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Lesson 29: Death and Resurrection
There was a boy walking in a graveyard. As he walked among the tombstones reading the names and dates, he found one of particular interest. When he approached it to see what was written, it said, “As you now are, I once was, as I am, you will one day be. So prepare yourself to follow me.” The little boy thought for a moment, pulled a piece of chalk out of his pocket, and wrote on the back of the stone, “I am not content to follow you until I know where you went.”
This story may be amusing but it contains a deep truth. People want to know what happens when they die. Movies, books, and philosophers promote many ideas. The most common one is that our spirits are immortal and go to heaven or hell based on our deeds. As romantic or mystical as this may sound, it is actually a lie that Satan has been perpetuating since Adam and Eve’s first sin. As followers of Jesus, we don’t want to be deceived by Satan or orient our lives around lies. Therefore it is important we know the truth about this matter. Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden and see where this lie started.
Q1. What did the snake (Satan) tell Eve? Read Genesis 3:4, 5.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Satan, in contradiction to what God said, claimed that Eve wouldn’t die if she ate the fruit. Is Eve still alive today? Of course not! Therefore, who is the liar? Satan is the liar and he has been perpetuating the lie ever since. Before we find out what happens when we die, let’s see what actually makes us alive. Do we really have an immortal soul that lives forever?
Q2. What did God make Adam from? When did Adam come alive? Read Genesis 2:7.
A.______________________________________________________________________
God made Adam from dirt and shaped him with His own hands. We also see that Adam wasn’t given a spirit, he was given the breath of life. We can actually write an equation to show this truth.
Body + Breath of Life = Living Being
Let’s see what Job had to say about the breath of life.
Q3. What gave Job life? Read Job 33:4.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q4. What does Job associate life with? Read Job 27:3.
A.______________________________________________________________________
According to Job, there is a clear connection between life and breath. Of course, it is a simple concept to understand. If you don’t breath, you can’t live. But there is more to this than just a biological function. Job is saying that when you die, you die. You don’t have an immortal spirit that continues to live.
As a side note, the Bible only uses the word immortal five times. Interestingly, they all say the same thing. God is the only one who is immortal and the only way we can have immortality is if He gives it to us (1 Timothy 6:15; 2 Timothy 1:10 and Romans 2:7).
Q5. What happens to our bodies when we die? Read Genesis 3:19.
A.______________________________________________________________________
God made it clear to Adam that when he died, his body would return to the dirt where he came from. Our bodies are made of elements found in soil and we too will be buried in the ground.
Q6. What happens to our breath when we die? Read Ecclesiastes 12:7.
A.______________________________________________________________________
If we look at the original Hebrew for the word translated “spirit,” we learn that it is “ruach.” It doesn’t take a scholar to notice how close that word resembles our word “spirit.” However we need to be careful when translating because “ruach” is also used in Hebrew for “breath” or “exhalation.” Context determines meaning. When we compare Scripture with Scripture we see that when we die and are buried, our breath returns to God. God did not give to Adam an immortal spirit but rather the breath of life. When the breath of life returns to God the person dies.
Q7. Do the dead know anything? Do they have any feelings? Read Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q8. Do the dead praise God? Read Psalm 115:17.
A.______________________________________________________________________
According to the Bible, we are not conscious while dead. We have no memories or thoughts and we don’t praise God. If we are not conscious then we definitely don’t have feelings. King Solomon said that the dead don’t love, hate, or envy. If we had a spirit that goes to heaven when we die, is it possible that we could not be happy and praise God? Most certainly not! We will constantly be praising God in heaven because it is so much happier than the world we live in. These verses provide even more evidence that when we die, we are buried and stay in the ground. Satan was wrong, we will die! The question is will we live again?
Q9. Job said that when we die, we don’t rise again until when? Read Job 14:10-12.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q10. What did Job liken the resurrection to? Reread verse 12.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Job said that man will not rise from death until the heavens are destroyed. We know that will happen when Jesus returns to the earth (2 Peter 3:10). He also said that the resurrection would be like waking up. Did you know Jesus said the same thing?
Q11. What metaphor did Jesus use to describe death? Read John 11:1-14.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Like Job, Jesus said death was similar to sleep. Thus, when Lazarus was resurrected it was like waking up. When we are asleep, we have no idea what is happening around us. We can’t hear our neighbor’s party, the dogs on the street barking, or the Aygaz truck delivering water. Death is the same, we have no idea if there are earthquakes, wars, or floods. We are completely oblivious to the world around us, and just like sleep, we have no comprehension of how much time has passed.
Q12. When did Martha say that Lazarus would live again? Read John 11:21-25.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Jesus made a very important point. If we want to live again after we die, what must we do? We must believe in Him because He is the resurrection and the life. Death has no power against Him. All He needs to do is speak and the dead will come back to life.
Q13. What did Lazarus do when Jesus called His name? Read John 11:43, 44.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Lazarus came back to life. It has been said that if Jesus hadn’t called Lazarus specifically by name all the dead would have come back to life.
So what have we learned thus far? We have learned that a living being is composed of both a body and the breath of life. When a person dies they are buried and the breath of life returns to God. We also learned that death is like sleep. The dead are not conscious of what is happening and have no feelings. But we also learned that there will be a resurrection in the last days. Let’s learn more about this.
Q14. When Jesus returns to earth in the clouds, what amazing event will take place? Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
A.______________________________________________________________________
When Jesus returns to take His followers to heaven, the whole world will know what is happening. The Bible says that there will be a loud voice and trumpets. Perhaps Jesus will cry out, “Come forth,” just as He did with Lazarus.
Q15. What will happen to the dead who believed in Jesus Christ?
A.______________________________________________________________________
When Jesus returns the dead in Christ will be resurrected and will go together with the believers who are still alive to meet Jesus in the air. This is referred to as the first resurrection. We will study more about the second resurrection and what happens to the wicked in another lesson. For now, it is important to remember that the first resurrection is to eternal life. As Paul said in Romans, the gift of salvation is eternal life (Romans 6:23).
Q16. What will happen to our bodies? Read 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Shining Star Series (Philippians 2:14-16)
As Fatma was walking to her shop, she wondered how her day with Gülsün would go. She knew that Gülsün was still upset about her aunt’s death two days earlier and might want to talk about the funeral. Death is always a hard subject to discuss because of people’s sadness, fears, and insecurities. She just wished that all of her friends could have confidence in Jesus like she did. Fatma knew that she should share the truth with Gülsün, but she also knew that the timing had to be right. She wondered if God would provide her with a chance that day.
“Good morning Gülsün. How are you doing, sweety?” Fatma said.
“I am okay. How are you Fatma?”
“I am fine, but I would feel better if you weren’t so sad. Are you sure you don’t want the day off?” Fatma offered.
“No, I think the worse thing I could do is sit at home all alone,” Gülsün responded.
“Well, I think I will stay here with you for a few hours this morning and keep you company.”
The ladies began preparing for the day by arranging the clothes racks, spraying down the sidewalk in front of the store, and putting out the displays. When they finished up, they sat down to drink some tea. After a few minutes, Gülsün spoke,
“I know I shouldn’t talk about it, but I wonder what happened when the angel came to her grave.”
Fatma just sat there and listened.
“I wonder how her scales will tilt. What am I saying? She will be fine, she was a good woman. I bet she is starting to enjoy the feelings of paradise already,” she said attempting to comfort herself.
“Yes, she was a sweet woman,” Fatma agreed.
“I wish there wasn’t any death. I wish I could spend the rest of my life with her. I guess the only thing I can do is hope that I will see her again one day.”
The ladies just sat there in silence and Fatma waited for God’s nudging to speak. Several more minutes passed and then it happened.
“Fatma, I know you read the Bible. I also know that you have become a Christian. Why did you decide to start following Jesus?”
“Gülsün that is a great question and one that might take hours to explain. But the short answer is, I found a hope in Jesus that I never felt anywhere else. When I decided to follow Him, I wasn’t afraid anymore of being alone, my businesses failing, the future, or death.”
“I wish I could have that kind of hope,” Gülsün confided in Fatma. “How can you be so sure? I mean, why aren’t you afraid of death?”
This was the moment that Fatma had been waiting for. It was the death of her husband that forced her to start thinking deeply about her own fears and confusion about death. It was the fact that her fears could only be relieved by Jesus that drove her to Him.
She didn’t want to overwhelm Gülsün with lots of information, so she said a little prayer and began to explain what the Bible says about death and the resurrection.
“Gülsün, the Bible says that death is similar to sleep without the dreams. We don’t know what is happening around us, we don’t have any thoughts, and we most certainly don’t have any feelings. But the Bible also says that we will all be resurrected and live again. The ones who follow Jesus will come back to life when He returns and live forever. But the ones who reject Jesus and His teachings will suffer the consequence for their sin and be destroyed forever. I don’t have time right now to explain all the details of how that happens. But don’t you see Gülsün? We don’t need to be afraid if we listen to what Jesus said. The resurrection is a promise from God. Do you believe that God keeps His promises?”
“Yes, I do,” Gülsün acknowledged.
After talking for a few more minutes, Fatma felt like she had said enough. Now, she would wait for the Holy Spirit to work on Gülsün’s heart.
“Thanks for sharing that with me Fatma.” Gülsün said and then sat there in deep thought. Suddenly the silence was broken by a customer who entered the store. Gülsün immediately got up and asked if she needed any help.
When Jesus comes in the clouds, the normal activities of this world will also be interrupted. It will be a glorious day for the righteous dead and living who will both receive new bodies. If we are crippled, we will be able to walk and run. If we are blind, we will be able to see. If we can’t hear, we will be able to hear. If we can’t talk, we will be praising God. In short, we will get new, perfect bodies that will never be sick, crippled, injured, or die. Eternal life will be lived physically not spiritually. We will see, touch, taste, hear, and feel in a way that we can’t even imagine. It is at this moment, that the believers will receive the gift of immortality that only God can give. Do you want to receive a new body on that day?
Call to commitment through prayer.
There was a boy walking in a graveyard. As he walked among the tombstones reading the names and dates, he found one of particular interest. When he approached it to see what was written, it said, “As you now are, I once was, as I am, you will one day be. So prepare yourself to follow me.” The little boy thought for a moment, pulled a piece of chalk out of his pocket, and wrote on the back of the stone, “I am not content to follow you until I know where you went.”
This story may be amusing but it contains a deep truth. People want to know what happens when they die. Movies, books, and philosophers promote many ideas. The most common one is that our spirits are immortal and go to heaven or hell based on our deeds. As romantic or mystical as this may sound, it is actually a lie that Satan has been perpetuating since Adam and Eve’s first sin. As followers of Jesus, we don’t want to be deceived by Satan or orient our lives around lies. Therefore it is important we know the truth about this matter. Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden and see where this lie started.
Q1. What did the snake (Satan) tell Eve? Read Genesis 3:4, 5.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Satan, in contradiction to what God said, claimed that Eve wouldn’t die if she ate the fruit. Is Eve still alive today? Of course not! Therefore, who is the liar? Satan is the liar and he has been perpetuating the lie ever since. Before we find out what happens when we die, let’s see what actually makes us alive. Do we really have an immortal soul that lives forever?
Q2. What did God make Adam from? When did Adam come alive? Read Genesis 2:7.
A.______________________________________________________________________
God made Adam from dirt and shaped him with His own hands. We also see that Adam wasn’t given a spirit, he was given the breath of life. We can actually write an equation to show this truth.
Body + Breath of Life = Living Being
Let’s see what Job had to say about the breath of life.
Q3. What gave Job life? Read Job 33:4.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q4. What does Job associate life with? Read Job 27:3.
A.______________________________________________________________________
According to Job, there is a clear connection between life and breath. Of course, it is a simple concept to understand. If you don’t breath, you can’t live. But there is more to this than just a biological function. Job is saying that when you die, you die. You don’t have an immortal spirit that continues to live.
As a side note, the Bible only uses the word immortal five times. Interestingly, they all say the same thing. God is the only one who is immortal and the only way we can have immortality is if He gives it to us (1 Timothy 6:15; 2 Timothy 1:10 and Romans 2:7).
Q5. What happens to our bodies when we die? Read Genesis 3:19.
A.______________________________________________________________________
God made it clear to Adam that when he died, his body would return to the dirt where he came from. Our bodies are made of elements found in soil and we too will be buried in the ground.
Q6. What happens to our breath when we die? Read Ecclesiastes 12:7.
A.______________________________________________________________________
If we look at the original Hebrew for the word translated “spirit,” we learn that it is “ruach.” It doesn’t take a scholar to notice how close that word resembles our word “spirit.” However we need to be careful when translating because “ruach” is also used in Hebrew for “breath” or “exhalation.” Context determines meaning. When we compare Scripture with Scripture we see that when we die and are buried, our breath returns to God. God did not give to Adam an immortal spirit but rather the breath of life. When the breath of life returns to God the person dies.
Q7. Do the dead know anything? Do they have any feelings? Read Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q8. Do the dead praise God? Read Psalm 115:17.
A.______________________________________________________________________
According to the Bible, we are not conscious while dead. We have no memories or thoughts and we don’t praise God. If we are not conscious then we definitely don’t have feelings. King Solomon said that the dead don’t love, hate, or envy. If we had a spirit that goes to heaven when we die, is it possible that we could not be happy and praise God? Most certainly not! We will constantly be praising God in heaven because it is so much happier than the world we live in. These verses provide even more evidence that when we die, we are buried and stay in the ground. Satan was wrong, we will die! The question is will we live again?
Q9. Job said that when we die, we don’t rise again until when? Read Job 14:10-12.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q10. What did Job liken the resurrection to? Reread verse 12.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Job said that man will not rise from death until the heavens are destroyed. We know that will happen when Jesus returns to the earth (2 Peter 3:10). He also said that the resurrection would be like waking up. Did you know Jesus said the same thing?
Q11. What metaphor did Jesus use to describe death? Read John 11:1-14.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Like Job, Jesus said death was similar to sleep. Thus, when Lazarus was resurrected it was like waking up. When we are asleep, we have no idea what is happening around us. We can’t hear our neighbor’s party, the dogs on the street barking, or the Aygaz truck delivering water. Death is the same, we have no idea if there are earthquakes, wars, or floods. We are completely oblivious to the world around us, and just like sleep, we have no comprehension of how much time has passed.
Q12. When did Martha say that Lazarus would live again? Read John 11:21-25.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Jesus made a very important point. If we want to live again after we die, what must we do? We must believe in Him because He is the resurrection and the life. Death has no power against Him. All He needs to do is speak and the dead will come back to life.
Q13. What did Lazarus do when Jesus called His name? Read John 11:43, 44.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Lazarus came back to life. It has been said that if Jesus hadn’t called Lazarus specifically by name all the dead would have come back to life.
So what have we learned thus far? We have learned that a living being is composed of both a body and the breath of life. When a person dies they are buried and the breath of life returns to God. We also learned that death is like sleep. The dead are not conscious of what is happening and have no feelings. But we also learned that there will be a resurrection in the last days. Let’s learn more about this.
Q14. When Jesus returns to earth in the clouds, what amazing event will take place? Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
A.______________________________________________________________________
When Jesus returns to take His followers to heaven, the whole world will know what is happening. The Bible says that there will be a loud voice and trumpets. Perhaps Jesus will cry out, “Come forth,” just as He did with Lazarus.
Q15. What will happen to the dead who believed in Jesus Christ?
A.______________________________________________________________________
When Jesus returns the dead in Christ will be resurrected and will go together with the believers who are still alive to meet Jesus in the air. This is referred to as the first resurrection. We will study more about the second resurrection and what happens to the wicked in another lesson. For now, it is important to remember that the first resurrection is to eternal life. As Paul said in Romans, the gift of salvation is eternal life (Romans 6:23).
Q16. What will happen to our bodies? Read 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Shining Star Series (Philippians 2:14-16)
As Fatma was walking to her shop, she wondered how her day with Gülsün would go. She knew that Gülsün was still upset about her aunt’s death two days earlier and might want to talk about the funeral. Death is always a hard subject to discuss because of people’s sadness, fears, and insecurities. She just wished that all of her friends could have confidence in Jesus like she did. Fatma knew that she should share the truth with Gülsün, but she also knew that the timing had to be right. She wondered if God would provide her with a chance that day.
“Good morning Gülsün. How are you doing, sweety?” Fatma said.
“I am okay. How are you Fatma?”
“I am fine, but I would feel better if you weren’t so sad. Are you sure you don’t want the day off?” Fatma offered.
“No, I think the worse thing I could do is sit at home all alone,” Gülsün responded.
“Well, I think I will stay here with you for a few hours this morning and keep you company.”
The ladies began preparing for the day by arranging the clothes racks, spraying down the sidewalk in front of the store, and putting out the displays. When they finished up, they sat down to drink some tea. After a few minutes, Gülsün spoke,
“I know I shouldn’t talk about it, but I wonder what happened when the angel came to her grave.”
Fatma just sat there and listened.
“I wonder how her scales will tilt. What am I saying? She will be fine, she was a good woman. I bet she is starting to enjoy the feelings of paradise already,” she said attempting to comfort herself.
“Yes, she was a sweet woman,” Fatma agreed.
“I wish there wasn’t any death. I wish I could spend the rest of my life with her. I guess the only thing I can do is hope that I will see her again one day.”
The ladies just sat there in silence and Fatma waited for God’s nudging to speak. Several more minutes passed and then it happened.
“Fatma, I know you read the Bible. I also know that you have become a Christian. Why did you decide to start following Jesus?”
“Gülsün that is a great question and one that might take hours to explain. But the short answer is, I found a hope in Jesus that I never felt anywhere else. When I decided to follow Him, I wasn’t afraid anymore of being alone, my businesses failing, the future, or death.”
“I wish I could have that kind of hope,” Gülsün confided in Fatma. “How can you be so sure? I mean, why aren’t you afraid of death?”
This was the moment that Fatma had been waiting for. It was the death of her husband that forced her to start thinking deeply about her own fears and confusion about death. It was the fact that her fears could only be relieved by Jesus that drove her to Him.
She didn’t want to overwhelm Gülsün with lots of information, so she said a little prayer and began to explain what the Bible says about death and the resurrection.
“Gülsün, the Bible says that death is similar to sleep without the dreams. We don’t know what is happening around us, we don’t have any thoughts, and we most certainly don’t have any feelings. But the Bible also says that we will all be resurrected and live again. The ones who follow Jesus will come back to life when He returns and live forever. But the ones who reject Jesus and His teachings will suffer the consequence for their sin and be destroyed forever. I don’t have time right now to explain all the details of how that happens. But don’t you see Gülsün? We don’t need to be afraid if we listen to what Jesus said. The resurrection is a promise from God. Do you believe that God keeps His promises?”
“Yes, I do,” Gülsün acknowledged.
After talking for a few more minutes, Fatma felt like she had said enough. Now, she would wait for the Holy Spirit to work on Gülsün’s heart.
“Thanks for sharing that with me Fatma.” Gülsün said and then sat there in deep thought. Suddenly the silence was broken by a customer who entered the store. Gülsün immediately got up and asked if she needed any help.
When Jesus comes in the clouds, the normal activities of this world will also be interrupted. It will be a glorious day for the righteous dead and living who will both receive new bodies. If we are crippled, we will be able to walk and run. If we are blind, we will be able to see. If we can’t hear, we will be able to hear. If we can’t talk, we will be praising God. In short, we will get new, perfect bodies that will never be sick, crippled, injured, or die. Eternal life will be lived physically not spiritually. We will see, touch, taste, hear, and feel in a way that we can’t even imagine. It is at this moment, that the believers will receive the gift of immortality that only God can give. Do you want to receive a new body on that day?
Call to commitment through prayer.