The resurrection of the body and the life everlasting
After completing the lesson, the student will be able to:
Resurrection is something we have discussed before. In the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed, one of our lessons discussed that Jesus rose from the dead. In that lesson, we learned how Jesus’ resurrection is vital to our faith. In I Corinthians 15:12-19, the Apostle Paul teaches us that without Jesus’ resurrection, our faith is empty and futile. If you’d like a reminder on some of the best arguments for why Jesus actually did rise from the dead, I’d encourage you to go back to that lesson (Apostles’ Creed Lesson 5).
Today, we will explore our lives after we die. While death isn’t the sort of talking point you’d bring into casual conversation with your friend or at supper with your family, it is something that Christians have an invested interest in. In an attempt to make things as easy to follow as possible, let’s take a look at life after death in the order in which things will happen.
We die physically.
If we believe in Jesus, our souls go to be with Jesus in heaven.
Jesus Returns (we call this His “Second Coming”)
Our bodies are resurrected from the dead and they are made new, or glorified.
Jesus will Judge Everyone: Believers (our glorified body and soul) will live without suffering or sin forever… Non-believers will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever.
The Bible teaches that our souls live on after we take our last breath and our hearts stops beating. What happens to our soul at this point? The answer to this question is found in the blessed words from Jesus to the thief on the cross.
Read the following passages of scripture, and write down what we learn from each about Jesus’ Second Coming.
On the last day, when Jesus returns to earth, all the bodies of the dead will be made alive, or resurrected, and reunited with their soul. This means that everyone is going to be raised from the dead: not only the person who puts their faith in Jesus, but also anyone who refused to believe in Jesus. After the resurrection, and everyone has their body again, everyone will be judged. Those who believed in Jesus will enter eternal life in the New Heavens and the New Earth. But those who died in unbelief will be condemned to eternal death and cast into the Lake of Fire.
Read the following passages of scripture, and write down the two options of what could happen to someone when they are resurrected.
Read the following passages and explain how each passage describes the believer’s resurrected body.
Eternal life with Christ
We have been promised an eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What does the Bible mean when it says eternal life? Eternal life is the blessed state in which believers will live for all eternity in close fellowship with God. In this paradise, we will live free from sin, pain, struggle, and hardship. Eternal life is a state of unending and everlasting delight and contentment, where we will experience a loving fellowship with Jesus and other believers. We will continually praise our God in the company of angels and live forever in peace and joy.
Read Revelation 21:1-8, and answer the following questions
Read the following passages of scripture, and write down what each teaches us about Eternal Life.
