Participants:
Series Code: IIWSS
Program Code: IIWSS022137S
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00:00 (uplifting theme music)
00:13 >>Welcome to "Sabbath School," 00:14 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:16 We're glad that you've chosen to join us today 00:18 as you continue your study of this quarter's lesson. 00:23 The subject is on "Death, Dying and the Future Hope." 00:26 And our hope is that your hope will be increased 00:29 as we study this week's lesson together. 00:32 We are on lesson number seven, a very uplifting lesson, 00:37 as you would expect it probably would be being number seven. 00:40 But also we are here joined 00:42 by the author's lesson, and that is Dr. Alberto Timm. 00:45 He is an associate director of the Ellen G. White Estate. 00:50 Alberto, welcome back. 00:52 >>So glad to join you. 00:54 >>Alberto, this week we are looking 00:55 at "Christ's Victory Over Death, 00:58 and as we look at this particular subject, 01:01 I wanna start by reading a verse, 01:04 and it happens to be the memory verse for this quarter-- 01:07 or, pardon me, for this week's lesson. It's Revelation, 01:10 chapter 1 and verses 17 and 18. 01:15 Revelation 1:17 and 18 says, "And when I saw Him"-- 01:19 this is John speaking--"I fell at His feet as dead. 01:22 "But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, 01:24 "'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 01:28 "'I am He who lives, and was dead, 01:31 "'and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. 01:35 And I have the keys of Hades and of death.'" 01:40 We've been looking at death, dying this quarter, 01:44 also looking at the hope that that we have yet to come. 01:50 But bearing these verses in mind that we just read, 01:55 what hope does a person have 01:59 if their body is deteriorated, 02:03 if there's nothing left of them but ashes, but dirt? 02:07 Maybe there's not even that. Maybe they were lost at sea. 02:10 How can a resurrection take place 02:13 if there's so little to work with-- 02:14 or in some cases really nothing to work with--left? 02:19 What hope is there in that? 02:21 >>Well, from a human perspective, 02:23 there is no hope whatsoever because the person is gone. 02:27 So this is something. 02:29 But from the perspective of God's power, 02:34 His promise, and His word, 02:38 I would say that there is no reason for us to doubt. 02:42 After all, life in itself 02:46 is a mystery. 02:48 Sometimes I look to a flower or a leaf from a tree, 02:54 and you see how does it come 02:55 that it has life, and what is life? 02:59 You can come with all kinds of philosophy 03:01 to explain what is life, 03:02 but we haven't been able to create life. 03:05 So the mystery of life that is all around us, 03:10 the grass and so on--and don't confuse it with God, 03:14 because this is just a expression of His creating power, 03:17 not extension of God itself, and the same thing with us. 03:22 Life is a mystery and how it began also. 03:27 God created in this way. 03:29 If God was able to create human beings 03:34 from the ground and through His power, 03:38 and power to His power, 03:41 the non-life came into life, 03:44 and this is a mystery. 03:47 I think it would be less complex 03:50 to, for God to bring life again into existence 03:54 with our own identity. How it will take place, 03:59 this is something with God. But we know from His sure word, 04:03 and is not one passage, but is a motif, 04:06 is a team in the Bible, the concept of resurrection, 04:10 and that we will be known as such, because even Jesus said 04:15 that we would be with Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, 04:19 and so in that gathering over there, 04:22 so how do we know that those are the people? 04:25 Because God, even our own identity, will preserve. 04:30 >>So we've got something to look forward to, 04:32 encouraging promises in the Bible. 04:35 But really all of those promises are dependent 04:38 upon the fact that Jesus Himself rose. 04:41 Because if He didn't rise, 04:44 well, we'd be in a pickle. 04:47 I don't know that that's a deep theological word, 04:49 but it's what we'd be in. 04:51 Let's come back to Jesus' resurrection. 04:54 When Jesus did rise, 04:58 that caused a bit of consternation 05:01 among some of the priests and the Pharisees. 05:05 They didn't want anyone to believe 05:08 that Jesus was alive again. 05:10 What were some of the strategies that they used? 05:12 What were some ways that they went about trying to obscure 05:17 that very positive fact? 05:21 >>First of all, they went to Pilate 05:26 and asked him to have some kind of sealing, 05:30 to have a huge stone... 05:34 at the entrance of the tomb, and then to put a Roman seal, 05:40 and even more, some kind of Roman soldiers, powerful ones, 05:45 so there would be no way for somebody to steal, 05:48 to take Jesus' body out. 05:52 And that was--they were a little bit afraid 05:55 about this matter, but that was a strategy 05:57 so that they would not steal Jesus' body 06:01 and then later on claim that He was risen, 06:04 and so they decided to protect in this way. 06:08 It did not work out as expected. 06:11 Then they try even to pay some money for them to, 06:15 for the soldiers to give a wrong witness. 06:19 "No, we were asleep over there. 06:21 "We were a little bit distracted, and so, 06:24 "and then when we did not pay enough attention, 06:27 they took Jesus' body." 06:31 But nothing of this 06:36 prevented Jesus from raising. Actually it made, 06:40 it helped to make Jesus' resurrection even more dramatic 06:45 than if it would be just here being laying there 06:49 and coming back to life. 06:52 >>So Jesus managed to thwart them 06:55 through His resurrection. 06:58 Here's a question that sometimes gets asked. 07:02 When Jesus rose, 07:05 depending on which gospel you want to read the account from, 07:09 it talks about there being an angel at His tomb 07:12 or there being angels, plural, at His tomb. 07:16 Which was it? 07:19 >>Well, this is a very interesting question. 07:22 It's worthwhile reflecting on it. 07:24 You find two gospels that speak of two angels 07:29 at the resurrection, close to the tomb. 07:32 Anther two gospels speak of just one. 07:36 So, which one do you prefer? 07:38 Which one do you want to stay with? 07:40 This is not the way how we interpret the Bible. 07:44 The best way is always, in my understanding, 07:48 always to take the most complete picture. 07:52 And let me distract a little bit from this topic. 07:56 For instance, in the Bible you have references 07:59 to God the Father. 08:01 You have many other references to God the Father 08:04 and the Son. And you have other passages that speak 08:08 of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 08:11 With which line of passages do I stay? 08:17 Some people just decide what they prefer, 08:20 but this is not the case. 08:22 We should always take the most comprehensive, 08:25 the broader picture in mind. 08:27 Otherwise you will always distort the Bible. 08:31 If I say, "Well, there is only the Father. 08:33 The Son and the Holy Spirit do not exist," 08:35 that's not the case because the Bible refers to the three. 08:40 And the same thing, it happens in this case. 08:42 I believe that they were two angels 08:45 because the text is clear. 08:47 But the other two gospels were not concerned 08:50 about the number of angels, 08:52 but only about the angel that was speaking over there. 08:56 So I believe that there are two angels, 08:58 and I don't see any contradiction, 09:01 just the emphasis of the other ones was--so, 09:05 I could say, for instance, "You came by car." 09:09 Okay, I am not saying that you came alone. 09:12 There might be other people in the car, 09:14 but I was concerned in you arriving here. 09:18 And so this does not exclude more people. 09:22 And so I don't think that a reference to one angel 09:24 exclude the other one that was also there. 09:28 >>So, makes a lot of sense. There's every bit of evidence 09:31 that there were two angels instead of just one. 09:34 Let me come back to a... 09:39 less...diminutive question, I guess, 09:45 and a more impactful question. 09:47 And that is, what about Christ's resurrection? 09:49 What's the meaning of Christ's resurrection? 09:52 If we want to get down to the depths of things, 09:55 what is the significance, 09:57 the meaning of Christ's resurrection? 09:59 Why is it important to us? 10:02 >>Actually that was the seal 10:05 of approval 10:08 on Christ's sacrifice on the cross. 10:12 Actually we cannot isolate 10:15 the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection 10:19 because this is a whole package. 10:21 But actually if Christ would just die 10:25 and not raise from the dead, as Paul says, for instance, 10:30 in 1 Corinthians 15, then we would be lost. 10:36 But in reality, the power, 10:38 the One that raised people from the dead 10:41 during His lifetime-- 10:42 and special reference we can make to Lazarus-- 10:47 now He Himself experienced death, 10:51 and actually He did not die only the first death. 10:57 He died the second death. And what does it mean? 11:00 The first death is the natural death that we die. 11:04 But the second death, 11:05 that will be the final destruction of the wicked. 11:09 There are--there is no resurrection from that death, 11:13 that form of death. 11:15 But His death is vicarious, 11:18 or, in other words, He died for us so that we, 11:22 although we might face the natural death, 11:25 we will not need to face the second death. 11:29 And, but instead, we will have everlasting life. 11:32 And this is very meaningful. 11:35 Actually when Jesus rose from the graves, 11:39 there from the grave, that was really the seal, 11:43 the final proof that He triumphed. 11:46 He got a victory at the cross, 11:49 and now that He triumphed over the powers of evil, 11:53 and there was no more hope for Satan and his angels 11:58 that they would be able to gain the victory of Christ. 12:02 That was the final word. And that's it! 12:06 >>So when Jesus rose, 12:08 that settled things in a very final manner, 12:12 which for you and for me, hopefully, is a good thing 12:16 because that means that we have the hope of eternal life, 12:19 and without Christ's resurrection, 12:20 without His death on the cross, we wouldn't have that hope 12:24 because He wouldn't have paid that price. 12:25 He wouldn't have tasted death for every man. 12:28 But the good news is He did. The good news is He rose. 12:32 The good news is that today He is up in heaven 12:35 ministering on my behalf and your behalf. 12:39 And because of that, because we have an intercessor, 12:42 that means we can "come boldly to the throne of grace" 12:46 and seek that help that we need 12:48 because we cannot save ourselves. 12:50 We simply don't have the ability to. 12:53 But that's why Jesus is there to offer salvation to us. 12:57 I wanna encourage you, if you've been enjoying 12:59 this quarter's Sabbath school lesson, 13:00 make sure you pick up the companion book 13:02 to this quarter's lesson. 13:04 It's "On Death, Dying, and the Future Hope." 13:06 The author is Alberto Timm, 13:08 and you can find that at itiswritten.shop. 13:11 Again, that's itiswritten.shop. 13:13 You can find the book 13:15 "On Death, Dying, and the Future Hope." 13:17 It goes into greater detail on what we've been studying here 13:20 week by week. 13:21 I know that you'll enjoy it. 13:22 We're gonna be back in just a minute or two 13:24 as we continue looking at this incredible subject, 13:27 "Christ's Victory Over Death." 13:29 We'll see you back in just a moment. 13:30 (theme music swells and ends) 13:35 >>[John Bradshaw] You know that at It Is Written 13:36 we are serious about studying the Word of God, 13:39 and we encourage you to be serious as well. 13:42 Well, here's what you do 13:43 if you wanna dig deeper into God's Word. 13:45 Go to itiswritten.study 13:47 for the It Is Written Bible Study Guides online, 13:50 25 in-depth Bible studies 13:52 that will take you through the major teachings of the Bible. 13:55 You'll be blessed, 13:56 and it's something you'll want to tell others about as well: 13:58 itiswritten.study. Go further: 14:01 itiswritten.study. 14:05 >>Welcome to "Line Upon Line," 14:07 brought to you by It Is Written. 14:10 (inspiring music) 14:12 Was it God's plan for sin to enter the world? 14:16 >>[Wes Peppers] Is the building of the temple necessary 14:18 before Jesus returns? 14:20 >>That's a good question, 14:21 and I think we've got a pretty good answer for you here. 14:24 (inspiring music continues) 14:26 >>Temptation is not sin. 14:28 >>God says, "Put me to the test!" 14:30 (music swells and ends) 14:37 (uplifting theme music) 14:41 >>[Eric] Welcome back to "Sabbath School," 14:42 brought to you by It Is Written. 14:44 We're continuing looking at the subject 14:46 of "Christ's Victory Over Death," His resurrection. 14:51 Alberto, let me ask you this question 14:54 as we kind of get into this segment. 14:58 We've talked about the death of Christ; 15:00 we've talked about the resurrection of Christ. 15:04 Which of them is more important? 15:08 >>This is a very difficult question to answer, 15:11 but I would say, just in a few words, 15:14 that without the death of Christ 15:19 there would be no payment for our sins. 15:22 There would be no salvation whatsoever. 15:26 And for this reason, I think that the apostolic preaching 15:30 was very much focused on the Christ that was dead 15:34 and was risen later on. But the resurrection of Christ 15:38 was the triumphant outcome of it. 15:43 Because when Satan failed to... 15:48 keep Him, I mean, in the grave, 15:52 and Christ came into life, that was actually the seal 15:56 of everything, as I mentioned before. 16:00 In other words, the guarantee, 16:02 the prototype or whatever word you want to use, 16:06 that we or those who died in Christ 16:10 will raise also. 16:12 So He opened the gates of that. 16:16 And in the book of Revelation, even you have that image that 16:19 He has the keys that unlock the grave 16:23 so that we all can have hope. 16:26 Whether we stay alive till Jesus comes 16:29 or we are called to death, whatever, 16:32 God knows what will be the best in this case, 16:36 but we have a hope that goes far beyond the grave. 16:41 And that one was assured to Christ's death 16:44 paying the price for us, and His resurrection 16:47 opening the doors for us also to have this wonderful hope. 16:52 >>So there's hope in both His death and His resurrection. 16:55 That's encouraging. 16:56 Alberto, let me share a few verses with you 17:00 and get your thoughts on them, 17:01 because when we talk about Christ's resurrection, 17:03 there are some things that happened around that time 17:06 that sometimes people have questions about, 17:08 that don't seem to make sense. 17:10 I wanna read one here, a passage from Matthew, chapter 27. 17:14 In Matthew, chapter 27, verses 51-53, 17:19 it says this: "Then, behold, the veil of the temple 17:23 "was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, 17:27 "and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; 17:31 "and many bodies of the saints 17:33 "who had fallen asleep were raised; 17:36 "and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, 17:39 they went into the holy city and appeared to many." 17:44 Who were these people who came back to life 17:50 at this significant time? 17:54 >>We don't know exactly by name who was there, 17:57 but we know that people from the Old Testament, 17:59 some of the prophets, definitely so, 18:02 and please do not speculate saying this was the one or so. 18:05 Some people even argue that John the Baptist, 18:09 Jesus allowed him to die 18:11 so that He could raise among them. 18:15 This is a possibility, 18:16 but I would not make a big deal out of it 18:19 because it's just a possibility out of imagination. 18:25 But you know that a group, significant group of people, 18:28 I mean, of the Old Testament times, were raised. 18:33 And this is very significant, outstanding because 18:39 you remember that the Pharisees, 18:42 the high--I mean, the priesthood at that time, 18:46 they were all planning some strategies 18:49 to avoid the body of Jesus to be robbed, 18:54 to be taken there, and also not to be-- 18:57 and then later on they even bribed the... 19:02 I mean, the soldiers 19:05 in a certain way for them to lie. 19:08 But can you imagine? The Bible passage here 19:11 that you just read is so clear, 19:13 because it says that many of those raised from the dead. 19:17 So there was a earthquake when Jesus died, 19:21 and another earthquake when He raised up. 19:24 So it was quite significant. 19:26 And with Jesus came all this people from the grave. 19:31 We don't know how many, who they are, 19:33 but it does not matter. 19:35 What really matters here is that, as the text says, 19:40 that they went into the city of Jerusalem, definitely so, 19:45 where things were happening, and appeared to many. 19:49 That really was a trouble for all those high priests 19:55 and religious leaders at that time 19:56 because they were trying to spread around 20:00 some fake news--using our language--at that time. 20:04 And it didn't work because 20:06 as they were speaking in one place, 20:08 somebody came--"Well, this is not true! 20:10 "This is a lie because I raised with Christ also, and I am 20:15 a eye witness of Jesus' resurrection." 20:21 So no wonder that apostolic preaching at the beginning 20:24 was not only that Christ died, but He raised from the dead, 20:29 and the resurrection was crucial 20:32 because that was the victory. 20:34 And this generated a whole---not saying turmoil-- 20:38 but there was quite a-- 20:41 from the disappointment 20:45 of the cross into the victory, 20:49 the good news of the resurrection. 20:51 And nobody could stop the disciples of Christ 20:56 and the early Christians from spreading this news 21:00 around because it was too powerful, the whole context 21:05 and even these witnesses appearing to many. 21:09 >>You know, when we look at this portion of earth's history, 21:14 there are elements, significant-- 21:17 what do you call it?--experiences in earth's history 21:20 that are marked by three-word phrases. 21:23 I think all the way back 21:24 to the very beginning in Genesis 1:1. 21:26 It says, "In the beginning." >>Mm-hmm. 21:29 >>Now we come down here to Christ on the cross 21:31 and the three words "It is finished" are significant words. 21:36 And then the empty tomb, the empty grave: 21:39 "He is risen." 21:42 So, just simple synopses of significant things 21:45 that are going on here. 21:47 Let's take a look at something else here 21:48 over in 1 Corinthians 15. In 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, 21:53 verses 16 and 18, 21:58 Paul writes about the significance 22:00 of Christ's resurrection for us-- 22:04 for him, but certainly for us as well; 22:07 1 Corinthians 15, verse number 16, here's what Paul says. 22:12 He says, "For if the dead do not rise, 22:16 then Christ is not risen." 22:20 In verse 18 he says, "Then also those 22:22 who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished." 22:26 And verse 19: "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, 22:31 we are of all men the most pitiable." 22:35 Paul is making a very important statement here. 22:38 What point is he trying to get across? 22:42 >>Well, in this case, Paul is going even a step farther 22:46 in the sense of being more explicit. 22:49 Let's suppose that all the teachings of the Old Testament 22:54 and New Testament on the state of the dead, 22:58 that they are unconscious in the grave 23:01 and that the only hope is the resurrection, 23:08 the bodily resurrection for people to get conscious 23:10 and come alive again, 23:13 if that is not enough, Paul here says, 23:16 well, in other words, he says, 23:19 well, if there is no resurrection, 23:23 there is no hope because those who are in Christ, 23:28 they perished in this case. How could Paul say 23:33 that if those who died in Christ are perished, 23:38 or will have no life, if the soul goes directly-- 23:42 the supposed soul--would go directly to paradise, 23:45 heaven, or whatever you want to call it, after death? 23:49 Because then they would be already in their reward. 23:54 But Paul says, no, without resurrection, please, 23:58 there is no everlasting life. 24:02 So in this case, I don't think that we need a clearer text 24:07 than this one that you just read. 24:11 >>So Paul says we do have that hope. 24:13 Now, unpack it just a little bit more. 24:16 How does the death of Christ... 24:20 assure our own salvation? How do we find ourselves in that? 24:24 How can we be sure that if He died and rose again, 24:28 that we can partake of that as well? 24:32 >>Actually He is the the first one to be raised, 24:37 as such. Not the first one because there were people there, 24:40 but He's really the one that opened the way of the gates. 24:45 And to be participating of His death 24:49 and resurrection is something very significant for us 24:52 because, in reality, Christ's death, 24:59 as I mentioned before, paid the price. 25:01 But now His resurrection is the guarantee, 25:05 the word that all the other ones that died in Christ, 25:10 they will have also the hope of a resurrection. 25:13 And you don't need a stronger evidence 25:17 for the resurrection 25:18 than the resurrection of Christ Himself. 25:22 Of course, there are people that deny the resurrection 25:25 of Christ today. 25:27 But if you deny that Christ actually died 25:32 and that He raised from the dead, 25:34 then there is no hope left for us. 25:36 But we have this blessed assurance. 25:39 And probably in your mind you will have some hymns, 25:44 some songs about the resurrection, 25:46 that He is risen again and so on in triumph over death. 25:53 And I think that if you have a chance, you might be-- 25:55 I'm not saying that you should go out and sing the song-- 25:58 but at least reflect on some of the major songs 26:04 of our Christian tradition 26:08 that speak about the resurrection, 26:09 and that can bring life and rejoice to you, 26:13 not only about yourself, but sometimes we stop 26:18 and miss beloved ones that are no longer with us, 26:23 that hoped for the second coming, 26:25 but they are resting in Christ. 26:28 This is a hope not only for ourselves, 26:30 but that we will be together with those ones 26:34 when Jesus comes, 26:36 the trumpet sounds--using the language of Paul-- 26:39 and all those come from the grave. There can be 26:43 no most glorious hope like this one. 26:49 >>So that picture that Paul paints, 26:51 that Jesus gives us the ability to experience, 26:55 the opportunity to experience, 26:57 that's the greatest parade that the world has ever seen, 27:01 that day when Christ comes back 27:02 and brings the dead in Christ, in Him, back to life again, 27:07 and they begin that incredible journey to heaven. 27:09 That's something that Jesus desires you to experience. 27:12 It's something He desires me to experience. 27:14 Every single one of us, He wants us to experience that, 27:17 and He makes it possible. 27:19 So what remains is for you and me to decide 27:22 whether or not we want to be a part of that great parade. 27:25 And I hope 27:26 that you have decided you want to be a part of it. 27:29 We are looking at "On Death, Dying, and the Future Hope." 27:34 We're about halfway through, exactly halfway through. 27:37 That means we've got halfway to go, 27:39 and you don't wanna miss a single lesson. 27:42 So we look forward to seeing you next week 27:44 as we continue our journey 27:45 through this incredible subject here on "Sabbath School," 27:48 brought to you by It Is Written. 27:50 (uplifting theme music) 28:27 (music ends) |
Revised 2022-11-03