“I Am He That Liveth. I Was Dead,
and behold, I am alive for evermore.”
Dear friend,
have you ever stood before the grave of a loved one and watched his body being laid in the ground with sorrow? If so, you know that death is man’s greatest enemy. If the Lord Jesus does not come to take us before we die, we must all walk the path of death. The Bible says, “It is appointed unto man once to die. . . ”
However, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, why should we fear? Jesus Christ has conquered this enemy, death. The Bible says that He has broken the power of death and brought us eternal life through the gospel. The gospel means good news, and the apostle Paul tells us what this good news is. Paul wrote, “Brothers, this is the good news which I preached to you, that Christ died for our sins. He was buried and on the third day, according to the Scriptures, he was raised from the dead.
From the Bible, we learn that the gospel of Jesus Christ is based on two great truths:
1. Christ died for our sins
2. Christ rose from the dead
In fact, the Bible tells us about some people whom God raised from the dead, but in every case they died later. But in the case of the Lord Jesus, it was different. He rose from the grave, never to die again. He said, “I am the living one! I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.”
Jesus foretold his resurrection
The Lord Jesus had told his disciples that he would suffer, be killed, and after three days rise again. Jesus said, “A little while and you will not see me again (because he was to be crucified), and a little while and you will see me again (because he was to be raised from the dead), and you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy.”
Many Jews did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. They hated him and wanted to kill him. Once they asked him to show them a sign if he was truly the Son of God. Jesus said that he would give them a sign. The Sign of Jonah Jesus said, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
What did Jesus mean? He meant that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, he would be in the grave for three days and three nights and then he would rise again. His resurrection would be proof that he was truly the Son of God.
Jesus was crucified
The Lord Jesus was crucified at about nine o’clock in the morning, and he died about three o’clock in the afternoon. From noon until three o’clock there was darkness over the whole land. Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” and then he gave up the ghost. And immediately the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. At that very moment an earthquake occurred, and the rocks split. Later, after Jesus had died, the Roman soldiers came. They broke the legs of the criminals who were crucified on either side of Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs. This was to fulfill the prophecy that not a bone of the Savior’s body would be broken.
Jesus was crucified A rich man named Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. When Pilate was sure that Jesus was already dead, he gave Joseph the body. Joseph and another disciple prepared Jesus’ body for burial. His body was wrapped in a linen cloth hundreds of yards long. As they wrapped Jesus’ body in the cloth, they put spices in the cloth.
Jesus’ body was placed in a new tomb carved out of a large rock. The door of the tomb was sealed with a large stone.
The Pharisees were afraid that Jesus’ disciples would steal his body and claim that he had risen from the dead, so they asked Pilate to send Roman soldiers to guard Jesus’ tomb. Pilate granted their request.
Jesus Rises from the Tomb
Jesus’ body had been in the tomb for three days and three nights. On the third day, before sunrise, the Lord Jesus rose from the tomb, followed by a loud cry. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled away the stone from the entrance of the tomb. The Bible says that the Roman soldiers were terrified and as if they were dead.
That morning, at dawn, three women came to Jesus’ tomb. They wanted to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. But when they arrived at the tomb, they found it empty. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. But he is not here, for he has risen.”
The women ran to tell his disciples that Jesus had risen. They told Peter and John everything they had seen and heard. Peter and John ran to the tomb. When they arrived at the tomb, they saw an amazing sight!
The linen cloths that had been wrapped around Jesus’ body were still there. It was still in human shape, but Jesus’ body was not there. The cloth that had been around his head was lying in a place by itself. Jesus was resurrected.
He is resurrected!
After the disciples had left, Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb weeping. She stooped down and looked inside, where she saw two angels. The angels said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she turned around, someone said to her, “It is the Lord Jesus.” He said, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”
Mary did not look back. She did not think it was the gardener who spoke to her. Jesus spoke to her again, and Mary turned around and recognized the Lord Jesus and cried out with joy, “Rabbi!
” Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
That night, ten of the disciples were gathered together in a locked room to discuss the wonderful events of the day. Thomas was not with them. The doors were locked for fear of the Jews, and suddenly Jesus appeared among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
The disciples were afraid and thought that Jesus was a ghost, but Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones, but you see that I have.”
The disciples looked at Jesus in amazement. Jesus said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of cooked fish, and he took it and ate it in front of them. How did the disciples know that Jesus had risen in his body of flesh and bones? They saw him, they touched him, they talked with him, they ate with him.
The disciples were eager to tell Thomas this, but when they told Thomas that Jesus had risen, Thomas did not believe it. He said, “Unless I see the print of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will believe.”
Eight days later the disciples were again in the same room, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came in and stood in the middle and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands. Reach out your hand, and put it into my side. Do not doubt, but believe.” Thomas no longer doubted. He worshiped the Lord Jesus and said, “My Lord and my God.”
The Lord Jesus appeared on earth for forty days after He rose from the grave. The Bible tells us that Jesus appeared to His disciples at least ten times after His resurrection. The Bible says that after His suffering He presented Himself alive to them by many infallible proofs. For forty days He appeared to them… Jesus’ resurrection proves that He is the Son of God We know that Jesus rose from the dead, but what does His resurrection really mean? The resurrection of Jesus means that He is truly the Son of God and that everything He said is true. If you have ever been troubled by doubts about your salvation or if a friend of yours has doubts about the Bible, put all that aside and focus on this question:
Did Jesus really die and did He really rise again?
Yes, Jesus really died and rose from the dead. That is why we know that he is the Son of God and that everything he said is true. We can put our complete trust in him. The Bible says, “Jesus Christ…was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.”
Jesus’ resurrection gives us the assurance of our resurrection
. God has promised that his children will live again after they die. Can he do that? Yes, he can! How do we know? Because he raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also.” Even though we know that we will live, we still have many questions. What happens when a Christian dies? Where will we go? What will happen to our bodies? What will we be like in heaven? Will we recognize our loved ones in heaven? These questions are very important. Let’s see what God’s Word says on these subjects:
What happens when a Christian dies? He will go to be with Jesus. His body is put in the grave, but the person—the soul and spirit—goes immediately to be with the Lord Jesus. The apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Why did Paul say that it is gain to me to die? Because it means to go to be with Christ. When a Christian loved one dies, we grieve, and that is natural, because we should remember that they are with Jesus, and it is much better to be there than to be here. What happens to our bodies? When a Christian dies, their bodies are placed in a tomb. Their bodies are said to have “fallen asleep in Jesus.” When Jesus comes again, God will raise our bodies up and describe us as a house. Paul says, “For we know that if the earthly body we live in is dissolved (death), we have a building from God (a new body), eternal in the heavens.” What is Paul saying here? He is saying, “We know that even though our bodies return to the dust, one day we will receive a beautiful body that God himself made for us and we will live forever in heaven.” What will we be like in heaven? We will be like Jesus. We will have a glorious new body like Jesus’. The Bible says, “Beloved, now we are God’s children, and it does not yet appear what we will be. We know that when he appears, we will be like him. For we will see him as he is.
Will we know our loved ones in heaven? Yes, we will. We will know one another as Christ knows us. The Bible says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see clearly.”
Now I am known, even a little more fully.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Savior? Do you know that you are His? Then you do not need to be afraid of death. Because for God’s children, death is nothing more than a gateway to heaven, where we will live forever in the presence of our Lord.
However, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, why should we fear? Jesus Christ has conquered this enemy, death. The Bible says that He has broken the power of death and brought us eternal life through the gospel. The gospel means good news, and the apostle Paul tells us what this good news is. Paul wrote, “Brothers, this is the good news which I preached to you, that Christ died for our sins. He was buried and on the third day, according to the Scriptures, he was raised from the dead.
From the Bible, we learn that the gospel of Jesus Christ is based on two great truths:
1. Christ died for our sins
2. Christ rose from the dead
In fact, the Bible tells us about some people whom God raised from the dead, but in every case they died later. But in the case of the Lord Jesus, it was different. He rose from the grave, never to die again. He said, “I am the living one! I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.”
Jesus foretold his resurrection
The Lord Jesus had told his disciples that he would suffer, be killed, and after three days rise again. Jesus said, “A little while and you will not see me again (because he was to be crucified), and a little while and you will see me again (because he was to be raised from the dead), and you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy.”
Many Jews did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. They hated him and wanted to kill him. Once they asked him to show them a sign if he was truly the Son of God. Jesus said that he would give them a sign. The Sign of Jonah Jesus said, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
What did Jesus mean? He meant that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, he would be in the grave for three days and three nights and then he would rise again. His resurrection would be proof that he was truly the Son of God.
Jesus was crucified
The Lord Jesus was crucified at about nine o’clock in the morning, and he died about three o’clock in the afternoon. From noon until three o’clock there was darkness over the whole land. Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” and then he gave up the ghost. And immediately the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. At that very moment an earthquake occurred, and the rocks split. Later, after Jesus had died, the Roman soldiers came. They broke the legs of the criminals who were crucified on either side of Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs. This was to fulfill the prophecy that not a bone of the Savior’s body would be broken.
Jesus was crucified A rich man named Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. When Pilate was sure that Jesus was already dead, he gave Joseph the body. Joseph and another disciple prepared Jesus’ body for burial. His body was wrapped in a linen cloth hundreds of yards long. As they wrapped Jesus’ body in the cloth, they put spices in the cloth.
Jesus’ body was placed in a new tomb carved out of a large rock. The door of the tomb was sealed with a large stone.
The Pharisees were afraid that Jesus’ disciples would steal his body and claim that he had risen from the dead, so they asked Pilate to send Roman soldiers to guard Jesus’ tomb. Pilate granted their request.
Jesus Rises from the Tomb
Jesus’ body had been in the tomb for three days and three nights. On the third day, before sunrise, the Lord Jesus rose from the tomb, followed by a loud cry. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled away the stone from the entrance of the tomb. The Bible says that the Roman soldiers were terrified and as if they were dead.
That morning, at dawn, three women came to Jesus’ tomb. They wanted to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. But when they arrived at the tomb, they found it empty. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. But he is not here, for he has risen.”
The women ran to tell his disciples that Jesus had risen. They told Peter and John everything they had seen and heard. Peter and John ran to the tomb. When they arrived at the tomb, they saw an amazing sight!
The linen cloths that had been wrapped around Jesus’ body were still there. It was still in human shape, but Jesus’ body was not there. The cloth that had been around his head was lying in a place by itself. Jesus was resurrected.
He is resurrected!
After the disciples had left, Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb weeping. She stooped down and looked inside, where she saw two angels. The angels said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she turned around, someone said to her, “It is the Lord Jesus.” He said, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”
Mary did not look back. She did not think it was the gardener who spoke to her. Jesus spoke to her again, and Mary turned around and recognized the Lord Jesus and cried out with joy, “Rabbi!
” Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
That night, ten of the disciples were gathered together in a locked room to discuss the wonderful events of the day. Thomas was not with them. The doors were locked for fear of the Jews, and suddenly Jesus appeared among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
The disciples were afraid and thought that Jesus was a ghost, but Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones, but you see that I have.”
The disciples looked at Jesus in amazement. Jesus said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of cooked fish, and he took it and ate it in front of them. How did the disciples know that Jesus had risen in his body of flesh and bones? They saw him, they touched him, they talked with him, they ate with him.
The disciples were eager to tell Thomas this, but when they told Thomas that Jesus had risen, Thomas did not believe it. He said, “Unless I see the print of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will believe.”
Eight days later the disciples were again in the same room, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came in and stood in the middle and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands. Reach out your hand, and put it into my side. Do not doubt, but believe.” Thomas no longer doubted. He worshiped the Lord Jesus and said, “My Lord and my God.”
The Lord Jesus appeared on earth for forty days after He rose from the grave. The Bible tells us that Jesus appeared to His disciples at least ten times after His resurrection. The Bible says that after His suffering He presented Himself alive to them by many infallible proofs. For forty days He appeared to them… Jesus’ resurrection proves that He is the Son of God We know that Jesus rose from the dead, but what does His resurrection really mean? The resurrection of Jesus means that He is truly the Son of God and that everything He said is true. If you have ever been troubled by doubts about your salvation or if a friend of yours has doubts about the Bible, put all that aside and focus on this question:
Did Jesus really die and did He really rise again?
Yes, Jesus really died and rose from the dead. That is why we know that he is the Son of God and that everything he said is true. We can put our complete trust in him. The Bible says, “Jesus Christ…was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.”
Jesus’ resurrection gives us the assurance of our resurrection
. God has promised that his children will live again after they die. Can he do that? Yes, he can! How do we know? Because he raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also.” Even though we know that we will live, we still have many questions. What happens when a Christian dies? Where will we go? What will happen to our bodies? What will we be like in heaven? Will we recognize our loved ones in heaven? These questions are very important. Let’s see what God’s Word says on these subjects:
What happens when a Christian dies? He will go to be with Jesus. His body is put in the grave, but the person—the soul and spirit—goes immediately to be with the Lord Jesus. The apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Why did Paul say that it is gain to me to die? Because it means to go to be with Christ. When a Christian loved one dies, we grieve, and that is natural, because we should remember that they are with Jesus, and it is much better to be there than to be here. What happens to our bodies? When a Christian dies, their bodies are placed in a tomb. Their bodies are said to have “fallen asleep in Jesus.” When Jesus comes again, God will raise our bodies up and describe us as a house. Paul says, “For we know that if the earthly body we live in is dissolved (death), we have a building from God (a new body), eternal in the heavens.” What is Paul saying here? He is saying, “We know that even though our bodies return to the dust, one day we will receive a beautiful body that God himself made for us and we will live forever in heaven.” What will we be like in heaven? We will be like Jesus. We will have a glorious new body like Jesus’. The Bible says, “Beloved, now we are God’s children, and it does not yet appear what we will be. We know that when he appears, we will be like him. For we will see him as he is.
Will we know our loved ones in heaven? Yes, we will. We will know one another as Christ knows us. The Bible says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see clearly.”
Now I am known, even a little more fully.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Savior? Do you know that you are His? Then you do not need to be afraid of death. Because for God’s children, death is nothing more than a gateway to heaven, where we will live forever in the presence of our Lord.
Part @2
Dear friend,
take some time to study the pictures above. They tell us the most beautiful story in the world – how the Son of God became man and died for our sins and how God exalted Him.
In this lesson we will see how Jesus humbled Himself, and stooped so low that He endured death on the cross. Then we will see how God exalted Jesus Christ to the very top, to the throne of the universe, and that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.
Jesus Christ humbled Himself. Let us consider three ways in which the Lord Jesus humbled Himself.
He humbled Himself to become a man
Jesus Christ was, is, and will always be God, but He did not hold on to His right to be God. Instead, He laid aside His great power and glory and humbled Himself to become a man. The Bible says, “Christ Jesus…who was in the form of God…was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5–7). God did not come to this world as a great and powerful king. Instead, He became a little baby. And He was not born in a grand palace, but in a small stable. He humbled Himself to become a servant of men. The Lord Jesus humbled Himself throughout His life to serve others. He said, “I am among you as one who serves.”
In John 13 we read about the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples before his death. It was customary for someone in the house to wash the feet of guests when they came. This was actually the job of a servant, but there was no servant there to do that. None of the disciples stepped forward to wash the feet of the guests. Not everyone considered themselves worthy of such a lowly task. But Jesus, knowing that he was the Son of God, laid aside his outer garments, and a servant wrapped a towel around his waist. He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet. The Bible says, “He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” “He humbled himself, even to the point of death on a cross. The Father’s will was that His Son should die on the cross for our sins, and the Lord Jesus was obedient to His Father. The Bible says, “And He (Jesus) humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death on the cross.”
There was no other death as shameful as the death on the cross. This type of death was given only to the worst criminals, but Jesus humbled Himself, and stooped so low that He even suffered the death of a criminal. Christ humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death on the cross.
God exalted Jesus Christ.
We have seen how Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross. Jesus suffered to pay the price for our sins, and the death on the cross was the end of the humiliation that was heaped upon Him. Now we will see how God exalted Him.
God raised Jesus from the dead
God wanted His Son’s body to be treated with honor and respect. Jesus’ body was wrapped in fine linen and covered with expensive spices. He was buried in a rich man’s tomb. On the third day God raised Him from the dead. The Bible says, “He raised Christ from the dead by the glory of the Father” (Romans 6:4).
.God gave Jesus all authority.
The Bible says, “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.” God has given all power and authority to His Son. Jesus told his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ” (Matthew 28:18)
What an amazing statement! Just a few days before Jesus had been crucified, He now, as the risen Christ, tells His disciples that He has given them all authority in heaven and on earth. Before ascending to heaven, the Lord Jesus gave this command: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Then He gave this beautiful promise: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ”
While the disciples were watching, the Lord Jesus was lifted up and disappeared from their sight in a cloud. The Lord Jesus left this earth in His glorified resurrected body and ascended to heaven through the clouds.
His hands and feet were marked with the prints of the nails, His side was pierced with the spear, and His forehead was pierced with the crown of thorns. God placed Jesus at His own right hand. When the Lord Jesus returned to heaven, God the Father gave Him the highest place of honor. Where is this place? God has exalted Jesus Christ and given Him the name that is above every name. This is the place at the right hand of God. This place was given by God the Father to His Son.
The Bible says, “He (God) raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come, far above all that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. “He has given him the name above every name that is named.”
Ephesians 1:20, 21 The place given to the Lord Jesus is higher than any person or spiritual power in this universe. The Bible says that God has put all things under his feet. This means that every creature is subject to him. Verse 24, God gave Jesus a name that is above every name. Before the Lord Jesus was born, it was prophesied about him, “His name will be called Wonderful.” This prophecy was fulfilled in a wonderful way, because God has given him the name that is above every name. The name Jesus Christ is truly a wonderful name in the entire universe.
We can think of many great names in the Bible. We can think of Moses, who was called the man of God, and David, who was called the man whom God loved. We can think of other great names found in the history of the world. But there is one name that is above all other names, and that is the name of Jesus Christ. God says that there has never been a name greater than this name, and there will never be. The name Jesus Christ is above every name in this world or in the world to come.
The Bible says that “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.” (Philippians 2:9–11)
God sent His Holy Spirit
Shortly before He was crucified, Jesus told His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit. He said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, and He will be with you forever.”
In John 14:16, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit will not be given to us until Jesus is glorified, but when Jesus is exalted as Lord of all, the Holy Spirit will be poured out on all His believers. Jesus said, “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”
In John 14:20, forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were gathered in the upper room. They remembered Jesus’ promise, and they were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where the disciples were sitting. Tongues like fire rested on them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had come:
So when the disciples learned that Jesus Christ had been raised up as Lord of all, the apostle Peter later told the Jews, “This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. For this reason he was exalted to the right hand of God, and this is what you see and hear. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2:32,33,36) What did the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost prove?
It proved that Jesus Christ was Lord of all. From that time on, the disciples had even greater power. The man they knew so well, Jesus Christ, was now on the throne in heaven, reigning as Lord, and he was their friend. They went everywhere boldly telling others about Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is Lord of all
We have learned many wonderful things about the Lord Jesus, but one of the most important things we have learned in this lesson is that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Now consider the great change that has taken place. The man Jesus Christ, who humbled himself to become a slave and die a criminal’s death on the cross, has been made Lord of all. He is now the Ruler of the universe. The five titles given to Jesus Christ in the Bible are:
Master and Lord (John 13:13 Acts 2:36)
Lord and Christ, Lord of all (Acts 10:36
) King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16)
Jesus Christ is our Lord
Many Christians think of Jesus as not only their Savior, but He is also our Lord. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. The word Lord means that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Lord and Master. He is asking us to give our lives to serve Him. Why should we give ourselves to the Lord Jesus because we belong to Him? The Bible says, “You are not your own, you were bought with a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 We may not understand the meaning of the words “you were bought with a price,” but for the early Christians it meant very clearly: “You are not your own, you were bought with a price.”
When the apostle Paul wrote these words, there were markets where people were sold and bought. Just as a man could go to the market and buy a chicken or a duck, so he could buy a slave. The one who could pay the highest price became the slave’s master, or owner. The slave belonged to his master and had to serve that master for as long as he lived. Before you and I were saved, we were slaves to sin and Satan, but Jesus Christ bought us with his own precious blood. He gave his life to redeem us. Because the Lord Jesus bought us, we belong to him. He is our Lord and our Master.
Because we belong to the Lord Jesus, we should give our lives to serve him. The Lord Jesus does not force us to do this. He wants us to make a voluntary decision to give our lives to him because we love him. When we realize that the King of kings and Lord of lords is giving us the opportunity to serve him, we will gladly give ourselves to him. No one can be a happy Christian until he has completely given himself to the Lord Jesus. Do you see that God has made the Lord Jesus Lord of all? Do you understand that He bought you with His own blood and you bought you with His own blood and you are His? Then do you give Him what is His? Do you give Him your life?
When you give yourself to Him, be sure that you really do, because He will deal with you as you say He will deal with you from that moment on.
Will you decide to give your life to the Lord Jesus right now? If so, here is a prayer to help you. After you have given yourself to Him, write your name and date below so that you can keep a record of your decision.
Lord Jesus, I understand that You are the Lord of heaven and earth. You bought me with Your precious blood and I am Yours. Now I give myself to You to do Your will. You are my Lord and Master.
take some time to study the pictures above. They tell us the most beautiful story in the world – how the Son of God became man and died for our sins and how God exalted Him.
In this lesson we will see how Jesus humbled Himself, and stooped so low that He endured death on the cross. Then we will see how God exalted Jesus Christ to the very top, to the throne of the universe, and that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.
Jesus Christ humbled Himself. Let us consider three ways in which the Lord Jesus humbled Himself.
He humbled Himself to become a man
Jesus Christ was, is, and will always be God, but He did not hold on to His right to be God. Instead, He laid aside His great power and glory and humbled Himself to become a man. The Bible says, “Christ Jesus…who was in the form of God…was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5–7). God did not come to this world as a great and powerful king. Instead, He became a little baby. And He was not born in a grand palace, but in a small stable. He humbled Himself to become a servant of men. The Lord Jesus humbled Himself throughout His life to serve others. He said, “I am among you as one who serves.”
In John 13 we read about the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples before his death. It was customary for someone in the house to wash the feet of guests when they came. This was actually the job of a servant, but there was no servant there to do that. None of the disciples stepped forward to wash the feet of the guests. Not everyone considered themselves worthy of such a lowly task. But Jesus, knowing that he was the Son of God, laid aside his outer garments, and a servant wrapped a towel around his waist. He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet. The Bible says, “He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” “He humbled himself, even to the point of death on a cross. The Father’s will was that His Son should die on the cross for our sins, and the Lord Jesus was obedient to His Father. The Bible says, “And He (Jesus) humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death on the cross.”
There was no other death as shameful as the death on the cross. This type of death was given only to the worst criminals, but Jesus humbled Himself, and stooped so low that He even suffered the death of a criminal. Christ humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death on the cross.
God exalted Jesus Christ.
We have seen how Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross. Jesus suffered to pay the price for our sins, and the death on the cross was the end of the humiliation that was heaped upon Him. Now we will see how God exalted Him.
God raised Jesus from the dead
God wanted His Son’s body to be treated with honor and respect. Jesus’ body was wrapped in fine linen and covered with expensive spices. He was buried in a rich man’s tomb. On the third day God raised Him from the dead. The Bible says, “He raised Christ from the dead by the glory of the Father” (Romans 6:4).
.God gave Jesus all authority.
The Bible says, “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.” God has given all power and authority to His Son. Jesus told his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ” (Matthew 28:18)
What an amazing statement! Just a few days before Jesus had been crucified, He now, as the risen Christ, tells His disciples that He has given them all authority in heaven and on earth. Before ascending to heaven, the Lord Jesus gave this command: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Then He gave this beautiful promise: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ”
While the disciples were watching, the Lord Jesus was lifted up and disappeared from their sight in a cloud. The Lord Jesus left this earth in His glorified resurrected body and ascended to heaven through the clouds.
His hands and feet were marked with the prints of the nails, His side was pierced with the spear, and His forehead was pierced with the crown of thorns. God placed Jesus at His own right hand. When the Lord Jesus returned to heaven, God the Father gave Him the highest place of honor. Where is this place? God has exalted Jesus Christ and given Him the name that is above every name. This is the place at the right hand of God. This place was given by God the Father to His Son.
The Bible says, “He (God) raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come, far above all that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. “He has given him the name above every name that is named.”
Ephesians 1:20, 21 The place given to the Lord Jesus is higher than any person or spiritual power in this universe. The Bible says that God has put all things under his feet. This means that every creature is subject to him. Verse 24, God gave Jesus a name that is above every name. Before the Lord Jesus was born, it was prophesied about him, “His name will be called Wonderful.” This prophecy was fulfilled in a wonderful way, because God has given him the name that is above every name. The name Jesus Christ is truly a wonderful name in the entire universe.
We can think of many great names in the Bible. We can think of Moses, who was called the man of God, and David, who was called the man whom God loved. We can think of other great names found in the history of the world. But there is one name that is above all other names, and that is the name of Jesus Christ. God says that there has never been a name greater than this name, and there will never be. The name Jesus Christ is above every name in this world or in the world to come.
The Bible says that “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.” (Philippians 2:9–11)
God sent His Holy Spirit
Shortly before He was crucified, Jesus told His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit. He said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, and He will be with you forever.”
In John 14:16, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit will not be given to us until Jesus is glorified, but when Jesus is exalted as Lord of all, the Holy Spirit will be poured out on all His believers. Jesus said, “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”
In John 14:20, forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were gathered in the upper room. They remembered Jesus’ promise, and they were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where the disciples were sitting. Tongues like fire rested on them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had come:
So when the disciples learned that Jesus Christ had been raised up as Lord of all, the apostle Peter later told the Jews, “This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. For this reason he was exalted to the right hand of God, and this is what you see and hear. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2:32,33,36) What did the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost prove?
It proved that Jesus Christ was Lord of all. From that time on, the disciples had even greater power. The man they knew so well, Jesus Christ, was now on the throne in heaven, reigning as Lord, and he was their friend. They went everywhere boldly telling others about Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is Lord of all
We have learned many wonderful things about the Lord Jesus, but one of the most important things we have learned in this lesson is that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Now consider the great change that has taken place. The man Jesus Christ, who humbled himself to become a slave and die a criminal’s death on the cross, has been made Lord of all. He is now the Ruler of the universe. The five titles given to Jesus Christ in the Bible are:
Master and Lord (John 13:13 Acts 2:36)
Lord and Christ, Lord of all (Acts 10:36
) King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16)
Jesus Christ is our Lord
Many Christians think of Jesus as not only their Savior, but He is also our Lord. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. The word Lord means that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Lord and Master. He is asking us to give our lives to serve Him. Why should we give ourselves to the Lord Jesus because we belong to Him? The Bible says, “You are not your own, you were bought with a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 We may not understand the meaning of the words “you were bought with a price,” but for the early Christians it meant very clearly: “You are not your own, you were bought with a price.”
When the apostle Paul wrote these words, there were markets where people were sold and bought. Just as a man could go to the market and buy a chicken or a duck, so he could buy a slave. The one who could pay the highest price became the slave’s master, or owner. The slave belonged to his master and had to serve that master for as long as he lived. Before you and I were saved, we were slaves to sin and Satan, but Jesus Christ bought us with his own precious blood. He gave his life to redeem us. Because the Lord Jesus bought us, we belong to him. He is our Lord and our Master.
Because we belong to the Lord Jesus, we should give our lives to serve him. The Lord Jesus does not force us to do this. He wants us to make a voluntary decision to give our lives to him because we love him. When we realize that the King of kings and Lord of lords is giving us the opportunity to serve him, we will gladly give ourselves to him. No one can be a happy Christian until he has completely given himself to the Lord Jesus. Do you see that God has made the Lord Jesus Lord of all? Do you understand that He bought you with His own blood and you bought you with His own blood and you are His? Then do you give Him what is His? Do you give Him your life?
When you give yourself to Him, be sure that you really do, because He will deal with you as you say He will deal with you from that moment on.
Will you decide to give your life to the Lord Jesus right now? If so, here is a prayer to help you. After you have given yourself to Him, write your name and date below so that you can keep a record of your decision.
Lord Jesus, I understand that You are the Lord of heaven and earth. You bought me with Your precious blood and I am Yours. Now I give myself to You to do Your will. You are my Lord and Master.
