God the Son, Mentor's Guide, MG10

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G O D T H E S O N

The eschatology of the resurrection (that is, its place in the final episodes of this fallen world’s story) lies at the center of the apostolic confession. In other words, the resurrection sets in motion a chain of events associated with the end times; the resurrection itself is an unequivocal marker of the eschaton or last times, made plain in the teaching of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. There Paul anchors his Gospel in a message received from the tradition of the Church that Christ died and rose again according to the Scriptures, and establishes the reality and confession of the resurrection as the doctrine of “first importance” (Gk. en pro tois , v. 3; cf. 15.1–11). Christ rose from the dead and is now alive “according to the Scriptures (15.3–4),” and in light of the kingdom fulfillment recorded within them, the resurrection of Jesus is both the fulfillment of a promise and the pattern for believers to come. Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of a great harvest that all believers will share. This is why in 15.12–34 Paul shows how devastating the consequences will be if the resurrection is proven to be false. The entire witness of the apostles concerning the person of Christ would be a lie, faith would be meaningless–a grasping at the air, believers who have already died would be lost, and of all people on earth we would be most miserable. We must understand our facility of the truths in this lesson in light of these grave truths. As emerging and practicing Christian leaders, our students must understand that regardless of any other facts, if they are not equipped to understand and embrace the truths of Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and return, they are either ill-prepared or disqualified to represent Christ and his Kingdom in the city. Without understanding and fleshing out in their lives the meaningfulness of the resurrection, and Christ’s return, they will lose all biblical, moral, and spiritual ground to do ministry. It is quite true to say that we either represent a risen Lord or none at all . Let the gravity of this truth tenderize your own heart and consciousness as you prepare to lead your students into arguably the most important affirmations ever made about any figure in human history. The objectives of the lesson are clearly given, and as usual, your responsibility as Mentor is to emphasize these concepts throughout the lesson, especially during the discussions and interaction with the students. Discipline yourself especially in this lesson to concentrate on the objectives given here. The breadth of the material is such that you may easily