April 4, 2021 – Easter – Mark 16; Hebrews 9; Romans 8

Lesson Date: April 4, 2021

Focal Scripture Passage: Mark 16:1-7; Hebrews 9:11-14; Eph. 1:7; Rom. 4:25; 8:11, 32-34

AIM: To lead students to verbalize the cost and some of the benefits of our redemption, and to thank God for Christ’s completed work of redemption on their behalf.

Before class: Locate and bring to class a sale flyer or advertisement for some item that would appeal to your class members. This might be clothing, shoes, jewelry, computers, guns, big-screen TVs, trucks, or SUVs. Be sure the item you select is something your class members would be interested in purchasing. Write the lesson title, “Redemption Complete,” on the marker board or chalkboard. Bring your Sunday School Member Quarterly to class.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Show the sale flyer or advertisement to the class. Try to get them excited about the item that is on sale. Say things like, “Wouldn’t you love to own that?” and “Think how much you would enjoy having that,” and “I’ve always wanted one of those.” Hopefully the students will join in and make similar statements.

Tell the class a wise buyer carefully considers his or her purchases, including the costs and benefits of the item he or she is interested in purchasing. Ask: “What is the cost of purchasing this item?” Allow time for responses. Ask: “What are the benefits of owning it?” Allow time for responses. Tell the students for every purchase we make there are costs and benefits.

Tell the class today is Easter Sunday, the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In today’s lesson we will study an account of Jesus’ resurrection, but we will also discover the cost and some of the benefits of the redemption He purchased for us. Direct their attention to the lesson title, Redemption Complete, written on the board.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (God’s sufficiency).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (Phil. 4:13).
2. The Facts of the Resurrection.
   • Read Mark 16:1-2.
   • Ask: “Why was Jesus’ dead body in the tomb?” (He was crucified by the Romans at the insistence of the Jewish religious leaders).
   • Ask: “Why were the women coming back to the tomb?” (to finish anointing His body with fragrant spices according to Jewish burial custom)
   • Explain that on the day Jesus died they had to put His body in the tomb hurriedly, preventing them from completing the task of anointing His body.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Mark 16:3-4.
   • Ask: “What were the women wondering?” (who they would get to roll the heavy stone away from the mouth of the tomb).
   • Ask: “What did they discover when they got to the tomb?” (the huge stone had already been rolled away).
   • Read Mark 16:5-7.
   • Tell the class the women went into the tomb, expecting to see the body of Jesus. Instead, they encountered a young man clothed in white (an angel). The women were scared.
   • Ask: “What did the angel say about Jesus?” (He was not there because He had risen from the dead).
   • Ask: “What did the angel tell them to do?” (go tell the disciples about His resurrection).
   • Tell the class this passage (and similar ones in Matthew, Luke, and John) establish the facts of the resurrection.
   • Summarize: It is a fact that Jesus Christ died; it is a fact that He was buried; and it is a fact that He arose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact.
3. The Cost of Our Redemption.
   • Write the word “Cost” on the board below the lesson title.
   • Tell the class the next verses we will study reveal the cost of our redemption. Ask everyone to turn to the book of Hebrews.
   • Read Hebrews 9:11.
   • Tell the students we will learn more about the earthly high priest and the earthly Tabernacle later in our study of Exodus, but this verse says Jesus served as our high priest in the true Tabernacle in heaven (the one “not made with hands”).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Hebrews 9:12-14.
   • Explain that in the Old Testament sacrificial system the high priest brought the blood of a dead animal into the holy place.
   • Ask: “What did Jesus bring into the holy place in the heavenly Tabernacle?” (His own blood).
   • Ask: “What did He obtain for us?” (eternal redemption).
   • Ask: “If He obtained eternal redemption for us, can we ever lose our salvation?” (absolutely not).
   • Ask: “What do these verses tell us was the cost of our redemption?” (Jesus’ blood).
   • Ask the students to turn to the book of Ephesians.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Ephesians 1:7.
   • Ask: “What does that verse say was the cost of our redemption?” (the blood of Jesus).
   • Ask the class to turn to the book of Romans (the last book they will have to find today).
   • Read Romans 4:25.
   • Ask: “Why was Jesus delivered to die on the cross?” (for our offenses – our sins).
   • Remind the class today is Easter.
   • Ask: “What does this verse say about why Jesus was raised to life again?” (for our justification).
   • Explain that the word justification literally means acquittal: a legal term that means to pronounce someone innocent. Jesus died to pay the price for our sins and then rose again to prove that we were acquitted – pronounced innocent.
   • Ask: “What does that verse say was the cost of our redemption?” (Jesus’ death).
   • Summarize: The cost of our redemption was the blood of Jesus Christ that He shed when He died on the cross.
4. The Benefits of Redemption.
   • Write the word “Benefits” on the board below the lesson title.
   • Tell the students in the next verses we will discover the benefits of our redemption.
   • Ask everyone to turn to Romans 8.
   • Read Romans 8:11.
   • Ask: “What benefit of redemption is named in this verse?” (the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives within us right now).
   • Explain that the indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to believe God, to remain faithful to God, to understand God’s Word, and to serve God in His church.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 8:32-34.
   • Ask: “What benefit of redemption is found in verse 32?” (since God gave His Son for us He will also freely give us anything else He knows we need).
   • Ask: “What benefits of redemption are found in verse 33?” (no one has the right to lay any charges against us; God has justified us).
   • Tell the class verse 34 reminds us of the facts that Jesus died for us and later rose again.
   • Ask: “Where is Jesus now?” (at the right hand of His Heavenly Father).
   • Ask: “What is He doing there?” (making intercession for us).
   • Another benefit of redemption is that the Lord Jesus Christ makes intercession for us before God the Father.
   • Summarize: The benefits of our redemption include forgiveness of sins, justification, the indwelling Holy Spirit, God meets our needs, and Jesus makes intercession for us.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Direct the students’ attention to the front cover of the Sunday School Member Quarterly, reminding them that the theme of this quarter’s study of Exodus is Images of Redemption. That’s because many of the things that happened to the Israelites when God brought them out of bondage in Egypt serve as illustrations of our redemption that Jesus Christ purchased for us.

Read the lesson title written on the board and tell the class the word redemption means to redeem something. Ask a volunteer to use his or her phone to look up a definition of the word redeem in an online dictionary and to read that definition to the class. The word, redeem means to buy something back by paying a ransom or a purchase price. Direct the class’ attention once again to the sale flyer or advertisement you showed them at the beginning of class. Tell them that when we purchase things we “redeem” those items with money.

Tell the students that Jesus Christ purchased our redemption. Ask: “What was the cost of that purchase?” (His death, His blood). Ask: “What are some of the benefits we enjoy because Christ purchased our redemption?” (forgiveness of sins, justification, the indwelling Holy Spirit, God meets our needs, and Jesus makes intercession for us).

Tell the students that Easter is not only the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, but also the celebration of His completed work of redemption. Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes. Ask: “Have you been redeemed by grace through faith in Jesus Christ?” Tell the students if they have they should thank God right now for Christ’s completed work of redemption on their behalf. If they have not been redeemed they should confess and turn away from their sins and in faith ask Jesus to save them right now. Voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Tell the students you will be happy to remain after class and talk with any of them about their personal salvation. Encourage everyone to try to tell someone this week about Christ’s completed work of redemption. Next week we will resume our study of Exodus.