In past lessons we have seen how Jesus Christ died on the cross in His human body, and in doing so, defeated Satan, and conquered death.
But the best news is that Jesus did not stay in the grave! The best news is that he rose from the grave!
For the first time mana guiltless, sinless, perfect Man was qualified to enter Heaven. Because of His death on the cross Jesus has now opened the way for others to follow.
(1 Corinthians 15:20-21 amp) reads, "But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]. For since [it was] through a man that death [came into the world, it is] also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead [has come]".
In the book of Acts, when the Apostle Paul appeared before king Agrippa to defend himself against false accusations, he drew their attention both to the suffering and to the resurrection of Christ: "That Christ should suffer," he said "and that He should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people . . ."
However, before the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the New Testament it is recorded that other people had been physically raised from the dead also. There was Lazarus, and the daughter of Jairus, as well as the son of the widow of Nain. Though Jesus had miraculously restored these people to physical life, they all died again within a few years. However, that is not so with the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, He is not only physically alive, but also spiritually and eternally alive.
How could a tomb of death and decay imprison the Creator of life? Because the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator God, He brought life out of nothing. Because, as perfect Man, Jesus is the Savior God. He brought life out of the grave and cleared the way to Heaven for every person who would receive Him, by faith.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-6).
Writing to believers in the city of Corinth, the Apostle Paul reminded them that they had been saved from the consequences of their sin because they had received (adhered to; trusted in and rested upon) that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.