Main Scripture
Acts 1:1-18; 1Corinthians 15:1-8; John 20:1-8
Main Points
Three Lessons Learned from 40 Days with Jesus
This is Part One of a 5-part mini-series examining the 40 days that Jesus stuck around on earth after His resurrection. Open your Bible and follow along with Pastor Joe Voss
01
POINT ONE: Jesus is really alive
Matthew 27:62-66
- How many of Jesus’ followers were waiting for Him on the 3rd day? ZERO. They did not understand what Jesus meant when He said He would rise again in 3 days.
- The Chief priests and Pharisees DID understand what Jesus said, and they wanted to make sure that the tomb was secure so they could exploit His dead body on the 3rd day.
- It is interesting to note that it was not Pilate who secured the tomb but the Chief priests and Pharisees who secured and sealed it.
1Corinthians 15:14-20
- What a powerful passage. Paul declares that if Jesus did not rise from the dead our entire faith and gospel message is useless.
1Corinthians 15:1-8
- The entire message of the gospel is that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is the fulfillment of the Scriptures.
02
POINT TWO: Jesus values women (Elevation / Restoration
John 20:1-18
- The fact that Jesus revealed Himself first to women is reasonable evidence that their testimony was true. The testimony of a woman was looked down upon, having no weight of authority in the culture of the day. It made no sense for this fact to be included in the Gospels unless it were true.
Genesis 3:16 / Galatians 3:26-29
- After Jesus appears first to the women (who become the first eye-witnesses of His resurrection) Jesus restores the companionship of men and women together in the declaration of the Gospel, making no spiritual difference between gender, race, free, slave, Jew or Gentile. All are spiritual Jews, all who believe are adopted children of God and beneficiaries of the promise to Abraham.
03
Point Three: Jesus becomes the first fruits (glorified bodily)
1 Corinthians 15:20 / John 20:19-20
- Jesus was the first fruits of the resurrection. His body bore the marks of His piercings – evidence confirming the Scriptures.
1 John 3:2-3 / 1 Thessalonians 4:8-10
- We are children of God because of Jesus. We will be like Him: Righteous, Holy, Immortal – because of Jesus.
- We, like Jesus (and because of Jesus) will stand in new bodies, corruptible. We will see our Savior. (Job 19:25-27)
04
INTERESTING POINT for further study
Leviticus 23: 9-14 tells us what the firstfruits were. As you read this chapter take time to write down all the parallels you discover between the offering of firstfruits and Jesus.