Bible Questions Answered:
Why does the Bible say that Jesus was the first to rise from the dead, when others had risen from the dead before Him?
Jaladhi/ Hyderabad, India
Bible Answer:
The scripture to which you refer is …
Text:
Acts 26:23 KJV
That Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
Other New Testament resurrections:
The daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9:25/Mark 5:42)
At the time of crucifixion, the saints (Matthew 27:52)
The widow of Nain, her son (Luke 7:15)
Lazarus of Bethany (John 11:44)
Dorcas (Acts 9:40)
Others had been raised from the dead, but what the Apostle Paul was speaking of was the “first fruits of resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The aforementioned, were raised from the dead yes, but with the distinction, that they rose up in the same earthy body that they had died in, yet restored to life, only to die again another day.
Christ was risen up from the dead, the “first-fruit,” of eternal resurrection in a “glorified-body,” never to die again body.
Romans 6:9 KJV
Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him.
I Corinthians 15:20-23 KJV
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.
Leviticus 23:9,10 KJV
9 Then the Lord said to Moses,
10 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest.
When Christ arose from the dead, He had a glorified, eternal body.
He was the firstfruits of resurrection, for believers who have died and who will die, along with those who will go on to see the rapture of the church, never seeing death, and yet, will one day be resurrected into His glorious likeness.
Colossians 1:18 KJV
And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.
Revelation 1:5,6 KJV
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness, and the First Begotten of the dead,
and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The Glorified Risen Lord Jesus:
Luke 24:36-43 KJV
36 And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.
40 And when He had thus spoken, He shewed them His hands and His feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
42 And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43 And He took it, and did eat before them.
John 20:19-29 KJV
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled
for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith He to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Luke 24:50-53 KJV
50 And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them.
51 And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52 And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
Dear friend, will you be in the resurrection of the redeemed?
John 5:28,29 KJV
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Acts 24:15 KJV
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
I Corinthians 15:51-58 KJV
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet Him ahead of those who have died.
16 For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.
17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
18 So encourage each other with these words.
