The Death and Resurrection of Christ

 

Part 1:  Died for Me?

Why should I care about Christ’s death?

Perhaps, many youth who will attend this session have heard the message of the cross numerous times… this session provides an opportunity to examine Christ’s sacrificial death and to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.

 

Part 1

HE DIED FOR ME?

Life Question:      Why should I care about Christ’s death?

Biblical Truth:       Christ died to pay the penalty for your sin.

Bible Passages:   Luke 23:44-49; John 12:20-36; Hebrews 9:22; 10:1-7,10-14,18

Key Verse:            Hebrews 9:22b

Biblical Setting:    Luke recorded Jesus’ death on the cross. In John’s gospel, Jesus predicted His death on the cross. The Hebrew writer explained that Christ’s death provided a way for forgiveness of sins.

Life Impact:           We will -

• Examine the events concerning Christ’s death.

• Discover the reasons Christ died on the cross.

• Recognize the need for a Savior.

• Accept God’s gift of eternal life through His Son.

 

PREPARE

DEVELOPMENTAL LIFE ISSUE: death and resurrection

Perhaps, many youth who will attend this session have heard the message of the cross numerous times. Certainly the cross and the resurrection are defining events, separating Christianity from every other world religion. Younger youth need to understand the exclusive nature of faith in Christ. There is no other effective means of salvation. Only Jesus dealt completely with the sin problem. For younger youth who are not Christians, this session provides an opportunity to examine Christ’s sacrificial death and to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Read Luke 23:44-49. The following will help you better understand this passage.

Luke 23:44-49:  Jesus Atoned For Sin

These verses record three reactions to Jesus’ crucifixion and death. The centurion professed Jesus’ righteousness. The public witnesses were grieved. Jesus’ followers “stood at a distance” watching everything.

·          Jesus was crucified at approximately 9 a.m. Luke wrote that darkness covered the land at “the sixth hour,” which is noon. For the first three hours, the cross was visible. For the last three hours, there was darkness. When He was arrested, Jesus had said that darkness would come (Luke 22:53). This darkness was not an eclipse. It was during the time for Passover. There would have been a full moon. The darkness was supernatural and symbolic. There had been three days of darkness before the first Passover in Egypt (Ex. 10:21-23).

·          While Jesus’ crucifixion was happening outside the city, inside the city in the temple itself, the curtain in front of the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). The veil was thick, woven fabric that no man could have torn. The Holy of Holies was the earthly dwelling place of God. The high priest entered only once a year to atone for the people’s sins. This torn curtain clearly opens the way to God for all people. No more sacrifices are necessary (as we will see in Hebrews 9–10). Jesus’ death sacrificed one perfect man for all sinful people.

·          Jesus committed His spirit to God. This confirms Jesus’ total control over His life. He had authority to lay His life down and to take it up again (John 10:17-18). Interestingly, Jesus’ words, quoted from Psalm 31:5, were a common bedtime prayer for Jewish children. Jesus did not die in a panic. He faced death with confidence in His Father, like a little child.

·          The centurion’s statement is recorded differently in Mark. One of Luke’s themes in writing his gospel was the innocence of Jesus. In the context of Luke’s words, “righteous” can also be innocent. Isaiah 53 states that the Messiah would not die for His own sins, but would be innocent and would die for the sins of others. “My righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11b).

·          The people at Golgotha grieved over Jesus’ death. They may have been observers attracted to the spectacle of a triple crucifixion. By this reaction they were not expressing any belief in Jesus, but were human enough to be saddened by His death. Some of Jesus’ followers, especially the women who had followed Him from Galilee, were still with Him at the cross while the disciples hid in fear. These women were last at the cross and first at the tomb.

 

Read John 12:20-36. The following will help you better understand this passage.

John 12:20-26 Jesus’ Death anticipated

·          In the original language, the text indicates that these Greeks were regular visitors to Jerusalem. They were Godfearing, seeking the truth about God. The Greeks persisted in asking to see Jesus. No doubt the disciples were accustomed to screening guests for Jesus. Andrew was often the disciple who brought people to Jesus.

·          The interest and arrival of the Greeks brought Jesus to a point of pronouncement. The hour of His death had been “coming” in previous statements, but here Jesus said, “the hour has come.” Jesus looked beyond His death to the glory of saving the world. He illustrated His death and its result with the word picture of a kernel of wheat. Until a seed is planted, it remains alone. This isolation is a picture of human lives lived selfishly and apart from God. With the planting and death of the seed, there is reproduction. Jesus would die and be buried. A wonderful new harvest of living souls would sprout up. These newly reproduced believers would also be asked to die to themselves and reproduce new Christians (v. 26). As Jesus sacrificed Himself and His life, Christians are to sacrifice themselves for the growth of God’s kingdom.

·          “Life” is mentioned three times in verse 25. The first two times, the Greek word used means physical life. The third time, the Greek word used means eternal life. The meaning of the verse is clear. Christians are not to cling to their physical lives or the comforts of physical life. They rather release themselves and their earthly possessions and thereby gain eternal life. Following Jesus is challenging to the believer’s humanity. Verse 26 promises that God notices and “honors” those who serve Jesus by sacrificing themselves.

 

John 12:27-36 Jesus’ Listeners warned

·          Jesus was human. He did not look forward to the pain and suffering of the crucifixion. He was not deluded. He knew exactly what was coming. Jesus knew that His life on earth had a purpose and that the purpose involved His death. He wanted to glorify God with His earthly life. In this desire, Jesus is a perfect example of Christian motives for living. For the third time (His baptism and His transfiguration), God spoke from heaven. Even though the opinions of the crowd were divided about what they had heard, Jesus indicated that the booming voice was a confirmation for the crowd who heard it. That Jesus had prayed and been answered could not be denied.

·          In verse 32, Jesus spoke specifically of the cross when He said that He would be “lifted up.” When He was crucified, Jesus said God’s judgment would be made against the world’s sin and against Satan (v. 31). Jesus’ being “lifted up” also can refer to His being glorified, even as He was crucified. In His crucifixion, Jesus anticipated that “all men” would be drawn to Him, not just Jews. Jesus’ death was for all people everywhere who will believe in Him.

·          The people questioned Jesus. They wondered how He could be the “Son of Man,” another title for the expected Messiah of the Jews, and yet die. They remembered Old Testament Scriptures (Ps. 72:17; 110:4, Isa. 9:7) that predicted that the reign of the Messiah would never end. How, they wondered, could Jesus claim to be the Christ and not live forever?

·          Jesus replied by warning His listeners that they had only a little time to put their trust in Him. Jesus’ statements were not intellectual exercises, but moral truths and the time was short. Belief in Jesus, a major theme in John’s gospel, brought the believer into spiritual light. Arguing with Jesus about His identity as the Son of Man left the skeptic in spiritual darkness. With this last warning, Jesus supernaturally left the crowd and ended His public ministry during His final week in Jerusalem.

 

Read Hebrews 9:22; 10:1-7,10-14,18. The following will help you better understand these passages.

Hebrews 9:22 - Jesus’ Blood Was Required

·          Blood is required for sin to be forgiven. Sin is so serious that only blood satisfies the debt. This was true in the days of the old covenant with the establishment of the tabernacle and sacrificial system. This is still true under the new covenant. Because God’s holiness is never diminished, the seriousness of sin is never diminished. Jesus became the perfect Sacrifice for sin by shedding His blood for all who would believe in Him.

 

Hebrews 10:1-7 - Jesus’ Death Is Enough

·          The writer of Hebrews compared Jesus’ death to the old covenant sacrificial system to show the superiority of salvation through Jesus. The “law” is Moses’ law and all the requirements for worship given to the Hebrews. The Jewish people thought the law would bring them to God. The Hebrews writer said the law was only a “shadow,” literally a hazy outline, of the salvation that would become available through Jesus. The sacrificial system’s inability to save is illustrated in the necessity of repetition. Because animal sacrifices could not save, “make perfect,” God’s worshippers, the sacrifices had to be repeated. Bible commentator Warren Wiersbe wrote of this passage, “the nation’s sins were covered; but they were not cleansed.” Rather than animal sacrifices completing the work of salvation, they were intended to teach about the seriousness of sin and to point to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Verse 4 says that it is “impossible” for animal sacrifices to cleanse sin. The word for “impossible” carries the meaning of a strong, final, and true impossibility.

·          The quotation is from Psalm 40:6-8. Jesus’ actual physical body had been provided as a sacrifice. Even though sacrifices were prescribed in the law, God’s justice was only pacified, not satisfied. Jesus’ willingness to serve as the perfect, final sacrifice for sin is obvious in verse 7. Jesus repeatedly did things during His earthly ministry to fulfill the words of prophecy written about Him. In John 6:38, as in many other places, Jesus expressed His complete devotion to fulfilling the will of God.

 

Hebrews 10:10-14 - Jesus Died Once for All

·          The sacrifice of Jesus’ body makes all those who believe in Him holy, or “set apart” for God. The once for all death of Christ points to the once for all nature of salvation. If Jesus’ one death was not enough to forgive all sin, then sinners would have to be repeatedly saved, and Jesus’ sacrifice would have to be repeatedly offered. Jesus’ death was “offered for all time” and so it is enough to forgive all sin.

·          In contrast to the human priests in the Jewish tradition, Jesus’ work on earth is finished. On the cross He proclaimed, “It is finished!” His position at God’s right hand is seated (Ps. 110:1), meaning that He did His work of salvation completely.

·          To read verse 14 as indicating a process toward holiness is to misunderstand the strength of the phrase “made perfect forever” in the original language. A better translation of “are being made holy” would be “them who are sanctified.” Jesus’ sacrifice for sin has provided believers with a perfectly holy position before God.

 

Hebrews 10:18 - Forgiveness Is Final

·          What separates people from God? Sin. When sin is forgiven, there is no longer separation. One great sacrifice, the innocent for the guilty has provided perfect, once-for-all forgiveness for sin. So, belief in Jesus finishes the need for ongoing sacrifices.

 

ENCOUNTER

He’s All About Love  (15 min.)

Give each youth a letter of the alphabet cut from a sheet of paper and direct them to fill it with adjectives that begin with that letter and describe love. (For example: for S they could write Shows interest in me, Says caring words) After several minutes, instruct students to share their work with another student. Explain that Jesus Christ demonstrated His love in several of these human ways such as (repeat some ways youth named). He then surpassed human love by doing something only God could do. He died for us and then rose from death never to die again. Guide youth to list on their letters the evidence of love they most appreciate from Jesus, and then to add Jesus’ death.

Ask: How does Jesus’ demonstration of love cause you to respond to Him? Allow youth’s answers to lead to a discussion about salvation.

Say: If you have already responded to God’s love by becoming a Christian, affirm that in this prayer. If you have not yet become a Christian, I encourage you to consider this opportunity as we pray. Then pray something like: Jesus we are amazed You love us enough to come to earth in human form, to show us how to live, to love us even after we killed You, and then to rise from death and never die again. In response to Your great love, we give our lives to You. Please forgive us of our wrongdoings, be our Lord, and guide us to live daily for You. In Your name we pray. Amen.

 

WHO CARES  (Replacement Option)

Preenlist several youth to conduct man-on-the-street video or audio interviews. Instruct youth to randomly interview people by asking them, “Why should people care about Jesus’ death?” and to record the responses. Encourage students to interview a diverse group of people. Plan to accompany and assist youth as they conduct these interviews, especially if these are conducted at a public place. (Be sure to not violate any local ordinances. Obtain permission from parents prior to conducting the interviews.) Direct youth to obtain at least 8-10 minutes of interviews to present to the class. Instruct these students to be prepared to introduce their  interviews briefly during class.

After students arrive, distribute small sheets of paper to each student and instruct them to write one word responses or reactions to what they will hear and/or see. Play the interviews. Guide students in a discussion with the following questions. Ask: What impacted you most (negatively or positively)? Do you agree with anyone’s response? or disagree? How would you respond to these people? Say: Most of us know the “right” answer to why people should care about Jesus’ death, but today we want to discover why we should care about Jesus’ death on a personal level.

 

Conquered Death (10 min.)

Distribute sheets of paper and direct students to draw what they hear as you read Luke 23:44-49. Stop after every verse to allow youth an opportunity to draw at least one picture or symbol.

Ask: What sight in this passage would have impacted you most powerfully? What sounds? What smells? What words would you have wanted to hear over and over again? What would you have wanted to do for Jesus? Recognize that these are not pretty events or easy for youth to read about. Recognize also that churched youth may display a we’ve-done-this-before approach. Help them to see something fresh by focusing them on the sights, sounds, smells, and words in this passage. Encourage youth to continue drawing as they discuss.

 

predicted his death (10 min.)

Plcae the following information on a handout. Instruct youth to explore John 12:20-36 by completing “It’s Me!” When students have finished, review their answers and discuss this passage using information from your “Personal Bible Study” (on pp. 39-41). Ask: Why do you think Jesus told others about His death? Explain that Jesus wanted His followers to understand that He was going to die. He wanted them to understand that His death was necessary for humanity to have a relationship with God. He told His followers to place their trust in Him, the Light. Jesus wants us to understand today why He died and how we can have a relationship with God.

 

FOR HANDOUT:

Jesus used several intriguing words and phrases to describe Himself in John 12:20-36.

Race with your classmates to count the number of times each of the words in the circle appears. Then draw an arrow from each one to its meaning.

Jesus appears ___ times

Son of Man appears ___ times

Kernel of Wheat appears ___ times

Me appears ___ times

I appears ___ times

The Christ appears ___ times

The Light appears ___ times

 

·          Jesus. This name was as common as John is today. But when coupled with Christ, this name becomes unique.

·          Son of Man. Jesus frequently called Himself Son of Man. It indicated He was fully human as well as being fully God.

·          Kernel of Wheat. This was a picture of Jesus’ coming death and resurrection. Farmers don’t agonize over the death of a wheat kernel, but instead see the yield that will come when the seed produces a plant full of wheat kernels.

·          Me. With this personal pronoun, Jesus emphasized that a relationship with Him is the key to being with God and to finding real honor.

·          showed that Jesus agonized just like any other human and needed contact with God. At the same time He could bring glory because He is God.

·          The Christ is the Messiah, the one chosen by and sent by God. Amazingly Jesus Christ was not only sent by God but actually is God.

·          The Light. Think about hiking at night. Are there snakes under your next step? Will you hit a hole? Jesus is like a flashlight that points the way past dangers.

 

Sculpt It (Supplemental Option)

Distribute modeling clay to each student and direct them to sculpt the meaning of glory or light based on the context in John 12:20-36. Youth may wonder how to shape such deep and abstract concepts. Assist them by asking these questions: What does it look like? How do you know it when you see it? What result does God want from having encountered it?

 

death atoned for sin (10 min.)

Review: The Luke passage details Jesus’ death. The John passage tells the results of Jesus’ death—that He would bring glory (unmistakable evidence of His reality) to God and be Light to guide our paths. Explain that the Hebrews 9:22; 10:1-7,10-14,18 passages explain the theology—the deep and lasting meaning of Jesus dying on the cross for us. Enlist a student to read the Hebrews passages. Instruct students to work in groups of two or three and to list reasons given in the passage that Christ died for them. (Possible responses: everything has to be cleansed with blood and I can’t be forgiven without someone shedding blood—v. 22; the sacrifices couldn’t make one perfect before God—v. 1; sin makes one guilty—v. 2; sacrifices couldn’t remove sin—v. 4; it was God’s will—v. 7; to make us holy and perfect once and for all—vv. 10-14; to make us forgiven—v. 18) Call for reports. Challenge youth to underline in their Bibles one phrase that makes the message of Jesus’ death most clear to them. Call for each youth to name one phrase and explain it. 

 

create a motto (15 min.)

Explain that all these truths will mean little if we don’t live them out. Challenge youth to create a motto that will help them live according to the love Jesus has shown by dying for us. Explain that accepting Christ as Savior is the first step. As students work, play a CD that talks about Christ’s death and payment for our sin. Instruct youth to share their work. Close in prayer.

 

Continue

·          Agree that Hebrews 9:22; 10:1-7,10-14,18 contains some heavy truths. Assure youth that they can wrestle with and understand these truths as well as any believer

·          Follow up with students who may have made decisions for Christ.