss thee, I mourn thee, in silence unseenBut Ill dwell on the memory of the days that have been.

Another, cut into white marble, simply says, Asleep in Jesus.Many pioneer cemeteries feature epitaphs that are distinctlyChristian.

I will never forget the first funeral I attended at around twelveyears of age. My parents insisted that, together with my brotherand sisters, we attend the funeral, despite such occasionsgenerally excluding children. During the grave-side servicewhen the coffin was being lowered into the ground, a grievingmiddle-aged lady who was dressed in black, suddenly jumpedonto and clasped the descending coffin. She shrieked bitterly,

Dont put her down there! Dont put her down there! Therewas a scuffle as relatives and attendants tried to prise her away.The remainder of that funeral service was sullied by herspontaneous outpouring of grief. As a boy I was left with morequestions than answers, and definitely a nasty feeling aboutdeath.

Thankfully, coming from the Church of God (Sabbatarian)

community, the teaching of the resurrection of all people wasquite clear and well articulated, at least as I understood it. Thus,I grew up more with a sense of hope than of dread. But it is onlyuntil you experience the death of a loved one that you reallygive the subject the time of day.

My awareness of hope of the resurrection was heightened whenmy grandmother died. My father organised a bronze plaque forher final resting place at the Mersey Valley Memorial Park onthe North West Coast of Tasmania. He simply chose the epitaph:

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Irma Klassek 1905-1987 Until The Resurrection. Those fewcomforting words tell us that her decease is only for a limitedtime, that is, until the resurrection.

Many years later, when standing alone by her grave site in silentcontemplation, I found I couldnt hold back the tears. Thiswasnt only because I missed her so dearly, but because thesense of the power of a future resurrection seemed to makedeath appear like an awful trick in time. I believe in theresurrection, and yet through my tears wondered at such grief. Iloved my grandmother dearly and sure look forward to that

glorious day when I will see and embrace her again. Yetstanding there on that manicured lawn cemetery, there wereonly silence, memories and moist eyes.

So in the course of MessageWeek Ministries film work, weproduced a number of short films that discussed theresurrection of Jesus; we explored the resurrection of all people,asking those hard to ask questions and exploring the relevant

scriptures. Its not hard to see that, although one of the universalthemes expressed in the Bible is the hope of the resurrection, noteverybody really understands its literal nature. Into the bargain,over time, our theologians, thinkers and scientists have evolvedalternative values and beliefs as to what to expect when you die.

Ask anyone in the street what they think will happen when theydie, and you might hear the common response, that apart from a

funeral, You go to heaven. Others will readily admit that theydont know. A growing number of people influenced bysecularism will scoff at the very idea of anything beyond this lifethat science cant offer.

Karla Faye Tucker who, having been convicted of a horrible axemurder in the USA years earlier, was converted to Christianitywhile in prison. She caught the medias attention as she facedher widely-debated execution. Lawyers had unsuccessfullypetitioned the US President for a pardon which was based on

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her conversion and changed life while on death row somefifteen years earlier. Just days away from her execution, Karlacommented to a journalist that her imminent death didnt worry

her, as she was now going to be with Jesus.

In one sense she was right. Her comments, however, reallyneeded qualifying if they were to be true to scripture. Isnt deathaccording to the Bible like a deep sleep, where there is noconsciousness, no thoughts, nothing except the future call of

Jesus voice at his return?

Growing up in a European culture where purgatory played asignificant part in peoples ideas about the afterlife, I remembermy father recalling that the elderly widows, in the German citieswhere he lived as a boy, were donating from their poverty to thechurch in the belief that they were alleviating their spousessuffering in purgatory. Purgatory was taught to be anintermediate place of suffering and cleansing prior to enteringheaven. Every time an offering was made, the spouse was

imagined to have been lifted just that little bit more from his (orher) suffering. Many today express their indignation at howthose poor widows were exploited by medieval theologicalexpedience an outright lie that had no benefit except to thechurchs finances. Furthermore, artwork such as Dantes as wellas Bruegels tortured paintings of poor souls suffering at thehands of a vengeful God doesnt help the pious imagination.

There are a lot of ideas out there as to what happens afterdeath. A noted theologian recently discussed soul sleep, aconscious disembodied state we might expect to experiencebetween death and heaven. Another cited the soul being freedfrom the prison of our physical bodies at death. Reports of outof body experiences pepper the internet. Eastern ideas of theafter-life have also impacted our thinking. The confusionbetween differing beliefs is made all the more complicated inthat were not talking about unfamiliar or foreign religions;

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were talking about the Christian faith, based arguably on theWord of God, the Bible!

So, what do the scriptures really say? What is fact and what isfiction?

The purpose of this book is to explore this fascinating subjectfrom a Biblical perspective, and see what we find. We hopeyoull be pleasantly reassured, if not surprised.

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2A Generation Earlier

An elder in a Church of God congregation made theobservation during one of his sermons that theresurrection, as an expression of hope, can still be found

on the epitaphs only at the very oldest of Australian cemeteries.

Gary lived in the capital city of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia,where he helped pastor a Church of God congregation. Hobart

is a picturesque historic city, snuggling beneath the toweringheights of Mt Wellington and located on the Derwent River. Thecity still reflects the architecture of a bygone era. Theres a streetin suburban Sandy Bay, that apart from the parked modern cars,you could be forgiven for thinking that you had stepped back intime. The building facades reflect a distinct colonial British past.Drive an hour or so south-east and you come to Port Arthur, acolonial penal settlement where most of the buildings still in use

today were a result of convict labour.

Complementing all this historicity are the old cemeteries. Manyearly settlers and convict family names are represented there onthose still, moss laden tombstones. What Gary explained aboutthose epitaphs should catch our attention. He said, If you visitthe really oldest cemeteries, say of more than a hundred andfifty years ago, youll still find specific references to the

resurrection, like, Until the Resurrection, or I will awakenwhen he calls. He went on to say that epitaphs less than ahundred and fifty years old no longer feature such overtreferences to the resurrection.

His observations are intriguing and worth verifying. Thus,engendered with a sense of curiosity, I have made it a point tovisit many of those old cemeteries in busy cities or lonely ruralplots to find out for myself.

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It might initially sound somewhat morbid to tell your friendsthat youre researching cemeteries as a way of making a point.But for history students, it can only prove remarkable, and

should present us with additional questions. What do webelieve today, as opposed to yesterday? If there has been achange in thinking, how has it happened, and why did ithappen? How does the average person today see life and death,for example, as opposed to their great-grandparents?

When walking around and filming in cemeteries in Australia,the United States and New Zealand, its easy to be touched by

the genuine and loving epitaphs cut into the limestone orgranite headstones that remember the deceased. People do care,and their words are thoughtfully chosen to best remind them oftheir beloved. Some are short, others are poetic, and yet otherssimply express loss. But seldom anymore will you find directreferences to the resurrection!

Some really old tombstones are often so weather-worn that

deciphering the lettering can be quite difficult, but in the contextof what were discussing it is exciting to still be able to decipherthe wording of Resurrection.

The historic town of York, founded in 1831, is the oldest inlandsettlement in Western Australia. Some of the oldest tombstoneshave been preserved in a local park, and many of those also tellof a high infant mortality rate for that era. Significant among

those tombstones are the epitaphs; most if not all of them reflecta distinct Christian belief, and several of them refer to a futureresurrection:

Father in thy gracious keeping,Leave we now thy servant sleeping. (1888)

We shall sleep but not for ever,There will be a glorious dawn.We shall meet to part no never,On the Resurrection morn. (1884)

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Our Western societies have experienced a significant but steadychange in the past one hundred years. Weve migrated from ouroriginal Judean/Christian beliefs to a culture that is essentially

secular in nature. Once the architecture of the church dotted theAustralian landscape; today it is the sporting venues andshopping centres. We certainly cant ignore the demographicmovements and migrations of peoples that have brought newcultures and ways of thinking; science has opened up new vistasof understanding, and social values have been liberalised overtime. Church attendance is generally down, and fewer youthtoday believe in God. Christian iconography isnt in demand as

it used to be, and seems to have been overtaken by the Buddhastatues now available practically at every shopping centre.

How have the teachings of the Holy Bible, a book that is still inuse in our Law Courts, become increasingly irrelevant in oursocietys values? Why have Christian religious studies becomemarginalised or non-existent in our public schools? And wemight also ask why our beliefs about death have changed. These

are relevant questions that are worth exploring.

I suppose we should first begin with an honest look at thosefoundational scriptures, and try to learn what the ancientsbelieved, experienced and were commended for. If were carefuland serious, we might overhear other peoples conversationsand pick up on the controversies that affected them. What didthose great people of the Bible believe and think? We should

also discover what God specifically conveys about life anddeath. Our venture together may help rediscover an unfadingrelevance in the hope of the resurrection.

Its quite a hard question to ask: what happens when you die apart from being the centre of attention at your own funeral? Itsnot the sort of subject we like or want to talk about. In fact,were more likely to joke about it or dismiss it altogether. Ageneration earlier Australians generally discouraged childrenfrom attending funeral services, perhaps with the view of

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protecting them from what we fear most. We generally dontlike to talk about death. Instead, you have probably found iteasier to joke about: Did you hear about the man who, after

enjoying a few drinks at the local tavern one night, decided totake a shortcut through the cemetery... There are literallyhundreds of such similar jokes. For some, its easier to laugh itoff than seriously seek definitive answers.

You see, the truth is that death reminds us of our own mortality.Its foreboding nature flattens us with grief. Were talking aboutour loved ones, our parents and grandparents; and for those

who are tragically unfortunate to lose a child, the pain is somuch more intense. Just look at all those living room familyphotos; there are always pictures of loved ones who have gonebefore us, reminders of the connectedness we once shared. Butnow theyre gone, and as days become years, we too become apart of that passing scenery.

I suppose there are times when were grateful for the busyness

of life that distracts us long enough so we dont have to dwellon the dastardly unknown. That is, of course, until we attend afuneral service where we are then confronted with the reality ofour own mortality foreshadowing the time when we too willbreathe our last.

In the past, Australian tradition did not include a viewing of thedeceased, but in recent years that is now changing. In many

parts of the world a viewing of the deceased is accepted as anatural part of the grieving process. The deceased are preparedto look their best in perhaps one of their quintessential outfits.In the quiet, subdued light of a chapel or crematorium,mourners have the opportunity to see their beloved one lasttime.

Have you peered at the still face of your friend or loved one asthey rest in that ornate wooden coffin? What did you think?How different did they look? Did you remember them when

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they were alive, when you shared the good times? How did youthen feel as the funeral attendant finally sealed the coffin lidwith those ornate, brass thumb screws? Did your own mortality

cross your mind? It certainly should have done.

The dilemma that were often faced with is what to say by wayof comfort to someone grieving the loss of a loved one. Is asobbing hug enough? Or an awkward pat on the back? Itscertainly no time for jocularity. Can you genuinely look intosomeones watery, reddened eyes, and assure them of a certainhope that they will see their loved ones again? And if you

make such an assertion, what did you base it on? What aboutthose who lived somewhat godless, reprobate lives? Whatencouragement can you give to a grieving, pious mother whenreferring to her deceased son who was killed in a gunfight withpolice?

For many it is a grey area. Because our views, beliefs andepitaphs have significantly changed over the past one hundred

or so years, can we know with absolute certainty what, ifanything, lies beyond this life?

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3The Resurrection of Lazarus

The oldest, most published and printed book in the world isthe Holy Bible. Its been described as Gods love letter tous, as the full sum of Gods revelation to humanity, as

salvation history, and as being distinctly Divinely inspired.These remarkable scriptures, traversing thousands of years andcountless generations of peoples and civilisations, culminateand centre on Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Creator God who spoke

the universe into existence and who sustains it by the power ofhis word. The years on our calendar are counted from hisbelieved date of birth. In many different ways those veryscriptures testify that Jesus is God. God in the flesh. God amongus. God who has the power over life and death.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus not only healed the sick, fedthe hungry and performed countless other miracles, but he also

on three occasions raised the dead. The accounts of thoseresurrections are so compelling, and the controversies that latersurrounded the very idea of resurrection so rivetting, that itsworth beginning with exactly what happened.

When questioned by the religious authorities of the day, theonly sign that Jesus gave as to who he really was, was in thesign of his own death and resurrection three days and three

nights in the grave which well shortly explore.

This is what happened about two thousand years ago. Jesus hadjust healed a man who had been ill for thirty eight years. WhenJesus healed, that supreme act of grace was always accompaniedby forgiveness. It was a Sabbath, and a healing on such a daywas the perfect signature and complement as to who God is, theGod of rest, reconciliation and healing. Yet because it was theSabbath and the healed man was spotted carrying his mat, the

jealous religious authorities persecuted Jesus. According to their

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Jewish oral traditions both Jesus and the healed man hadviolated their law.

The Jews had created a heavy legal fence around the gift of theSabbath; instead of it being a day of rest and relief, overgenerations the Jewish ruling elite had created extraneous lawspreventing people from enjoying the rest God had given them.Carrying a mat was considered illegal; healing a man an evenworse sin!

It was against this climate that Jesus is recorded in John 5 asteaching about life, death, judgment and honour.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly, I sayto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees theFather do; for whatever he does, the Son also does in likemanner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him allthings that he himself does; and he will show him greater

works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Fatherraises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives lifeto whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but hascommitted all judgment to the Son, that all should honour theSon just as they honour the Father. He who does not honourthe Son does not honour the Father who sent him.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and

believes in him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall notcome into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is,when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and thosewho hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so hehas granted the Son to have life in himself, and has given himauthority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of

Man.

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Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all whoare in the graves will hear his voice and come forth those

who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those whohave done evil, to the resurrection of [judgment]. (John 5:19-29)

This passage is interesting because Jesus, having first discussedhis relationship with the Father, then takes the revelation furtherwhen he twice iterates that the hour is coming when all thedead, those who are in the grave, will hear Jesus voice and

come back to life. Whats more, Jesus said, Dont marvel or,Do not be amazed.

The above scripture reference to the exact words of Jesus mayhave its scoffers and be considered as nothing less than cheap,high-flying talk by the doubters among us. However, when wefollow the accounts of Jesus healing and raising the dead, wereally have to stop and carefully consider what is at stake here.

Did those events really take place? Can we corroborate all thoseeyewitness reports? Would those testimonies hold up in a courtof law?

We almost cant help but marvel at what Jesus says and does. Inso many instances, Jesus heals the sick, gives sight to the blind,heals a withered hand, heals a paralytic, heals a sick woman,heals Peters mother-in-law, heals many lepers, casts out

demons, and so on. But we also have the remarkable andastounding record of Jesus raising three people from the dead events that are harder to explain away.

The first occasion Jesus raised the dead was a widows only son,as recorded in Luke chapter 7. Jesus and his disciples with alarge crowd following, met a funeral procession in progress atthe town of Nain. This procession was accompanied by most ofthe townspeople. Jesus heart went out to the widow, for notonly had she already lost her husband, but now also her only

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son was dead. He said to her what may appear to be the mostuseless of words at time like this: Dont cry.

But what follows is amazing. Jesus went up to the coffin, andtold the young man to get up. The rest is history:

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave himback to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praisedGod. A great prophet has appeared among us, they said.God has come to help his people. This news about Jesus

spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. (Luke7:15-17)

In another account, as recorded by Luke the physician (and bythe nature of his writing also an astute historian), Jesus raised arulers daughter back to life.

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house

of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. Your daughter is dead, hesaid. Dont bother the teacher any more. Hearing this, Jesussaid to Jairus, Dont be afraid; just believe, and she will behealed. When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not letanyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and thechilds father and mother.

Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her.

Stop wailing, Jesus said. She is not dead but asleep. Theylaughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her bythe hand and said, My child, get up! Her spirit returned,and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give hersomething to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he orderedthem not to tell anyone what had happened. (Luke 8:49-56)

In both incidents, the people who had witnessed the

resurrections were in no doubt as to the astonishing nature ofthese events. The skeptic here, however, could also suggest that

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in both cases nothing more than a mere resuscitation hadoccurred. How can you be absolutely sure that they were really

dead and not in a comatose state?

Perhaps the most remarkable resurrection of them all was ofJesus friend Lazarus who had been in the grave for four days.You see, in the two other cases you could easily argue that thesewerent necessarily resurrections at all, but rather resuscitations.The case of Lazarus, however, is undisputedly different.

According to Jesus, both those who have done good and thosewho have done evil are in the grave. What is the grave? Theresnothing mysterious about that. Just visit a cemetery. The widowof Nain was on the way to such a cemetery to bury her son.

The three people that Jesus raised back to life without Jesusintervention their lot was nothing less than the grave. Thegrave is synonymous with the Biblical term corruption.

Beyond three or four days after decease, decay sets in. Thatleads us to another critical point.

Jesus predicted not only his own death, but also his ownresurrection that would occur three days and three nights later.It seems that when Jesus on numerous occasions told hisdisciples about this, anything he said simply went over theirheads. It was all too much to understand given their perception

of how things might happen. How could the Messiah die?Wasnt he the one that would bring the kingdom of God andin their words, restore the kingdom to Israel? Death of theMessiah, let alone his resurrection, just wasnt part of thedisciples anticipated understanding of how the story mightunfold.

So much of what Jesus said and did was surprising, and yet inhindsight it was more than just carefully calculated. His claim of

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being three days and three nights in the grave is so veryessential to proving the fact of resurrection.

This we begin to see when we carefully consider theimplications of Lazarus death and resurrection. Its worthrevisiting in detail, because the more we consider whathappened, the more amazing it is.

Among Jesus friends were two sisters Mary and Martha, andtheir brother Lazarus, who apparently shared a house together.

We gain a feel from scripture that Jesus shared a goodfriendship with them because we read sufficient of theiractivities together. This is what happened.

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town ofMary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointedthe Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair,whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to

him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. (John11:1-3)

Mary and Martha were not only familiar with Jesus but alsounderstood who he was. They had witnessed Jesus heal manytimes before. Their brother Lazarus must have been significantlyill in order for them to send for Jesus. But Jesus was some timeand distance away when he received the message.

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not untodeath, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be

glorified through it.

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, whenhe heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the placewhere he was. (John 11:4-6)

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Jesus is God. He is Creator of everything, and furthermore heloves us. God knows what he will do and in what manner he

will bring those events to come to pass. This we understandelsewhere in that the manner and purpose by which Jesusworked was given by the Father above. Nonetheless, it isinteresting to follow Jesus thoughts in this case. Its plaintheres a lot of love between the four of them.

A personal response to a family member becoming ill would beto drop everything and hurry to their bedside in hospital. This is

precisely what happened when someone telephoned and saidthat my father had passed on. I immediately stopped what Iwas doing and drove the 120km to the city hospital, only to findmy father sitting up in bed and in a rather cheery mood, eatingsandwiches! I was more than thankful for the outcome as I hadimagined the worst.

When your friends or your family are in trouble, it is no

inconvenience to interrupt what youre doing and attend totheir needs as we might expect Jesus to do. But as we discover,

Jesus workings and methods are different; he stayed on for twomore days, presumably teaching, healing, fellowshipping,praying, eating and sleeping the usual things the Messiah didevery day. But was this normal for Jesus? What else was there?Lets read on, because the days pass.

Then after this he said to the disciples, Let us go to Judeaagain.

The disciples said to him, Rabbi, lately the Jews sought tostone you, and are you going there again?

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? Ifanyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees

the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, hestumbles, because the light is not in him.

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These things he said, and after that he said to them, Ourfriend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.

Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.

However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that hewas speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said tothem plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakesthat I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us

go to him. (John 11:7-15)

The disciples didnt question Jesus tarrying two days; its clearhowever that they saw risks. Although Jesus was popularamong the crowds of his day for all the good work he wasdoing, he won no favours from the Jewish religious authoritieswho saw Jesus as a grave threat to their religious positions.

What is firstly remarkable is that Jesus referred to Lazarus as

sleeping, just as Jesus also referred to the synagogue rulersdaughter as sleeping. Initially, the disciples misunderstood,believing in the benefits of a good nights rest. So Jesus makes iteven plainer: Lazarus is dead. According to Jesus, and this isworth noting, death is akin to sleep. It is perhaps the bestanalogy we have! The disciples now suddenly understood thatLazarus had died, and Jesus told them that he was going towake him up.

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. So when

Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb fourdays. (John 11:16-17)

Now were beginning to understand why Jesus waited. Somepeople have died only to awaken as they were being jostled

along in a coffin. There are records of incidents of the believedcorpse actually regaining consciousness during the funeral

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procession. Today, of course, we have very accurate andscientific methods to ascertain whether one is dead or not. But

back some 2000 years ago, it could have been easy for theskeptic to say, Oh, yes, he must have been unconscious, or theday was very cold, and he must have since revived.

No, Jesus wasnt about to perform a resuscitation. Were talkingabout resurrection, and no one had any illusions as to what fourdays in the tomb meant corruption, decay and odour.

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. Andmany of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and

Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Now Martha,as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him,but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus,Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will

give you.

Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha saidto him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection atthe last day. (John 11:18-24)

This is one of those intense and pivotal conversations between afaithful woman and the Lord that were privy to have recordedin its natural rawness. Not only has Martha absolute faith in

Jesus, but she reveals a clear and knowledgeable faith. Marthaknew Jesus could do whatever he wanted, and as a true disciple,she had learned from Jesus for some time. Hence she was able toexpress a belief in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He whobelieves in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoeverlives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?

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She said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ,the Son of God, who is to come into the world. (John 11:25-

27)

Again, Martha expressed a deep and knowledgeable faith. Sheknew with whom she was speaking, and she listened intently.As far as Jesus was concerned, belief in him equated witheternal life; and though we may die, thats not our ultimatedestiny!

And when she had said these things, she went her way andsecretly called Mary her sister, saying, The Teacher has comeand is calling for you.

As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to him.Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the

place where Martha met him. Then the Jews who were with herin the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary

rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, She isgoing to the tomb to weep there.

Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw him, she felldown at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here,my brother would not have died.

Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who

came with her weeping, he groaned in the spirit and wastroubled. And he said, Where have you laid him? They saidto him, Lord, come and see. (John 11:28-34)

Though Marys grief was palpable, like Martha she tooexpressed a strong faith in Jesus. She had seen Jesus healperhaps hundreds of people; but now, this was past anythingshe might have hoped for. It was now a time for mourning. Add

to that the din of the local Jewish mourners, in the manner and

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tempo John records this, and the next verse shows that our Godis not immune to our experience.

Jesus wept. (John 11:35)

You may have heard it said that Jesus wept because heexperienced a lack of faith by those around him. Perhaps. Butsometimes love is expressed through tears. I cried when visitingmy grandmothers grave site because I loved her dearly, and notbecause I didnt believe. Jesus sees just how needful we are. He

shares our grief, but not our lack of faith. He is touched by ourinfirmities, but not hindered or limited by them. He knows whatdeath is, yet he also knows the ultimate victory that exists forthose who believe.

Then the Jews said, See how he loved him! And some ofthem said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of theblind, also have kept this man from dying? (John 11:36-37)

The Jews scepticism is interesting in itself. They rememberedwhen Jesus made a paste of spit and clay, applied it to a blindmans eyes and then told him to go and wash. The man certifiedblind could now see! This was an amazing healing, a gift ofgrace, and witnessed by many; it was a healing that would havemade a lasting impression. But note the disdain as well. The

Jews thought that Jesus had finally met his match. Didnt Jesus

tarry too long? Didnt he care enough? Couldnt he have keptLazarus from dying?

No wonder Jesus wept, and groaned.

Then Jesus, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Itwas a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, Take awaythe stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said tohim, Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead

four days. (John 11:38-39)

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Thats what the grave is. To us it is a stench; to Jesus it is nomore problematic than sleep!

Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you wouldbelieve you would see the glory of God? Then they took awaythe stone from the place where the dead man was lying.

And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you thatyou have heard me. And I know that you always hear me, butbecause of the people who are standing by I said this, that they

may believe that you sent me. (John 11:40-42)

Jesus offered a short thanksgiving prayer, but one that showedhis innate connectedness to the Father. It was the usual way

Jesus approached the opportunities of each day, simply bythanking the Father.

Now when he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice,

Lazarus, come forth! And he who had died came out boundhand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrappedwith a cloth. Jesus said to them, Loose him, and let him go.

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seenthe things Jesus did, believed in him. (John 11:43-45)

There was no question as to whether Lazarus was really dead.

Lazarus was dead. And yet Jesus likened death to sleep. For abeliever in Christ, death has no more power over us than sleep.Death appears as no less than a temporary setback. Mary andMartha grieved for Lazarus in much the same way we toogrieve but they didnt grieve as those who have no hope. Wehave hope. We have hope that one day, well hear the same,loud voice calling our name.

The Lazarus resurrection was a defining moment in Jesusministry, because we read elsewhere that the jealous Jewish

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ruling elite now wanted to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus. Butthats another subject for another time yet it helps establish

just how a momentous event it was in the lives of these veryordinary people.

Many years later, Paul, an early church leader and prolificwriter, wrote the following to the believers in Thessalonica,Greece:

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning

those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others whohave no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. Forthis we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who arealive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by nomeans precede those who are asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-15)

Paul often preached on the hope of the resurrection, and he alsolikened those who have died as simply being asleep. Hereminded the faithful of Jesus own death and resurrection, andhow Jesus experience precedes ours. From what we understandfrom scripture, the righteous who are asleep will awaken atthe coming of the Lord. This, of course, hasnt yet happened.

What we have seen so far are forerunner resurrections. They

give us a glimpse into the power and purpose of God. Withoutthese examples our understanding of this subject would be somuch more limited. This is the awesome hope that Jesus taught,revealing it not only through those he healed, but also by thosehe raised back to life.

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4

Jesus Ordeal

Although Jesus predicted his death and resurrection, itseems that even his closest disciples didnt understandwhat he really meant. Perhaps they felt Jesus was talking

allegorically, or alluding to something else altogether.Admittedly, some of the things Jesus said, within their world-view and terms of reference, could be regarded as hard to

understand. However, it is pretty certain that on this occasionJesus did tell them quite clearly. Not only do we today have thebenefit of hindsight, but the gospel accounts penned some 25 to30 years later, after those events had occurred, also show thebenefit of hindsight among the disciples.

The only sign that Jesus gave authenticating his Messiahship,given to a sceptical audience, was the following:

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of thegreat fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and threenights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40)

To his own disciples, Jesus was quite specific:

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer

many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priestsand scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. Hespoke this word openly. Then Peter took him aside and beganto rebuke him. But when he had turned around and looked athis disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind me, Satan!For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things ofmen. (Mark 8:31-33)

Admittedly, as Mark also wrote his witness account long afterthese events took place, with the benefit of hindsight that time

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brings, events do become clearer, more understandable and findtheir natural and true context. Mark recalled when Peter, who

understood the seriousness of Jesus words, took him aside so asto rebuke Jesus. We know Peter as the most outspoken of allthe disciples, and this incident is certainly in keeping with this.

Given the circumstances, imagine yourself as Peter saying,Master, this is where youre dead wrong. No more of thisnonsense. Get real! Or whatever else we might have said! Peterseemed to believe, as did the rest of the disciples based on the

questions they asked, that Jesus, being the Messiah, wouldoverthrow the Romans in their day and return Israel to itsformer glory days. This is further evidenced by what Peter didin the Garden of Gesthemene where Jesus was betrayed andarrested. Here Peter wielded a sword and attacked the highpriests servant. While Peter was probably aiming for an instantkill, he only managed to cut off an ear.

Jesus didnt have any illusions as to where Peters intentionsoriginated. Remember, the devil tempted Jesus, offering himKingship right there and then, saying in effect, that you donthave to go through all this crucifixion stuff I can fast track youthere you can have all the kingdoms of this world right now.(Matthew 4:8-9)

On one occasion Jesus gave additional prophetic insight why he

came into the world, and Johns record, written many yearslater, reflects that understanding:

So the Jews answered and said to him, What sign do youshow to us, since you do these things?

Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and inthree days I will raise it up.

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Then the Jews said, It has taken forty-six years to build thistemple, and will you raise it up in three days?

But he was speaking of the temple of his body. Therefore, whenhe had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that hehad said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and theword which Jesus had said. (John 2:18-22)

Notice the cryptic, at best indirect, nature of Jesus response?Here, perhaps some thirty years later when John was finally

committing it to parchment, he seems to fully understand Jesusparable.

Of course, Jesus often spoke in parables, using short stories toconvey a greater meaning. Often what he said, by way of a storyor riddle, could also equally be misunderstood or, at the veryleast, carry some ambiguity. Jesus intentionally offered thelisteners of his day a challenge, and one I believe that is meant

to be considered in order to be understood. An old proverbseems to affirm this with: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (Proverbs 25:2)

The Jews, however, scoffed at their literal understanding of hisclaim. They were a proud people and proud of their temple(despite it being built by Herod). Everything, nonetheless, intheir worship experience centred on the stage of the temple. No

doubt the temple must have been a sight to behold with lambsregularly killed for burnt sacrifices, the activity of the moneychangers, and the comings and goings of peoples from all overthe known world at various appointed times of the year.

It seems that to the callous and unbelieving heart, Jesus wasntgoing to make it too easy to understand in that instant.Rather, God wants us to think things through, and by doing

so to grow in understanding and depth. The enigma of Jesuswords was intended to take on their real significance, as so often

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with the benefit of thought and time. However, to his disciplesat that time, Jesus meaning wasnt all that clear.

The author of the Book of Hebrews, (whom many scholarsbelieve was possibly Paul), wrote his letter we believe sometimeprior to the destruction of the temple in 70AD. In this testimony,there are numerous references to the meaning of worshipcelebrations, including the Day of Atonement with details of therole of the High Priest in the temple. These are presented in howthey relate to and foreshadow all that Jesus accomplished in his

redeeming work on our behalf. If the temple had been destroyedwhen the author had penned this letter, wed probably see someevidence reflecting its destruction. As an aside, its stillnonetheless an important point to note.

Paul refers to the basic principles of Christ in Hebrews chaptersix, encouraging his readers that they shouldnt have to layagain the very basic, elementary foundations of faith in Christ.

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principlesof Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the

foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towardGod, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, ofresurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (Hebrews6:1-2)

From this passage we can distill the primary doctrines of theChristian faith:

1. Repentance2. Faith3. Baptism4. Laying on of hands5. The resurrection of the dead6. Eternal Judgement

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Each are sermons in themselves, and all find their purpose andfulfilment in the work and person of Jesus Christ. They are

foundational and essential to Christianity; none can be omitted.They form a whole that is linked in a chronological flow, andcan mirror believers personal journey and experience in Christfrom calling to glorification.

The first step in reconciliation with God is repentance, that is,changing from our own evil and self-centred ways to Godsways. Repentance was core to Peters Pentecost sermon. (Acts 2)

The next step that follows repentance is faith. Faith is believingGod, and it is absolutely essential in our relationship with God.In fact, it is impossible to please God without faith! HereAbraham ranks tall in scriptures, known as the father of thefaithful.

Then, baptism by immersion (see Matthew 8:36, Acts 8:38-39) is

a Christian rite of passage, an ordinance expressing the death ofthe former sinful man and the raising to a new life as a newcreation. So as to fulfill all righteousness, Jesus was baptised,setting us an example to follow as well as foreshadowing hisown death and resurrection.

If during a baptism ceremony, you were immersed under thewater for more than a few moments without air, you would

surely die. But, no, you are raised out of certain death into anew, completely forgiven life. You are now a new person;scripture indicates that were raised from the watery grave as acompletely new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17) The symbolism ispowerful. Even though Jesus lived a sinless life and didnt reallyneed to be baptised on the same level as we do, he took on oursins and was prepared to pay the ultimate price with his life because of his love for us. We also note that Jesus was going tobe resurrected himself, a fact that the disciples didntunderstand until after the event.

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Following baptism, the laying on of hands in prayer precipitates

the pouring out of the Holy Spirit into the new believers life.Literally, this means that the presence and power of God comesand dwells in us. We understand from scripture that the newlybaptised man or woman at this point becomes a new creationand lives the life of a saint until they leave this physical life innatural death, awaiting in sleep the coming of Jesus.

Then, the bodily resurrection of all people who died, each in

their turn: first the righteous to immortality and later theunrighteous (as important as this is, lets not fast-track tooquickly), which is followed by the great judgment of God.

Scripture explains that judgment is now on the people of God,and we know that one day all the rest of humanity who areresurrected will stand before the judgment seat of God. Thatwhich we experience in life, good and bad, happy and sad, great

or small, and the daily decisions we make will be accounted forin a time of judgment on Gods terms alone.

Those few verses in Hebrews surmise so much. They arepowerful anchor points that shouldnt, as the author points out,have to be re-established all over again in a believers life. Andthen, reading a few verses on we learn:

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence tothe full assurance of hope until the end, that you do notbecome sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and

patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:11-12)

The scriptures repeatedly affirm that awaiting us are someawesome promises, and integral to that journey is theresurrection. The term the resurrection of the dead isuniversal and applies to all people, as Jesus said, all who are intheir graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and come out... Of

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course, pioneer and author of the entire resurrection experienceis Jesus Christ.

Paul showed some remarkable insight, in his letter to thebelievers at Corinth, on the importance of the resurrection.Heresies and arguments had arisen that disputed the validity ofthe belief in the resurrection. The legacy of these controversies,as Paul addressed them, has benefited our understanding ofthem some 2000 years later. Here Paul highlights the importanceof Jesus resurrection:

Now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from thedead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrectionof the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, thenChrist is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our

preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and weare found false witnesses of God, because we have testified ofGod that he raised up Christ, whom he did not raise upif in

fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, thenChrist is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is

futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who havefallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only wehave hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become thefirstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man

came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. Foras in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1Corinthians 15:12-22 )

Everything we believe that has any value hinges entirely on thevalidity of Jesus own resurrection. If the resurrection did nothappen, then were wasting our time and our faith is in vain.

Jesus pioneered and rehearsed in his earthly ministry through

his death and resurrection the path for our own redemption andsalvation; our own change from mortal to immortal, from

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perishable to imperishable. As Jesus was bodily resurrected, sotoo will we be resurrected.

Because of the controversies that affected those first centuryChristians, we are privy to the arguments and statements offaith Paul emphasised throughout his letters.

Consider, for example, the controversies that existed betweendiffering schools of Hebrew thought, namely, between thePharisees who believed in the resurrection and the Sadducees

who didnt believe in the resurrection. The gospel accounts, aswell as letters written by the apostles, seem to feature thoseongoing controversies that focus on the validity of theresurrection. Thus we are privy to knowing what concerned theearly Christians. At one time, Paul reminded the Corinthiansthat the resurrected Jesus was seen by some 500 brethren. (1Corinthians 15:6)

The resurrection of Jesus is worthy of close examination becauseeverything we believe as Christians really hinges on it. Thus it isnecessary to get a clear picture of what actually happened andin what order those events occurred. While many in theChristian tradition celebrate the Good Friday to Easter Sundayscenario in an attempt to accommodate Jesus prophesied threedays and three nights in the grave, it makes for an eye-openingstudy to discover what really happened and the exact timing of

those events.

Today, while there is a variety of scholarly and theologicalopinion offered on the scenario of the events surrounding thedeath and resurrection of Jesus, once you understand that theannual Passover week featured two annual Sabbathsinterspersed by a weekly Sabbath, the events of that time makeremarkable sense. The following time-line is worth researching.

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In 31AD the Passover season began at sunset on the third day ofthe week, Tuesday.

On that Tuesday Jesus instructed his disciples to locate a manwho would show them an upstairs room, saying, The Teachersays, Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover withmy disciples? (Mark 14:14)

The disciples found it exactly as Jesus had said. That eveningJesus ate the Passover meal (often referred to as the Lords

Supper) with his twelve disciples in the guest room. In thecourse of that significant evening meal together, he gave themunleavened bread to eat which symbolised his broken body forour healing. He then gave them some wine to drink, signifyinghis shed blood for the remission of sins. We also learn that hewashed their feet, setting us an example to follow.

It is interesting to note that even though, as Jesus said, he

eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you, what he and hisdisciples shared that evening was twenty four hours before therecognised annual Jewish Passover commemoration, when theywould kill the traditional sacrificial Passover lambs. You cannothelp but note the powerful symbolism in this: that sameWednesday afternoon when the Jews killed the traditionalPassover lambs was precisely the same time when Jesus waskilled! Since Jesus couldnt be eating the Passover at the same

time of being killed, he shared it with his disciples a day early.In fact, with the thousands of lambs being killed at that time ofthe year in Jerusalem, it is reasonable to believe that theslaughter would have literally taken days to accomplish.

Later that night, Jesus was arrested and tried several times indifferent, rapidly convened courts. Pilate, the Roman governor,washed his hands of the whole affair. The Jews had demandedthat Jesus be crucified. So about the exact time the traditional

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Passover lamb was killed on Wednesday afternoon was also theexact time when Jesus was killed.

This is what happened once the crucified Jesus was confirmeddead:

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, butsecretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might takeaway the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So hecame and took the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus, who at first

came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrhand aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body ofJesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as thecustom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he wascrucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb inwhich no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus,because of the Jews Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.(John 19:38-42)

Thursday was a Holy Day, an annual Sabbath, specifically thefirst day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, elsewhere known asthe first day of the seven-day Passover Feast. Were nowbeginning to see the haste with which Jesus was buried, for the

Jews did not want their dead to hang on the crucifixionstake/cross during a Sabbath period (the annual Holy Dayswere regarded as Sabbaths [See Leviticus 23]).

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodiesshould not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for thatSabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legsmight be broken, and that they might be taken away. (John19:31)

Jesus died on Wednesday afternoon, and it being a preparation

day for the following Holy Day, he was hastily buried, so thatthe Thursday, being the annual First Day of Unleavened Bread

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with all its ceremony and worship on such an occasion, couldproceed untainted as per normal.

The next day that followed was Friday and it was a normalwork day, but it also was another preparation day thatpreceded the weekly seventh day Sabbath rest. Saturday waswhen the Jews and early Christians rested from their secularaffairs, did no servile work, and devoted that time to rest,prayer, scripture reading and fellowship.

Matthew introduces us to what is commonly understood to bethe resurrection morning, early on Sunday.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began todawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see thetomb. (Matthew 28:1)

Reading this passage in the original Greek in which it was

penned sheds additional light on what happened.

For this we quote the Literal translation of the Bible:

But late in the sabbaths, at the dawning into the first of thesabbaths, Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary came to

gaze upon the grave. (Matthew 28:1 LITV)

New Testament Greek interestingly doesnt have the specificword week, so Matthews witness for this account isimportant. We also know that from the Sabbath in the midst ofthe Feast of Unleavened Bread the Hebrews would count sevenSabbaths, namely 50 days, to determine the next annual HolyDay of assembly and worship, the Feast of Weeks, also knownas Pentecost.

Matthews reference into the first of the sabbaths is specific tothe first Sabbath of the seven sabbaths (or weeks) that are

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counted to Pentecost, seven seven-day periods plus one day.(Pentecost comes from the term 50th day). The Sabbath day is

reckoned not as we count days from midnight to midnight, butfrom sunset to sunset.

Now, by this reckoning, Jesus was killed on late Wednesdayafternoon, and three days and three nights later brings us to lateSaturday afternoon. Jesus prophesied three days and threenights in the grave are clearly accounted for.

The women arrived at the tomb early on the Sunday morningwith additional burial spices and ointments only to discover anempty tomb. Jesus wasnt there; he had already risen; he hadnt,however, yet returned to the Father. This is extremely importantto note. The women did not see the resurrection of Jesus. No oneactually saw the resurrection of Jesus. Apparently the tomb hadbeen under guard; no stone, no guard and no plot couldhowever prevent Jesus from rising.

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, thechief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying,Sir, we remember, while he was still alive, how that deceiversaid, After three days I will rise.

Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until thethird day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away,

and say to the people, He has risen from the dead. So the lastdeception will be worse than the first.

Pilate said to them, You have a guard; go your way, make itas secure as you know how. So they went and made the tombsecure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. (Matthew27:62-66)

Matthews recollection of the events that surrounded Jesusdeath and resurrection is critical to our understanding.

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There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord camedown from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the

stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and hisclothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of himthat they shook and became like dead men. (Matthew 28:2-4)

When the two women arrived at the tomb early on Sundaymorning, Jesus was not there. He had already been resurrected.It is interesting to note that while no-one witnessed the actualtime of the resurrection of Jesus, we do however have some

pretty good clues based on the Hebrew worship activities at thattime of the year as to when the resurrection probably took place.

The annual moadah [appointed times] or festivals that theancient Israelites observed as worship occasions foreshadowedthe saving work of Jesus in remarkable detail. In fact, far frombeing solely ancient Israelite harvest festivals, those sevenannual festivals find their sole and intended meaning in the

saving work of Jesus Christ. Thus, their entirely Christo-centricnature is being recognised by increasingly more believers today.

The specific annual event were particularly interested in is thatin the middle of the seven day Unleavened Bread/Passoverfeast, just after the weekly Sabbath sunset, the priest wouldtraditionally go out into the field and cut the first harvest sheafof barley from a designated plot. This first sheaf of the

impending harvest was known as the first-fruit. Onceprepared, the very next morning the priest would offer thiswave sheaf in the temple.

Those annual God-appointed festivals, known as the Feasts ofthe Lord in Leviticus 23:2, accurately rehearse and mirror Godsappointed times in history that centre on Jesus Christ. It mightbe worth briefly looking at them here. The Passover lamb(symbolising Jesus as the Lamb of God) was killed at the exactsame time when Jesus was killed.

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Then, seven weeks later, the Holy Spirit came exactly on the dayof Pentecost not sooner, not later, but precisely on that day

(traditionally also believed to be when God gave the tencommandments to the Israelites at Sinai).

The remaining annual festivals of Trumpets (picturing Christsreturn), Atonement (revisiting Christs atoning sacrifice andpower over all) and the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day(picturing Jesus sojourning with us, his rule on earth as well asthe great Judgment) still await future fulfilment.

We can nonetheless learn, from the ritual of the wave sheafoffering, that as the first-fruit sheaf was cut at the traditionalmoment immediately after sunset following the Sabbath, thiswas likely the precise moment when Jesus opened his eyes andwas resurrected. This reckoning accounts for a full three daysand three nights in the grave. Any lesser accounting falls shortof Jesus words. The wave sheaf was offered the following

morning and this specific activity enacted by the priestforeshadowed Jesus ascending to the Father (right after he hadspoken to Mary on what is known as the resurrection morning).

The importance of this scenario is that it affirms that Jesus reallydied, and didnt somehow survive the crucifixion. Any lessertime-frame could otherwise give rise to the argument that Jesussomehow didnt really die. The facts speak for themselves. Jesus

didnt in some manner survive and revive, neither was it a caseof resuscitation. Jesus was dead in the grave for a full three daysand three nights following some horrific and torturoussuffering. There can be no question as to whether he literallydied. An ancient prophecy noted that Jesus would be beatenbeyond human recognition. (Isaiah 52:14) In any lesser time-frame scenario, say three parts of three days, such as a Fridaycrucifixion to a Sunday morning resurrection, could give rise toalternative and possibly plausible explanations.

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Its worth noting also that scripture predicted that none of Jesusbones would be broken. This is especially interesting, because it

was Roman custom that if a crucified person looked likesurviving the ordeal, (and we can only presume that a few mayhave somehow otherwise survived the rigours of crucifixion),the soldiers would as a final act of torture break the legs of thecrucified. This would immediately cause additional blood loss,as well as disabling the victims ability to support themselves onthe crucifixion stake.

Lets read what happened when the soldiers came to thecrucified Jesus:

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodiesshould not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for thatSabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legsmight be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then thesoldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other

who was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus andsaw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Butone of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, andimmediately blood and water came out. And he who has seenhas testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he istelling the truth, so that you may believe. For these thingswere done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, Not one ofhis bones shall be broken. (John 19:31-36)

There can be no doubt that Jesus bled to death.

The prophecies concerning Jesus together with the annualworship festivals were accurate to the very last detail and in thetiming of those events. In examining the scriptures and theevidences they produce, we see in precise terms the three daysand three nights between Jesus burial and resurrection.

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On the morning after the resurrection, the women reported tothe disciples what they had discovered, and the disciples also

came and saw the empty tomb.

Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. ButMary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept shestooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw twoangels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the

feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her,Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because

they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where theyhave laid him.

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesusstanding there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom areyou seeking?

She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, Sir, ifYou have carried him away, tell me where You have laid him,and I will take him away.

Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to him,Rabboni! (which is to say, Teacher).

Jesus said to her, Do not cling to Me, for I have not yetascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say tothem, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to

My God and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seenthe Lord, and that he had spoken these things to her. (John20:10-18)

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Jesus chose to reveal himself to Mary, a woman who, accordingto Jewish tradition, could not be regarded as a reliable witness!

Was Jesus risking undermining the validity and proof of hisown resurrection? Absolutely not. The events here were notmanufactured, but recorded in their raw and honest details.The conversation between Jesus and Mary was remarkablytouching, but what was especially noteworthy was that Jesusindicated that he still hadnt yet ascended to his Father.

After Jesus had spoken with Mary, but before he appeared to his

disciples, Jesus ascended to heaven and then returned. In themanner and timing of the first-fruit wave sheaf offeringpresented in the temple, the resurrected Jesus was presentedbefore his Father, and as we learn from his words to Mary, ourFather as well. The rituals and practises that the ancientIsraelites had rehearsed for thousands of years as a part of theirworship foreshadowed in remarkable detail the life and work ofour Messiah.

It seems that the ancient Israelites did not really understandwhat they were celebrating. Even those closest to Jesus at thattime didnt understand what was foreshadowed, despite Jesushaving clearly told them that he was going to be killed and thenraised three days later.

When the disciples told Thomas they had seen Jesus, he wasnt

having any of it. He had witnessed the nails go through Jesushands and feet, and saw the spear thrust into his side. He sawthe blood flow. He also heard Jesus final, pained words, MyGod, my God, why have you forsaken me, and, It is finished. Itwas all over! Thomas saw Jesus die.

For three years Thomas, like his fellow disciples, had believedwith all his heart that Jesus was the promised Messiah. He sawthe miracles, he heard the teaching, and the healings andresurrections were indisputable. Now he had to deal with the

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deepest of personal despair and disillusionment; add to thatlayers of horrific memories including scenes of betrayal, wild

crowd mentality, kangaroo courts, lies, scourging, and ending inthe drawn-out rigours of Roman crucifixion. Thomas was in nomood for false positives. In one sense, its entirelyunderstandable.

Weve all heard of doubting Thomas. Lets not be too hard onhim.

Because of his despair, and assertion that: Unless I see in hishands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of thenails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe (John 20:25),we are privy to those additional details as John recorded it.

And after eight days his disciples were again inside, andThomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stoodin the midst, and said, Peace to you!

Then he said to Thomas, Reach your finger here, and look atmy hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into my side.Do not be unbelieving, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and myGod!

Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, youhave believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yethave believed. (John 20:26-29)

What a moment for Thomas! Imagine the look on Thomas face,the shock in his voice, and his testimony, My Lord and myGod! There was no doubt any more, and Johns testimonyabout this incident really reflects a coming-of-age moment for

all the disciples.

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Years later, Peter further attested to what he had experienced:

We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of theJews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on atree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day andcaused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, butby witnesses whom God had already chosenby us who ateand drank with him after he rose from the dead. (Acts10:39-41)

Peters memory of the resurrected Jesus was vivid and powerful,and it is here that he established the absolute necessity for theseevents to have certified witnesses.

For us, some two thousand years later, the facts of Jesusexperience, including his resurrection, cannot be disputed. Theevidence of eyewitnesses is precise, the events clearlydocumented, and a definitive time-line with historical

precedents helps set our faith in concrete.

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5

The Resurrected Jesus

Jesus had been crucified in one of the most torturous andhorrific deaths the Romans could inflict on anyone. Therewasnt anyone in Jerusalem who wasnt familiar with what

had happened. The events surrounding Jesus death andresurrection were momentous, as indicated by the followingpassage:

And Jesus cried out again

hope of the resurrection

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