For April 12, 2009

News

1. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

2. Project Care: Mission Possible -- Volunteer sign ups continue! Event date is Saturday, April 25!

Current Unit of Study
For the next several weeks, we will have a series of lessons leading us to "Affirm Spiritual Certainties." We will conclude the study of Isaiah at the end of the unit. The lessons in this unit will provide messages of encouragement and hope and will show explicit details about the advent of the Messiah that would occur 700 years later. God has blessed us with many things that we can count on and has proven that He is trustworthy time and again. This unit study of the latter chapters of Isaiah will confirm this.

Lesson Supplement for April 12

Explore the Bible
"The Lord is Alive"
Matthew 28:1-17

Intro. -- We leave Isaiah this week to study the resurrection of Jesus as recorded in Matthew's Gospel. Even though we leave Isaiah, the nature of this lesson fits with the unit theme to "Affirm Spiritual Realities." The first four points of the lesson give support and affirmation to the resurrection of Jesus. God's word contains many things that we can count on as a certainty. The fact that we serve a risen and living Savior and Lord is one of these certainties. Affirming this spiritual reality gives us joy and motivates us to worship Him. This week's lesson is another evangelistic opportunity!

Matthew 28:1-4 -- Recognizing the failure of the leaders of Jesus's day to put to rest the notion that Jesus would rise from the dead is one reason that we can affirm the spiritual reality of the resurrection of Jesus. The authorities of the day deployed soldiers to stand guard at the tomb of Jesus to make sure that nothing could be done to make it appear that He had risen from the dead. The only individuals known to be present early that morning were two women. It is doubtful that they would have appeared as a physical threat to Roman soldiers. Nevertheless, we read that the guards were shaken from fear. The source of that fear was not the women who came to visit the tomb but the angel who rolled its stone away. Ironically, the two Marys were coming to visit a dead man in their minds. What they saw when the arrived was not the dead man they thought they would see. instead they saw the Roman guards who "became like dead men." Jesus is alive today! One supporting event of that reality is the failure of the authorities of the day to keep Jesus in the tomb.

Matthew 28:5-7-- A second reason that we can affirm the spiritual reality that Jesus is alive is because the angel said so! The Bible speaks of angels throughout its text. Angels primarily serve as messengers of God in all such occurrences. Here the angel addresses the Marys in order to state clearly what they were undoubtedly confused about. In order to not allow room for any error, God sends the angel to make it clear to the women what has happened. The angel clearly states that Jesus has been resurrected. He invites the women to come see where Jesus lay to provide them visual evidence. Then the angel gives them orders to go and tell the others the good news. Jesus is alive today! One supporting event of that reality is the angel's announcement that it was so.

Matthew 28:8-10 -- A third reason that we can affirm the spiritual reality that Jesus is alive is because he appeared to witnesses. With great joy, the women obey the instructions of the angel and hurry off to tell the good news to the disciples. This act of obedience precedes their own visual encounter with the Lord. While in the process of obedience (running to tell the disciples), Jesus then appears to them. His greeting is most appropriate -- Good morning -- "Rejoice!" The scripture says that the women came up to Him and "took hold of His feet." Now the sense of touch affirms what their eyes and ears have seen and heard. For joy they would have remained there clinging to Him, but Jesus reminds them of the command placed upon them to go tell the others where they can see me. Jesus is alive today! One supporting event of that reality is His authenticating appearance to witnesses.

Matthew 28:11-15 -- A fourth reason that we can affirm the spiritual reality that Jesus is alive is the attempted cover-up by the authorities. The religious leaders had worked hard to rid themselves of the increasing influence of Jesus. Now, His popularity would skyrocket more than ever if word got out that He indeed had risen from the dead. In order to avoid this, the chief priests created a plan to explain the disappearance of Jesus's body. The cover-up involved bribing the guards in order to buy their promise to spread lies about what happened. Their concocted story has holes in it, however. First of all, the disciples were afraid for their lives. How would they so soon after the crucifixion gain the courage needed to overcome trained Roman soldiers? Secondly, how could you get trained soldiers to admit to falling asleep while on duty unless you did bribe them. Such an admission would have had repercussions. Perhaps this is why the chief priests pledge not only money to pay for the soldiers' story, but also promise to protect them from the governor if word gets back to him. Jesus is alive today! One supporting event of that reality is the attempted cover-up scheme implemented by the religious leaders.

Matthew 28:16-17 -- This final point in the lesson is to lead to a commitment on the part of students in attendance. We have just examined four reasons why the resurrection of Jesus is something that can be affirmed. Yet it remains a decision that every individual must make on their own. Just as the disciples had to make a choice whether to believe that Jesus was alive or not, so do all of us. God gives us much evidence including the testimony of others, but it still comes down to whether you believe it or not. Jesus is alive today! What do you believe?

Commitment -- Lead students to examine their view of Jesus as the Living Lord. Present the plan of salvation to end the class and invite attendees to answer the question, "Do you believe in the resurrection?" According to Romans 10:9, believing in the resurrection goes hand in hand with believing in the cross in order to be saved. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19: "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?