Christ has conquered death because of His resurrection. He who was dead is now alive (Revelation 1:18). These three words—Christ conquered death—define the most important difference between Christianity and all other religions. No other religious leader ever predicted his own death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21), based his claims about himself and his teaching on that prediction (John 2:18-22; Matthew 27:40), and then kept that promise (Luke 24:6). Jesus’ resurrection marks the first time in history that someone rose from the dead never to die again. Others who were resurrected eventually died a second time (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:32-37; Mark 5:39-42; John 11:38-44). Jesus’ resurrection was a true and total defeat of death.
In Ezekiel 35 God speaks of judgment and the absolute destruction of Edom (Israel’s arch-enemy Isaiah 34; Isaiah 63:1-6). This judgment message carries into Ezekiel 36 and broadens out to not only be against Edom but all the nations (Ezekiel 36:5). Specifically, God is speaking against Edom and all the nations who desired to possess God’s land (Ezekiel 36:4-6). The bigger point being that God was going to destroy our arch enemy and the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26). Jesus, the good shepherd, did that by laying down His life and taking it up again (John 10:17-18). Revelation 1:18 (NIV) I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!
This week we resume our series in Ezekiel as we look at Ezekiel 35-36 and a radical inheritance for the children of God. Mark Horton will resume the study of Daniel in the auditorium class and the young adult/small group class will resume our study of Ephesians.
Join us this Wednesday for WBS at 5:00, Bible Study at 6:00, and a fellowship meal afterward. We continue our study on the importance of the resurrection. Las week we saw in Acts 1:3-11 how the resurrection signaled the coming kingdom. This week we move into 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul, inspired by God, gives an in-depth teaching on the importance of the resurrection.