Throughout his ministry, Jesus taught people to repent and believe. Many people accepted him; however, most of the religious leaders rejected him. These religious leaders wanted to kill him.
One day, one of Jesus’s disciples betrayed him and handed him over to the religious leaders. They asked, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?” Jesus answered, “I am.” They condemned him as deserving death. The prefect of the area found Jesus innocent, but he had Jesus crucified in order to satisfy the crowd. After he had died, some of Jesus’s followers wrapped his body in linen and laid him in a tomb.
Two days later, some women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’s body. When they arrived at the tomb Jesus’s body was not there. Instead, a young man dressed in a white robe was there saying, “He has risen!”
After raising from the dead, Jesus said to his disciples, “All authority has been given to me. Go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Teach them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always.”
Meaning: This is exactly what the prophets promised would happen – the new and forever Davidic king would die a sacrificial death in the place of his people in order that his people might be truly forgiven of their sins. This is the means by which God saves his people. Also, as the prophets foretold, Jesus initiated a new covenant in which sins are truly forgiven, not just covered over. In this new covenant, there are truly transformed hearts that can worship and obey God.
His resurrection is simultaneously the proof that his death on the cross is enough for salvation and the beginning of the new creation. Because he was raised from the dead, we have certainty that we also will be raised from the dead and inherit the land promised to us, the new heavens and new earth in the presence of God. Now, Jesus has commissioned his followers – the church – to disciple all the ‘nations’ of the world. This good news was not just for Israel, nor is it now just for America – as the prophets foretold this is good news for all people and they must have an opportunity to hear about it.
Our Amazon Sojourn 