13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was one of the most momentous events in history. By rising from the dead to return to eternal power at the right hand of the Father, Jesus fulfilled a vital part of the plan of God that has paramount importance to the life and future of every human being.
Jesus’ resurrection
So where does the Bible first refer to Jesus’ resurrection? The plan of God, which included both Jesus’ death and resurrection, was actually in place before the creation of man (Revelation 13:8). Still, it is obvious from biblical history that men had a very limited understanding of that plan.
In one sense, we can see the first prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection in Genesis 3:15. This prophecy shows that there would be a time when the serpent, Satan, would appear to have success in attacking Jesus (“you shall bruise His heel”). However, Jesus (the promised “Seed”) would ultimately triumph over the serpent and destroy his power completely (“He shall bruise your head”).
The fulfillment of this prophecy occurred as Satan influenced Judas to betray Jesus to the Jewish religious authorities and also influenced these leaders to have Jesus crucified (Luke 22:3-4; John 8:40, 44; Mark 15:9-13).
Even though Satan was successful in having Jesus put to death, Jesus still fulfilled His purpose for coming to earth as a human and now sits at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus’ death was necessary “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).
There are quite a few other Old Testament prophecies that point to Jesus’ resurrection, but those prophecies were not really understood when Jesus began His ministry in the first century. It was only later that the apostles began to realize what those prophecies were about.
At the end of His ministry, Jesus told His disciples, “‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.’ But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken” (Luke 18:31-34).
“I am the resurrection and the life”
One of Jesus’ last teachings regarding resurrection occurred not long before His crucifixion and resurrection. This teaching was coupled with a miracle Jesus performed by raising His friend Lazarus from the dead.
Prior to bringing Lazarus back to life, Jesus told Lazarus’ sister Martha, “Your brother will rise again . . . I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:23, 25).
On this occasion Jesus resurrected Lazarus back to physical life. But Jesus also spoke of a resurrection to eternal life that He would be able to offer humans who believed on Him after He rose from the dead.
Use these Bible verses on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to reflect on God’s love for you — that he would send his Son to die for our sins and raise Christ from the dead, so that if we believed, we will be saved! Share this collection of Bible verses on the resurrection with your Bible study or friends and family to celebrate the true meaning of Easter together.
#1: John 11:25-26 (NLT) Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
#2: John 12:23-26 (NKJV) But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
#3: Romans 6:8-11 (KJV) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
#4: Romans 10:9 (NLT) If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
#5: Matthew 28:2-7 (NLT) Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
#6: Mark 15:37-39 (ESV) And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
#7: Mark 15:46-47 (ESV) And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
#8: Mark 16:5-7 (ESV) And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
#9: Luke 9:23 (CJB) Then to everyone he said, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him say ‘No’ to himself, take up his execution-stake daily and keep following me.”
#10: Luke 24: 6-7 (NIV) He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’
#11: Luke 24: 38-40 (NLT) “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.
#12: 1 Peter 1:3 (NLT) All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
HUMILITY is a must if your are a Christian. Be a Christ-like Christian to all, even if others hates you, did something wrong to you but still the love of God sees on you because we Christian is the Light and Salt of this world. God Bless us all and with the Love of the Lord.
