A brief study of the Resurrection
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
I want to begin the study in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 35 as you can see above: if there’s a better resurrection that means there could be a poorer resurrection. This is the faith chapter of testimony.
| Heb 11:33 | Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, |
| Heb 11:34 | Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. |
| Heb 11:35 | Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: |
| Heb 11:36 | And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: |
| Heb 11:37 | They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; |
| Heb 11:38 | (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. |
| Heb 11:39 | And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: |
| Heb 11:40 | God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. |
Resurrection must be tied to faith! So when I saw this in the Word I felt like Moses and the burning bush! The Bush was burning but not being consumed so he turned to look at it. When I saw this verse, I turned to look at it more carefully.
I felt a good place to look into the Word about this was in the story the resurrection of Lazarus and the discussion of the Lord’s death. So now let’s turn to John chapter 12. The other versions of this testimony can be found in Matthew 26 verse six Mark chapter 14 verse 3 and Luke chapter 7 verse 36.
| John12:2 | There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. |
| John 12:3 | Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. |
| John 12:4 | Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, |
| John 12:5 | Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? |
| John 12:6 | This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. |
| John 12:7 | Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. |
| John 12:8 | For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. |
| John 12:9 | Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. |
Now we know from the other versions of the story that I cited in the beginning of this teaching, it explained that Mary was a sinner. We can derive from this that she was more than likely a prostitute in that era, and since spikenard is an ointment to anoint a dead body, she may have had some fear of death, and wanted to be anointed upon her death with the ointment, and maybe also to show everyone that she had the money for this expensive ointment.
But when she witnessed the Lord Y’shua–Jesus Christ— the author of life, raise Lazarus from the dead, in her heart she knew that death wasn’t the end of life. She recognized that he is Lord of the Resurrection. Moreover He IS the Resurrection! Those are the words of his own mouth! We find that in John chapter 11 verse 25 where it says Jesus said unto her, I AM the resurrection and the life: he that believest in me though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever live and believe me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Now that this Mary believes that Y’shua HaMaschiach is the son of YaHoVaH she is so grateful that she no longer has to fear death that she uses her ointment for him! She pours out what she has, doing what she can for him. In Mark’s version of the story we read in Mark chapter 14 verse 8, she has done what she could: The LORD said of her, “she is come beforehand to anoint my body for the burying.” We should all be doing what we can!
Mary gave up one of her precious belongings to lavish it upon The LORD! When we give up things that mean so much to us based on our worldly mindset and then gain understanding from seeing things from a “heavenly mindset” (or the mind of Christ), the world’s hold on us decreases! We break bonds and ties that keep us tethered to the world and the systems that are against God and His Kingdom, and of course against us too.
We started out this study in Hebrews Chapter 11, where all the testimonies of those who have had great faith are set out as a Memorial. Now Mary too is set out is a Memorial with this testimony, Matthew Mark and Luke all say the words that Jesus said at the end of their reporting of the incident: verily I say unto you wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a Memorial of her.
Our Testimonies are powerful tools that bring understanding of Spiritual Laws.
In the rendition from Luke chapter 7 starting with verse 36 and going to the end of the chapter we get a lot of detail which was left out of other versions. However each one of the versions gives us details to complete the story for understanding many facets of the resurrection.
| Lu 7:36 | And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. |
| Lu 7:37 | And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, |
| Lu 7:38 | And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. |
| Lu 7:39 | Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. |
| Lu 7:40 | And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. |
| Lu 7:41 | There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. |
| Lu 7:42 | And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? |
| Lu 7:43 | Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. |
| Lu 7:44 | And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. |
| Lu 7:45 | Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. |
| Lu 7:46 | My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. |
| Lu 7:47 | Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. |
| Lu 7:48 | And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. |
| Lu 7:49 | And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? |
| Lu 7:50 | And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. |
To begin with let’s start off by saying that in Luke’s version the Lord is sitting at the table of the Pharisee named Simon who we find out from the other versions was a leper. Obviously the Lord healed him or he wouldn’t be in his house, nor would anyone else. So he was forgiven much and healed much and yet, we read that he started to look at the Lord and doubt that he was even a prophet (vs. 39). So Jesus tells them a parable which teaches them all a lesson regarding faith, healing and salvation. The last verse in chapter verse 50, says that her faith saved her! He tells her to go in peace.
Now that Mary’s sins are forgiven her she can go in peace and not concern herself with her death, and not concern herself with the fancy funeral and costly spikenard ointment for her dead body. She now has something to live for! She now has someone to die to herself for! She is free to give her will to THE FATHER!
So this must be the kind of faith that makes it worthy to be considered a Memorial to someone. This is how we attain to a better resurrection! We get the example of the Old Testament saints who have been memorialized for their faith in Hebrews Chapter 11. And as the Lord often does he gave us an example in the New Testament of how you become counted among the memorialized.
In this way we can see that though our sins may be many, and we could be in the presence of great people of faith who are walking without sin, we can humble ourselves, do what it is we can do no matter what they might say about us or think about us—
risking it all, we just do what we feel to do! Give up our own plans for ourselves, give up our own way of doing things, give up things we feel are important, give up our sin, put our faith in Jesus Christ and be forever grateful that he has accepted us, forgiven us, healed us, saved us, and given us resurrection and life.
Because I tell you when Jesus the Messiah, (Y’shua Ha Maschiach) comes into your heart to dwell there, you have received the resurrection and life – – not just life here but eternal life because there is more to come after death of our physical bodies on this planet. I too desire to enter the next realm of life with a better Resurrection! I too desire to be memorialized because of my faith! RUACH HAKODESH RESIDENT IN YOU–THIS IS one way to see THE NEW HEAVEN AND understand YOU ARE THE NEW EARTH…of course there are many levels of scripture fulfillment.
