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The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail
November 11, 2012
Jesus did not just die for us -- He arose again for us! He said that the gates of Hades would not keep Him in that place, but that He would come forth to establish His called out people. There were many witnesses that He lived again after His death on the cross and burial in the tomb. He was seen of certain women, then the eleven apostles, later more than five hundred believing men at one time, and last of all by Saul of Tarsus, the apostle Paul. His disciples saw Him ascend into the sky in a cloud and was told that He would so come again.
Bernie Parsons
The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 11-11-2012
Presented to Load church of Christ on 11-18-2012
Last time, we studied how that Jesus suffered and died as our sacrifice.
Now, let us examine His resurrection from the dead. Jesus first predicted
that He would die, be buried, but rise again.
In the next passages, Jesus indicates that Hades, or the place of the dead,
cannot contain Him.
Matthew 16:13 "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he
asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and
others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is
in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Jesus states that He will rise from the grave.
Matthew 12:38 "Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered,
saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation
seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign
of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so
shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth."
John 2:19 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and
wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that
he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word
which Jesus had said."
His opponents spread rumors that His followers will steal His body and claim
resurrection.
Matthew 27:62 "Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation,
the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive,
After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day,
lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the
people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the
first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as
ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting
a watch."
Followers of Jesus find the tomb empty, and some encounter a risen Christ.
Luke 24:1 "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning,
they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared,
and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two
men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they
said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was
yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and
be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8 And they remembered his words,
9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the
eleven, and to all the rest.
10 Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women
that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he
beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in
himself at that which was come to pass."
Jesus appears suddenly to His disciples behind closed doors. Thomas doubts,
but is convinced.
John 20:19 "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."
Jesus ascends in the clouds.
Acts 1:1 "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus
began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy
Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible
proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining
to the kingdom of God:
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should
not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which,
saith he, ye have heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord,
wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up;
and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two
men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Apostle Paul enumerates how many have seen the risen Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:3 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to
the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom
the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time."
The gates of Hell (Hades) did not prevail against Him! He arose and ascended
to God!
