A Journey Through His Life, Teachings, and Eternal Purpose
He Is Alive—and He Is Coming Again
The Life of Jesus Christ | Part Seven
Introduction
Jesus Christ was crucified, His body was taken down from the Cross, and He was laid in a tomb. To those who had followed Him, it appeared that everything had come to a terrible end. But Jesus had already told His disciples that He would rise again. His death was not the end of His mission, and the grave would not hold Him.
The tomb was empty because Jesus Christ had risen from the dead.
01 | He Rose From the Dead
The Resurrection was not something His followers invented after His death to keep His teachings alive. Jesus physically rose from the dead. He appeared to His disciples and to many others. They saw Him. They spoke with Him. They touched Him. They ate with Him. 1 Corinthians 15:3–6 records that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, and afterward appeared to Peter, the twelve, and more than five hundred believers at one time.
Jesus had told His disciples that He would rise again, and He did.
02 | Death Did Not Have the Final Word
When Jesus Christ rose from the grave, He demonstrated that death did not have the final word. Remember when Jesus stood outside Lazarus’s tomb and called him to come out? Lazarus came out alive. But Lazarus would eventually die again. When Jesus rose from His own tomb, He rose never to die again. He had conquered death, and that changed everything.
Think about what this means for us. Death is something every human being must face unless Jesus Christ returns first. We have made great advances in medicine, technology, and our understanding of the human body, but there are limits to what we can do. We cannot overcome death through our own knowledge, efforts, or abilities. But Jesus Christ did what no ordinary human being could do. He rose from the grave, and He lives forevermore.
And here’s what we need to understand: His Resurrection was not only about what He accomplished for Himself. Because Jesus Christ lives, those who belong to Him have the promise of eternal life. In John 11:25–26 (NLT), Jesus told Martha, “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?”
That question still deserves our attention today: Do you believe this?
Notice what Jesus was telling her. He didn’t simply say that He could give people life. He said that He is the resurrection and the life. Our hope of eternal life is found in Him. We cannot earn it by doing good things, attending church, or being religious. Eternal life is God’s gift to those who believe in Jesus Christ.
Paul helps us understand the significance of the Resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NLT). He said, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.” In other words, Jesus’ Resurrection is not an isolated event with no bearing on us. His victory over death points to what God has promised those who belong to Him.
That doesn’t mean we won’t grieve when someone we love dies. We feel the loss. We miss the person. And the separation can hurt deeply. Our faith doesn’t mean we stop feeling those things. But we do not grieve without hope. Because Jesus Christ rose from the grave, death will not have the final word for those who belong to Him. We have the promise of eternal life with our Savior, and that promise gives us hope even in the face of death.
03 | He Ascended Into Heaven
After His Resurrection, Jesus did not remain on earth. Acts 1 tells us that He spent forty days appearing to His disciples and speaking to them about the Kingdom of God. Then He ascended into heaven as they watched. While they stood looking up, two angels told them that Jesus would return in the same way they had seen Him go.
Think about everything those disciples had experienced. For nearly three years, they had walked with Jesus, listened to His teachings, and witnessed His miracles. Then they watched Him suffer and die, only to see Him alive again. And now, they were watching Him ascend into heaven. Can you imagine what must have been going through their minds?
But His Ascension did not mean that He was abandoning them or that the work He had begun was coming to an end.
Jesus had already prepared His disciples for what was coming. In John 14:16–17, He promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit to be with them. And in Acts 1:8, He told them they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and that they would be His witnesses. Jesus was returning to the Father, but His followers would not be left to carry out His work in their own strength. The Holy Spirit would empower them to do what He had called them to do.
But there is something else about the Ascension that we need to understand. Jesus Christ did not simply return to heaven and leave His work behind. He continues to minister on behalf of those who belong to Him. Hebrews 7:25 (NLT) tells us, “Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”
Think about that for a moment. The same Jesus who walked among people, showed compassion to those who were hurting, and willingly gave His life for our sins is alive today. He is at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf. Romans 8:34 reminds us that Christ Jesus died, was raised to life, and is now at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
We are not following a Savior whose work ended when He left this earth. Jesus Christ is alive, and His ministry on our behalf continues. He is our risen Savior and our great High Priest. Because of what He has done, we can come to the Father through Him. His Ascension was not the end of His involvement in the lives of those who believe in Him. He is alive, He reigns, and He continues to intercede for us.
Conclusion | He Is Coming Again
And He is coming again. Jesus told His disciples that He would return. His Ascension was not the end of what Scripture tells us about Him. He is coming again. The One who came the first time in humility will return as King. The One who was rejected will be recognized. The One who conquered death will return, and those who belong to Him have a living hope that reaches beyond this life.
We are not waiting for someone who is dead.
We are waiting for Jesus Christ.
And He is alive.
IN THIS TEACHING
02 Death Did Not Have the Final Word
✓ Conclusion | He Is Coming Again
THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST
A Journey Through His Life, Teachings, and Eternal Purpose
PREVIOUS TEACHING
CURRENT TEACHING
07 — He Is Alive—and He Is Coming Again
COMING NEXT
08 — But Do You Know Him?
SCRIPTURES IN THIS TEACHING
1 Corinthians 15:3–6
Acts 1:3–11
Hebrews 7:25
Scripture references from the New Living Translation (NLT).
NEXT TEACHING · PART EIGHT
But Do You Know Him?
We’ve explored who Jesus Christ is, how He lived, what He taught, and what He accomplished for our salvation. But there is a question every person must answer: Do I know Him? In our final teaching, we’ll consider what it means to know Jesus Christ personally.
Our Savior Is Alive
Jesus Christ is not a figure confined to the pages of history. He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and lives forever. He continues to intercede for those who come to God through Him, and He has promised to return. We have a living Savior and a hope that reaches beyond this present life. But knowing these wonderful truths about Jesus leads us to a question that deserves our personal attention: Do we truly know Him?
