Jesus Christ has risen indeed! Christ was killed, buried, and THE RISEN. He rose so that we could be reconciled to God. If Christ did not rise, believers would not be clothed with power from above (heaven). Our faith and preaching have a basis because Christ arose. Otherwise, our faith and preaching would have been useless. The risen Jesus serves as our Advocate with the Father. Knowing this should give us boldness anytime we approach God in prayer.
Jesus testifies about himself.
Read John 14:1-14
(Discussants: Ngozi Praise, Kenny, Gambo, and the chief panelist)
Chief Panellist: Today, the story in John 14:1-14 is going to be the background for our discussion. My first question goes to Ngozi. When Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms…”Who was He referring to as His Father?
Discussant 1(Ngozi): Jesus referred to God as his Father and not Joseph, His earthly father.
Chief Panellist: Praise, what was Jesus going to do with His Father?
Discussant 2(Praise): Jesus said He was going to the Father to prepare a place for His disciples.
Chief Panellist: Kenny, what did Jesus promise His disciples?
Discussant 3(Kenny): Jesus promised that He would come back to take His disciples so that they could be where He is.
Chief Panellist: Gambo, among the disciples, asked Jesus, “We don’t know where you are going and how to get there?”
Discussant 4(Gambo): The name of that disciple is Thomas. He was the same disciple who failed to believe in Jesus’ resurrection until Jesus appeared to him in person.
Chief Panellist: Ngozi, what did Jesus say about Himself in John 14:6?
Discussant 1 (Ngozi): Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Chief Panellist: Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”What did Jesus say in response?
Discussant 2(Praise): Jesus said anyone who saw Him had seen the Father because, He is in the Father, and the Father waits in Him. The words that Jesus said were from the Father because the Father is in Him Even what He did was done by the Father, Jesus and the Father cannot be separated. They are one.
Chief Panellist: Kenny, tell us what faith in Jesus would help children to do.
Discussant 3(Kenny): In John 14:12, Jesus said that anyone who has faith in Him would do what He was doing and even greater things because He was going to the Father Jesus assured us that we can do moreextraordinary things. This means that children, through faith, can heal the sick, and the lame, cast out demons, turn water to wine, open the eyes of the blind, and do even greater miracles.
Chief Panellist: Gambo, my last question goes to you. What did Jesus promise to do if we asked His name?
Discussant 4(Gambo): Jesus promised to do whatever we ask in His name. That means we can ask for the provision of our school fees. We can also ask for school uniforms, school sandals/shoes, ask for the fruit of the womb for couples who are trusting God for babies, and He would do that in His name.
Jesus is preparing a place for everyone who follows Him. He is with the Father in heaven at present, and He has promised to come and take His own one day. He is the only way to the Father. No other way to the Father except through Him, Have you given your life to Jesus, the only way to the Father? Do you want to give your life to Jesus and follow Him, the only way to Heaven?
Pilate Testifies about Jesus
What other people say about someone sometimes matters a lot. Several passages in the Old Testament spoke about Jesus. Isaiah 11:1 refers to Him as a “shoot” that will come from the stump of Jesse. Isaiahagain, in chapter 7 versel4, calls Him
Read John 19:13-19
In John chapter 18, Jesus was arrested, beaten, and brought to Pilate to be crucified. When Pilate listened to Jesus, He said he could not find any fault in Him(John 19:4). Still, he had Jesus flogged, and his soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head(John 1 9:1-2). Pilate looked for means to release Jesus, but His people would not allow that to happen. They cried, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify Him! Pilate further asked, “Shall I crucify your King? The Chief Priest replied to him and said, “We have no king but Caesar.” And Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. Jesus suffered shame. The soldiers forced Him to carry His cross and took Him to Golgotha-the place of the skull. There, Jesus was crucified with two others. On top of Jesus’ cross, Pilate wrote: “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.
Jesus’ people rejected Him, but Pilate called Him the King of the Jews. John 1:10-11says, He was in the world but not recognized. He came to His very own, but they rejected
“Immanuel.”Malachi calls Him,”Sun ofrighteousness”(Malachi 4:2),Again,Isaiah 53talks about how He will suffer and be rejected. Open your Bibles to John 19:13-19 to see whatPilate, the governor of Judea, said about JesusChrist
Pilate confessed by what he wrote that Jesus was the King of the Jews.What is Jesus to you children? (Show then the picture of Jesus with the crown and on the cross). Have you confessed Jesus as your King, Lord, and Saviour? He was condemned and led away to be crucified. He was led away as sheep to be slaughtered, yet He did not open His mouth(Acts 8:32).
Jesus knew no sin, yet He was made sin for us so that in Him we can become the righteousness of God(2 Corinthians 5:21). He was taken to Golgotha to be crucified just because of ours. Pilate wrote “JESUS OF NAZARETH: THE KING OF THE JEWS” in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek so that everyone passing would understand.
God is still looking for children who will testify daily about Jesus as the King; people who will go around and tell others that Jesus is coming to reign as the King indeed. But this set of people must know Him first as their Lord and King. Are you ready to give your lifeto Jesus so that He can become your King, Saviour, and Lord?
Jesus Tells the signs of his coming
Read Matthew 24:3-13,1 Timothy 3:1-5
The Imminent second coming of Jesus Christino longer news. Several people have said that will come in a particular year, and their predictions failed. I remember that in 1999, we were told that Jesus would come in the year 2000, and many people began to sell their properties, but eventually, Jesus did not come. Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-4, listed some behaviors that people will exhibit when the time of Jesus’ coming draws near. Jesus’ disciples also asked Him about the signs of His coming and the end of the age.
Jesus said many will come and claim to be Christ and deceive many, there will be wars and rumors of wars, the nation will rise against nation, the kingdom will rise against kingdom, there will be famine, earthquakes, persecution of believers; others will hate believers because of Jesus, many will turn from the faith, false prophets will come to deceive many, there will be increased in wickedness, and the love of many will grow cold.(Matthew 24:4-12).
When we look at the situation in Nigeria and the world at large, we can see all these signs. Today, people love money to the extent of doing rituals; children no longer obey their parents; those who have acquired worldly riches are very boastful; sinful lifestyles dominate the church (the clergy is not left out). All these points to us that Jesus will soon come.
Also, we have thousands of fake prophets deceiving many people, there are wars, and rumors of war around us (Boko haram, banditry, herders’ attacks, and communal clashes.)Persecution of Christians is on the increase. There is famine, the rate at which prices of commodities increase is alarming and people are suffering hardship much more than ever. Because of the increase of wickedness around us, many Christians are looking back, as their love for God is growing cold.
Beloved, the Bible says all these will come and continue until Christ comes. But the Bible also says that “He that stands firm to the end will be saved.”Children, no matter what you face, you must stand firm. You must endure till the end! You must hold on to Jesus! What does God expect from Christians as the end draws nearer? Verse 14 says,’ The gospel of the kingdom must be preached everywhere, then, the end will come. ‘Children must preach the Gospel. Young people must preach the gospel. Older people must preach the Gospel.
Jesus is alive.
Read Matthew 28:1-10
Jesus Christ was crucified and buried a day before the Sabbath. The Sabbath day was Saturday, and nobody could do anything. The day after the Sabbath, which happened to be Sunday, early in the morning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (not Mary the mother of Jesus; however, she could be the wife of Cleopas, John 19:25or Jesus’ aunt who was the mother of James andJohn, Matthew 27:56)went to the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus’ body (Luke 24:1). As they were thinking of who will roll back the stone, suddenly there was an earthquake, and an angel appeared. This angel rolled back the rock and sat on it. The angel’s appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white like snow. Thus, the guards were so terrified and became like dead men.
The angel, when announcing the resurrection of Jesus to the women, gave four messages:
1.”Do not be afraid”(5a); we need not be afraid because the awareness of Christ’sresurrection should bring joy.
2.”He is not here, He has risen”(6a), Jesus is alive, not dead, and is not to be looked for among the dead.
3.“Come and see the place where he lay”(6b); the women saw the empty tomb themselves, which is significant historical evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. The tomb was empty then, is today, and forever.
4. “Go quickly and tell His disciples”(7a)these women were mandated to spread the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Christians are to do the same today.
Also, we need to note from verse 6 that Jesus resurrection is the key to our faith because:
1. He rose from the dead just as He promised. Therefore, we can be confident that He will accomplish all He has promised us.
2. His bodily resurrection shows that the living Christ is the ruler of God’s eternal kingdom, not a false prophet or an imposter.
3. He resurrected to assure us that there is resurrection of the saints in Christ after death. Death is not the end; we have another life to live after here.
4. The resurrection power, the power that brought Jesus back to life, is available to bring the spiritually dead, to life.
5. Resurrection is the basis of Christian witness.
Having received and understood the angel’s message, the two women hurried away with great enthusiasm to deliver the message of Jesus’ resurrection to His disciples. As they were going, they met Jesus. He greeted them and reehoed two out of the four messages that the angel earlier gave not be fearful and tell my brothers(disciples). These cannot emphasize and reflect the importance of the two messages to Jesus. We are not to be afraid in any life situation but to trust Him always. Likewise, spreading His good news is a must for us as believers.
Indeed, Jesus has risen. The grave is empty. The empty tomb and Jesus’appearances after the resurrection prove he truly resurrected. His dead body was not stolen away, as claimed by some people It is on this fact that our faith stands.
Jesus Taken to Heaven
Read Acts 1:1-11
The Book of Acts was written by a physician known as Luke. In his previous book called The Gospel of Luke, he gave a narration of Jesus’ ministry, his teaching, death, and resurrection, up until He was taken to heaven. In Acts chapter one, Luke records how Jesus gave His disciples instruction through the Holy Spirit and taught them about the kingdom of God. He showed the disciples His hands, legs, and sides as he also made them touch the places where He was beaten and scourged. The disciples believed Jesus with the many signs that He showed them.
Jesus was with the disciples for forty days while He commanded them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, which the Father had promised. Jesus made the disciples understand the power they would receive after the Holy Spirit had come on them, which will make them witness Him from Jerusalem even to the end of the world (verse 8). Jesus was later taken to heaven before His disciples, “and a cloud hid him from their sight”(verse 9b). In verses 10 and 11, while the disciples were looking as Jesus was being taken into the sky, two angels dressed in white clothes appeared to them. The angels said, “This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” These words give hope to every child of God about the promise of Jesus’ second coming and that we will eventually reign with God forever.
The Scripture tells us about the life of Christ, how He healed the sick and raised the dead. He brought salvation to humankind and the promise of the Holy Spirit to everyone who believes in Him. His second coming is the ultimate goal of our Christian race. A pleasant way to start one’s life with Jesus is to know Him and understand the Bible. We are then called to witness to others about Jesus Christ, who loves and died for us all. Are you ready for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit? Are you all prepared for His Second coming?
