Sabbath School Lesson for September 21-27, 2024
Overview of Lesson 13, The Risen Lord
Memory Text: “But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him’ “ Mark 16:6 NKJV
For the disciples, many confusing emotions were felt those last three days–from Jesus’ taking His last breath on the cross to the wonderful realization that their Lord had risen from the grave. There was intense grief and loss of hope at losing their Master, but also fear in what their fate was as His followers. Would they, too, be hunted down and punished for their association with Jesus? Then there was doubt and confusion, when reports came from the women that Jesus was not in the tomb where He’d been laid.
At last, when Jesus appeared to them in the flesh, they were all alarmed, but later had great joy in discovering that perhaps all was not lost. As Jesus commissioned them to bring the gospel message that He was risen to the whole world, they were, no doubt, overwhelmed with their enormous task. But finally, happy in knowing more fully what the Messiah’s true mission was for humanity, the disciples proceeded to carry out His will and became faithful witnesses of the resurrection.
Here are some of the discoveries found in Mark 16, the last chapter of his Gospel:
- Sunday: Rejoicing in the Resurrection–the timing of events was important
- Monday: The Stone Was Rolled Away–who did it?
- Tuesday: The Women at the Tomb–should we tell someone?
- Wednesday: Appearing to Mary and Others–unlikely witnesses
- Thursday: Go Into All the World–Jesus told them what they didn’t do, and what they should do
Sunday: Rejoicing in the Resurrection
It’s understood and accepted that Jesus died late on Friday. This was called the preparation day (from sunset Thursday to sunset Friday), the day Jews were to prepare for the Sabbath. Evidently, the disciples, as Jesus taught them, were observant of God’s rest day (Luke 23:56). His body would remain in the tomb until the day after Sabbath, in observance of God’s holy seventh day. Yes, even Jesus rested in the tomb during those sacred hours.
There was great rejoicing in the resurrection that occurred on the first day, the day now known as Sunday. And rightly so. We still celebrate the resurrection with every baptism we participate in or observe (Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:4). Rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection through baptism also reminds us to rejoice in our own resurrection at the Second Coming.
Unfortunately, centuries later, Christians gradually transferred the sacredness of the Sabbath to the first day, Sunday, in celebration of the resurrection. But this transfer is found nowhere in the Scriptures. It became a human tradition that remains to this day. Sadly, we would not see as many evolutionists and atheists had we kept our eyes solely on our Creator by celebrating creation on Sabbath, as the Fourth Commandment invites us to do.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 15:42-16:6
- Although three full days hadn’t passed as we would count them today, how does biblical time reckoning indicate that Jesus had risen on the third day after His death? What were those three days?
- What relevance is there to the timing of Christ’s death and His resurrection, according to the prophets? Why is this important to the gospel story?
Monday: The Stone Was Rolled Away
We see how Jesus died and was buried in Mark 15. Then, Mark 16 tells how He was risen from the dead and seen by His followers. Anyone who believes in the creation of life by our Creator God should have no problem believing that God can resurrect us from the dead. He is a life-giving Lord, and perfectly capable of such miracles. This is one reason the Sabbath is so significant. It reminds us of our Creator’s power to create and re-create life.
The claim that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus does not work. The religious leaders had taken measures to prevent such a thing from happening by having Pilate put a guard around the tomb. Plus, there were multiple witnesses who saw Jesus alive. If these witnesses knew it was a lie, that it hadn’t really happened, would they later risk their lives proclaiming the story of the resurrection?
We are left with the question that the women had when they arrived at the tomb. Who had rolled the stone away? It could only have been a miracle of God.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 16:1-8 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
- What similarities are there in the stories told by Mark and Paul?
Tuesday: The Women at the Tomb
Until the end of Jesus’ ministry, people were often told not to tell about His miracles. But, of course, word spread anyway and crowds followed Him everywhere. These requests of silence are thought to be so that Christ could carry out His three-and-a-half year ministry that prophecy had foretold, and not bring Himself to the attention of the nation’s leaders too soon. Daniel speaks of the Messiah being cut off in the middle of the week, (Daniel 9:25-27), indicating three-and-a-half days, or prophetic years would be allowed for His public ministry.
The faithful women, who had stood and watched their Master die on the cross, were naturally the first ones who wanted to see that He was anointed properly after He was dead. Even if they had to do it alone, without their male counterparts, still in hiding.
At first, even they were hesitant to tell about the empty grave, knowing that women were not viewed in that culture as credible witnesses. They soon overcame their fears and amazement, however, and fearlessly began to tell everyone what they had seen, just as the Lord later commissioned them to do.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 16:1-8
- What motivated the actions of the women in this narrative?
Wednesday: Appearing to Mary and Others
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all contain valuable pieces of information about Christ’s resurrection. Several common details point to the truthfulness of the event.
First of all, women would not have been chosen as the first witnesses of the resurrection, if this were a fabricated story. Certainly more credible witnesses would have filled that role, making it more believable to their intended audience. Also, in such a male-dominated culture, the storyteller would not have portrayed the male disciples so negatively–fleeing, denying, fearfully hiding, and disbelieving that Jesus was alive.
And finally, why would the first disciples, and so many Christians after them, have risked their lives to proclaim the resurrection truth, if they knew or suspected it was a fictional tale. After all, they were so frightened after the resurrection, they were hiding in an upper room. These facts certainly provide evidence that shows the authenticity of the gospel story.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 16:9-11 and John 20:11-18
- Why do you think Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus after His resurrection?
Mark 16:12-13 and Luke 24:13-27
- Why were these disciples chosen for such an encounter with Jesus, rather than one of the 11?
- What do you think it felt like to be part of Jesus’ Bible study that day? And what does it tell us about the importance of Bible study now?
Thursday: Go Into All the World
Jesus tenderly rebuked His disciples when He finally appeared before them. In the Gospel of Luke, we find that He questioned their disbelief in such a miracle as this, even asking them for food, in order to verify His being alive. He longed for them to rejoice and discontinue their doubtful thinking and fears (Luke 24:36-43).
There was an important task for them to do. Their future mission was to go out and tell about the miracle they had witnessed. This was, after all, the greatest miracle of Jesus’ ministry–His own resurrection. Their Master reassured them that they, too, would be able to perform miracles as they preached, with the aid of His Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
The disciples would need to be able to speak new languages, be protected from harm, and to heal the sick among them. Perhaps one of the greatest miracles we see for them, however, was the level of pain and suffering their ministry would require of many of them. The strength and endurance they demonstrated to advance God’s kingdom surely was a miracle that came from their heavenly Father.
We, His people today, have the same mission to spread the gospel. Matthew eloquently added to the words of His commission that He would be with them always, “even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). That means us, here and now.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 16:14-20
- How does Jesus’ position at the right hand of God reassure us, as we participate in the great commission Jesus talked about?
Matthew 28:11-15
- Why did Matthew, himself a Jew, feel we needed to know about this further evil plotting of the religious leaders?
- How do their actions demonstrate the fears and anxiety they had about what they had done to Jesus?
- How can we avoid being like the religious elite back then, as we promote Christianity today?
Friday: Final Thoughts
There is ample evidence from historians, both secular and religious, that Jesus lived and died on the cross at the time spoken of in the Bible. And also, that many people claimed that He had risen from the grave. It makes no sense that these firsthand witnesses of the extraordinary event, and others who came afterwards, would risk their lives for something that was obviously not true.
There is a heartfelt need for humanity to discover why we die, and if there is anything following death. One of the most satisfying discoveries is to learn the story of our redemption from death through a humble Preacher named Jesus Christ, who was also God’s Son. He paid our penalty for sin, opening up a way for us to live forever, as first intended by God in the Garden of Eden.
Jesus’ own miraculous resurrection ensures our own. God, who gave us life in the beginning, can surely restore it at His appointed time–at “the end of the age”, as Jesus taught us (Matthew 28:20}.
The seventh-day Sabbath, was and always will be a day to remember the Creation story. And to focus on our resurrection and re-creation. Death for believers is but a temporary rest. For “in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (1 Corinthians 15:52), our Redeemer will return as He promised and take us to be with Him always.
Next Week: Signs That Point the Way (new quarter’s study “Themes in the Book of John”)
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