Jesus had done some pretty crazy stuff in his life. He had healed people, walked on water, cast out demons, turned water into wine, fed thousands with a meal meant for one, and countless other crazy miracles. These miracles were the real deal. In this lesson we are going to talk about the absolute craziest thing he ever did. And it happened just after he died on the cross, so let’s dive in.
Luke 24:1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
At this point in Luke Jesus has already died on the cross and been in his tomb for three days. Some of his female disciples had headed to his grave to cover his body in spices. Now, that might sound weird but in those days that was just a part of the mourning and burial process.
Luke 24:2-3 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus.
This is the part of the story that most people are familiar with. There’s this huge stone in front of Jesus’ grave and they move and it and the tomb is completely empty.
Luke 24:4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
This is where the story really starts to get weird. Two random dudes, in super fancy robes, walk up to the women. At this point they are beyond confused.
Luke 24:5-6 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
Jesus had risen from the dead! That is wild. But the question now is why did he do that?
[Related: 5 Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection (Youth)]
Our Biggest Problem Is Sin
Sin is any time that we choose our way, instead of God’s way. You probably know plenty of people who have committed “bigger” sins than you have. But regardless of the severity of your sins, it separates you from God. But the resurrection shows us something very important.
[Related: The Walking Dead | Get Rich #3 (Youth)]
Jesus Is Our Only Hope for Salvation
To be accepted by God all on our own, we have to be perfect. But as humans we can’t do that. That’s why Jesus came. He came as God in the flesh so that he could save us. He lived a sinless life, just so that he could die on the cross. He rose three days later to prove that he was God. He did all of this for our sake. He did it in order to take our place.
Jesus Saves Us Through Faith
The proper response to what Christ did is belief. It’s not just enough to know what he did. But when we truly believe who he is and why he did what he did, then we are united with God through Christ. This is the only way to be saved from our sinful nature.
[Related: Does Grace Mean I Can Do What I Want? (Youth)]
Discussion Questions:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- What is the craziest thing you have ever seen?
- If you were one of the disciples, what would your reaction have been when someone told you that Jesus rose from the dead?
- What are some of the reasons we believe the resurrection actually happened?
- Why is the resurrection important for Christians?
- Read John 11:25. Why is it necessary to believe in Jesus? What does it mean to believe in Jesus? Have you done this?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
