by Gary L. Evans
(revised 7/28/2023)
The Resurrection — Part 5
Mat 9:18-19 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A man came to Jesus and bowed and asked Him to come to his house and raise his daughter from the dead.
Mat 9:23-24 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
Jesus explained that she was not dead from The Second Death but was only returned back to The Father in Heaven. We know this is true, because upon the death of our flesh body, our spirit returns to God Who sent us here into the womb of our mother. And no one has died, not even Satan, nor can die until The Great White Throne Judgment.
Mat 9:25-26 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
Jesus brought her spirit back into her body which immediately revived. This miracle made Jesus famous.
Joh 11:1-6 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Jesus waited two more days before going to Lazarus.
Joh 11:7-11 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Jesus told His disciples that He must go wake Lazarus out of his sleep. Jesus knew that by now, Lazarus was dead.
Joh 11:12-13 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Even the disciples misunderstood when Jesus used the term “sleep” to mean “death of the body.”
Joh 11:14-16 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Thomas was double-minded and could not comprehend what Jesus was talking about when He said “He must go wake Lazarus out of his sleep.”
Joh 11:17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
Lazarus had died and his body had been prepared and placed in the tomb for four days by the time Jesus got there.
Joh 11:18-22 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Martha believed that if Jesus would pray, then even after four days in the tomb, her brother Lazarus could live again.
Joh 11:23-24 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Martha agreed with Jesus that on The Day of The Lord, Lazarus would be in The Resurrection.
Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Jesus explained that He is The Resurrection and Eternal Life. Even people who have already died in the flesh, if they believed in Jesus, they will yet Live Eternally.
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
And anyone who believes in Jesus and who is still alive, will never die, and of course our Lord means The Second Death. Therefore He meant that those who believe in Him while still alive in the flesh will be in The First Resurrection.
Joh 11:27-35 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.
Mary had not understood nor believed in Him as Martha had done. And that is why Jesus cried. He was crying because of Mary’s unbelief.
Joh 11:36-39 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
After four days in the tomb, Lazarus’ body may have been undergoing some decay.
Joh 11:40-45 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
Jesus commanded for Lazarus to come out of the tomb, and so he obeyed and managed to come out even though he was bound head and foot with grave clothes.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Resurrection — Part 6
Lev 18:4-5 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
Our Lord promised that if we will obey His Laws then we will Live in them, because He is God. The promise of The Law is Eternal Life.
Deu 29:1-4 These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
With The First Covenant, our Lord did not give us “an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear.” Therefore no one could obey God’s Law perfectly, because they did not have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
No one could find any fault in Jesus. He was sinless. But still, the hypocrites refused to believe that He was The Messiah.
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Those who are of God listen to The Word of God. But those who are not of God do not listen to The Word of God.
Joh 8:48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
The hypocrites accused Jesus of being possessed by a devil.
Joh 8:49-51 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
If anyone will believe and obey our Lord’s teaching, then he will never die The Second Death. That means he will be in The First Resurrection on The Day of The Lord.
Joh 8:52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
The hypocrites said that Abraham was dead as well as all of the prophets. But that was a lie, because no one is dead, even those who have dwelt in the flesh and returned back to our Father. They are not dead, but still live.
Joh 8:53-56 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
When did Abraham rejoice to see The Lord?
Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
The name “Melchizedek” is from the Hebrew “mal-kee-tseh’-dek” which means “king of right” or “king of the just.”
Gen 14:19-20 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
The King of The Just, High Priest of The Most High, came to Abram with bread and wine. And Abram paid Him tithes of all that he had. Who was Melchizedek?
Psa 110:1-4 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
This prophesy was concerning The Messiah, Jesus, Who was an Eternal Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Heb 7:1-3 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
The Messiah is without father or mother, without descent, having no beginning nor ending of Life, but The Only Begotten Son of God, and remains as The High Priest forever.
Joh 8:57-58 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
The hypocrites argued about our Lord’s claim to having seen Abraham, since He was only in His early thirties. Then Jesus declared His full identity, “I AM.”
Exo 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
I AM sent Moses to the children of Israel to bring them out of their bondage of slavery in Egypt. Jesus declared that He was I AM. Therefore the same Lord we serve, Jesus, The Messiah, is the same Lord that gave The Law to Moses. So when Jesus said that we must obey His Commandments, He meant all of His commandments in The Old Testament and also The New. And also now we know Who was crucified on the cross for our sins.
Joh 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
The hypocrites immediately wanted to stone Him to death right there on the spot, but Jesus managed to get away.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Resurrection — Part 7
Mat 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
There were two major denominations of Jehovah worship at the time of Jesus, the Pharisees who believed in a resurrection after the death of the body, and the Sadducees who did not but instead believed that the death of the body ended a man’s life forever.
Mat 22:24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
The Sadducees were setting Jesus up with an issue in The Law that required a man to be willing to sire children on behalf of his dead brother by his widow if they had produced no children so that the deceased brother would have children to inherit his land.
Mat 22:25-26 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
This widow was widowed seven times first by her husband and then by one male relative of her deceased husband after another without producing a child to inherit the land.
Mat 22:27 And last of all the woman died also.
Then she died too.
Mat 22:28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
So the Sadducees wanted to know who would be her husband after the resurrection. That is an interesting question, because she did have seven husbands.
Mat 22:29-30 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
The reason we will be like the angels is because we ARE the angels, although now dwelling in flesh bodies on earth until our brief sojourn is finished. But after we return to our Father in our angelic bodies, we do not get married anymore, so there will be no such thing as male and female or husband and wife in The Kingdom of Heaven.
Mat 22:31-32 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
God declared that He WAS (present tense) The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Therefore they were alive and well.
Mat 22:33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
The people among the public were amazed at the wisdom and mastery of the Scriptures that Jesus possessed. Those hypocrites among the Sadducees were quickly put into their place, because they really did not understand the Scriptures even though they pretended to be high religious muckadeeducks.
Mat 22:41-44 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Jesus quoted from the Psalms.
Mat 22:45-46 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
We know that in the flesh our Lord was descended through His mother Mary from Judah through King David and also from Levi. But Jesus was making a point about The Messiah, that no man on earth was His Father.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Resurrection — Part 8
Luk 14:12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
Whenever we want to celebrate and give thanks for all that The Lord has given to us, do not invite relatives, friends, and neighbors who are able to repay us in a similar way. But invite people who are truly in need and who cannot repay us.
Luk 14:13-14 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Then The Lord will reward us at The Resurrection.
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Anyone who listens to the teachings of Jesus and who believes on The Father who sent The Messiah already has Eternal Life and is already in The Resurrection.
Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
We are all dead spiritually because of sin, but after we hear and believe the teachings of The Only Begotten Son of God, implying repentance, we become Living. And this is true today even this very minute.
Joh 5:26-28 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Jesus said that even those who had already passed on from this flesh, when they hear and believe The Word of God, they will Live. This was a one time opportunity to all waiting in Heaven before Jesus rose from the dead.
1Pe 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
Peter refers to this event, that after Jesus was crucified and while His body was in the tomb, He returned to The Father in Heaven and ministered to all of the souls who were on the bad side of the great gulf in Heaven, to those who were separated from The Most High. So all who had ever lived before and passed away and had returned to Heaven were given an opportunity to believe on The Name of The Only Begotten Son of God.
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
All resurrect in the sense of returning back to God The Father to face The Judgment, but some will resurrect to Eternal Life.
1Co 15:35-40 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
There are heavenly or spiritual bodies and also earthly bodies.
1Co 15:41-42 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
The flesh body decays and returns to the dust of the earth. But the spiritual body cannot decay.
1Co 15:43-44 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
We have two bodies, one is flesh, and one is angelic.
1Co 15:45-49 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Just as we have lived in these flesh bodies, we will also live in angelic bodies.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Our flesh and blood body cannot enter into The Kingdom of God, unless transfigured as our Lord showed to Peter, James, and John.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
This is a great mystery, but not all of us will die before our Lord returns, and then we will suddenly be changed.
1Co 15:52-53 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
We must leave our flesh body and enter into our angelic body.
1Co 15:54-58 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Our Lord will reward us for our work in His service.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.