FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
THE FIRST
PRINCIPLES - X
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Messiah, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward IAUE,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and
of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment.
RESURRECTION
OF THE DEAD - 2
It
is wonderful how the Holy Spirit managed to bring us to this exact point in our
study on the day when the whole world is recognizing the resurrection of
Yahushua Messiah from the dead.
The
resurrection of the dead was not a new idea to the Hebrew people. Some believed in it (the Pharisees and
others) and some did not (the Sadducees).
What NONE of them believed was that Messiah would die. That simply did not fit into the theological
mold of anyone. We explained last week
that the reason why no one expected Messiah to die is because it was a mystery
hidden by Elohim until the time it was to be revealed. Even after his burial, when Mary Magdalene reported
that his body was missing from the tomb, Peter and John raced to the tomb to
see what had happened. As Mary had
reported, the stone was rolled away and his grave clothes and the napkin that
had covered his face were there; but his body was not. The Scripture defined this moment for us:
John 20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise
again from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
They left the tomb without hope. They did not leave believing he had risen
from the dead. They left believing
Yahushua was not the Messiah they thought him to be. Mary Magdalene was so distraught that she
returned to the tomb, probably in hopes she would find some clue as to what had
happened to her Master’s body.
John 20:11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she
wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and
the other at the feet, where the body of Yahushua had lain.
13 And they say unto her, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She saith unto them, “Because they have taken away my Master, and I know not where they have laid him.”
Even at this point in time, she had no concept of his
resurrection.
John 20:14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Yahushua
standing, and knew not that it was Yahushua.
Some have speculated that Yahushua looked differently;
but there is nothing to suggest that in this passage of Scripture. When you have no expectation of ever seeing
someone again, your mind does not allow you to consider that you are seeing
him.
15 Yahushua saith unto her, “Woman, why weepest thou? whom
seekest thou?” She, supposing him to be the
gardener, saith unto him, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence,
tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”
16 Yahushua saith unto her, “Mary.” She
turned herself, and saith unto him, ”Rabboni;” which is to say, “Master.”
Can
you imagine the rush of emotion, the joy, the incredible wonder of that moment?
Mary Magdalene was chosen to be the first person to whom the revelation of the
resurrection of Messiah would be revealed; and there he stood before her; the
one who had cast out seven demons from her; the one who had forgiven her of her
sins; the one who loved her without judging her. He was alive.
She had stood at the foot of the stake where he had been impaled and
watched him die; and now he was standing before her alive and speaking her
name. She had to go and tell the others
immediately.
Mark 16:10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they
mourned and wept.
11 And
they, when they had heard that he was
alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
Luke 24:11 And
their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
The
disciples and the apostles, men who would later turn the world upside down with
this message, were gathered together and weeping and mourning. In the Jewish culture, it is probable that
they were “sitting shiva,” which is a week-long mourning process after one
dies. To them, Yahushua was dead…and that was that. Any word to the contrary, when they had
watched him die, would have been regarded as rude and insulting and grossly
insensitive. Their master was dead; and
they were grieving his loss. But, Peter…
Luke 24:12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and
stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed,
wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
Peter
was not yet convinced; but his mind was now trying to work out what had
happened. Was it possible that he was
risen from the dead like Mary said?
About
this time, Yahushua joined two men who were walking to Emmaus from
Jerusalem. They related to him the story
of the death of their Master, saying:
Luke 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have
redeemed Israel…
In
their minds, they no longer believed he was the Messiah, despite all the signs
and wonders, healings and miracles he performed; because he had died. The death and resurrection of Messiah was a
mystery hidden by IAUE. How did Messiah
respond to their loss of faith?
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Messiah to
have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things
concerning himself.
Now, it was time to remove the scales from the eyes of the
apostles and disciples. The two men on
the road to Emmaus, upon having their eyes opened to see Yahushua was alive
went to greet the disciples with the good news.
Luke 24:36 And as they thus spake, Yahushua
himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, “Peace be unto you.”
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they
had seen a spirit.
38 And he said unto them, “Why are ye troubled? and why do
thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my
feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see me have.”
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his
feet.
41 And while they yet
believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any
meat?
42 And
they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto
you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were
written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning
me.
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand
the scriptures,
The mystery was finally revealed!
46 And
said unto them, Thus it is written,
and thus it behooved Messiah to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And
that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
It may seem to us, today, that the resurrection of
Messiah from the dead is almost universally believed. No person of faith questions it; but then, we
are 2,000 years removed from the event. There has been 2,000 years of preaching
this message. It is difficult for us to appreciate the awe and wonder of the
mystery in this moment when it was first revealed. It is difficult to
understand the power of its motivation of the early disciples. It was an integral and essential part of the
gospel.
1 Cor 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached
unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By
which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless
ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Messiah died for our
sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according
to the scriptures:
We
have yet to cover one more aspect of the resurrection of the dead.
Next
week: “What does the resurrection of Messiah mean for me?”
Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance
of the will of IAUE.
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