Mister Richardson’s
Bible Doctrine Class
Chapter 16: Resurrection and Ascension
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection
of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at
His coming.
- 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
A. Resurrection
- New Testament - Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21:25.
- The Nature of Christ’s Resurrection:
- Not resuscitation - Lazarus (John 11:1-44).
- A renewed body that does not die again.
- Both Father and Son participated.
- God the Father raised Jesus - Acts 2:24; Romans 6:4; 1 Cor 6:14; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20.
- Jesus raised Himself - John 10:17-18; 11:25; Hebrews 7:6.
- Doctrinal significance:
- Christ’s resurrection insures our resurrection - 1 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:19-20, 2:5-6; Philippians 3:10.
- Christ’s resurrection insures our justification - Romans 4:25; Philippians 2:8-9.
- Christ’s resurrection insures that we will also receive resurrected bodies - 1 Corinthians 15:12-58; 2 Corinthians 4:14.
- Ethical significance of the resurrection:
- Your labor in not in vain - 1 Corinthians 15:58.
- Motivation for living - Colossians 3:1-4.
- Stop yielding to sin - Romans 6:11-13.
B. Historicity of Jesus’s Resurrection
- Testimony of Scripture - Eyewitnesses:
- The Disciples and the Gospels (see A.1 above) - 1 John 1-3.
- Paul - Acts 9:1-8; 1 Cor 15:8.
- Others - 1 Corinthians 15:6.
- Attacks on the Resurrection of Jesus:
- Stolen body theory - Matthew 28:12-15.
- Swoon theory - Jesus only seemed dead (The Passover Plot,
The Jesus Scroll).
- Islamic view - Someone who looked exactly like Jesus died, but not the real Jesus, who ascended into heaven.
- Myth - The resurrection was symbolic or just spiritual. It was the result of the disciples wanting to see Christ.
The resurrection itself in not an event of past history. All that historical criticism can establish is the fact that the first disciples came to believe
in the resurrection.
- Rudolf Bultmann.
C. Ascension into Heaven
- Christ ascended to a place - Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11.
- Christ received glory and honor - John 17:5; Acts 2:33; Phil 2:9; Rev 5:12.
- Christ is seated at God's right hand (Christ's session) - Psalm 110:1; Acts 7:56; Ephesians 1:20-21; Hebrews 1:3, 12:1-2; 1 Peter 3:22.
- Doctrinal significance for our lives.
- We will also ascend - John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
- We will share in Christ's authority - 1 Corinthians 6:3; Ephesians 2:6; Revelation 2:26-27, 3:21.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is the scriptural support for the idea that Jesus had a physical body after His resurrection?
2. Give three reasons for the importance of Christ's resurrection.
3. What does resurrection of Jesus mean for Christians who die?
4. Where did Christ go when He ascended? Is this a physical place? Where is He now?
5. What would it mean for Christians if Jesus was not resurrected?
TERMS
Ascension, first fruits, incorruptible, raised in glory, raised in power, resurrection, resuscitation, session, spiritual body.
WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM
Q27: Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist?
A27: Christ's humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life,
the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.
Q28: Wherein consisteth Christ's exaltation?
A28: Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand
of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day.
LINKS
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A Historical Fact - B. B. Warfield