Memory Text: Revelation 1:18 NIV “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!”

Sunday – The Story of the Resurrection, Part 1
Matthew 27:50-53 NIV “50 ¶ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
Matthew 27:54-56 NIV “54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" 55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.”
Matthew 27:57-61 KJ21 “57 ¶ When the evening had come, there came a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph, who himself also was Jesus’ disciple. 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulcher.”
Matthew 27:62-66 NIV “62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first." 65 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”

Monday – The Story of the Resurrection, Part 2
Matthew 28 Moffatt NT “1 ¶ At the close of the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary wont to look at the tomb. 2 But a great earthquake took place; an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and went and rolled away the boulder and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow. 4 For fear of him the sentries shook and became like dead men; 5 but the angel addressed the women, saying, "Have no fear; I know you are looking for the crucified Jesus. 6 He is not here, he has risen, as he told you he would. See, here is the place where he [the Lord], lay. 7 Now be quick and go to his disciples, tell them he has risen from the dead and that ‘he precedes you to Galilee; you shall see him there.’ That is my message for you." 8 Then they ran quickly from the tomb in fear and great joy, to announce the news to his disciples. 9 And Jesus himself met them, saying, "Hail!" So they went up to him and caught hold of his feet and worshipped him; 10 then Jesus said to them, "Have no fear! Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee; they shall see me there." 11 ¶ While they were on their way, some of the sentries went into the city and reported all that had taken place to the 12 high priests, who, after meeting and conferring with the elders, gave a considerable sum of money to the soldiers 13 and told them to say that "his disciples came at night and stole him when we were asleep." 14 "If this comes to the ears of the governor," they added, "we will satisfy him and see that you have no trouble about the matter." 15 So the soldiers took the money and followed their instructions; and this story has been disseminated among the Jews down to the present day. 16 ¶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the hill where Jesus had arranged to meet them. 17 When they saw him they worshipped him, though some were in doubt. 18 Then Jesus came forward to them and said, "Full authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth; 19 go and make dis ciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to obey all the commands I have laid on you. And I will be with you all the time, to the very end of the world."”
Mark 16 God’s Word to the Nation “1 ¶ When the day of worship was over, Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of James), and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Jesus. 2 On Sunday they were going to the tomb very early when the sun had just come up. 3 They said to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. It was a very large stone. 5 As they went into the tomb, they saw a young man. He was dressed in a white robe and sat on the right side. They were panic–stricken. 6 The young man said to them, "Don’t panic! You’re looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been brought back to life. He’s not here. Look at the place where they laid him. 7 Go and tell his disciples and Peter that he’s going ahead of them to Galilee. There they will see him, just as he told them." 8 They went out of the tomb and ran away. Shock and trembling had overwhelmed them. They didn’t say a thing to anyone, because they were afraid. 9 ¶ After Jesus came back to life early on Sunday, he appeared first to Mary from Magdala, from whom he had forced out seven demons. 10 She went and told his friends, who were grieving and crying. 11 They didn’t believe her when they heard that he was alive and that she had seen him. 12 Later Jesus appeared to two disciples as they were walking to their home in the country. He did not look as he usually did. 13 They went back and told the others, who did not believe them either. 14 ¶ Still later Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles while they were eating. He put them to shame for their unbelief and because they were too stubborn to believe those who had seen him alive. 15 Then Jesus said to them, "So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 "These are the miraculous signs that will accompany believers: They will use the power and authority of my name to force demons out of people. They will speak new languages. 18 They will pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them. They will place their hands on the sick and cure them." 19 ¶ After talking with the apostles, the Lord was taken to heaven, where God gave him the highest position. 20 The disciples spread the Good News everywhere. The Lord worked with them. He confirmed his word by the miraculous signs that accompanied it.”
Luke 24:10-44 God’s Word to the Nation “10 The women were Mary from Magdala, Joanna, and Mary (the mother of James). There were also other women with them. They told the apostles everything. 11 The apostles thought that the women’s story didn’t make any sense, and they didn’t believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down to look inside and saw only the strips of linen. Then he went away, wondering what had happened. 13 ¶ On the same day, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking to each other about everything that had happened. 15 While they were talking, Jesus approached them and began walking with them. 16 Although they saw him, they didn’t recognize him. 17 He asked them, "What are you discussing?" They stopped and looked very sad. 18 One of them, Cleopas, replied, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has happened recently?" 19 "What happened?" he asked. They said to him, "We were discussing what happened to Jesus from Nazareth. He was a powerful prophet in what he did and said in the sight of God and all the people. 20 Our chief priests and rulers had him condemned to death and crucified. 21 We were hoping that he was the one who would free Israel. What’s more, this is now the third day since everything happened. 22 Some of the women from our group startled us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 and didn’t find his body. They told us that they had seen angels who said that he’s alive. 24 Some of our men went to the tomb and found it empty, as the women had said, but they didn’t see him." 25 Then Jesus said to them, "How foolish you are! You’re so slow to believe everything the prophets said! 26 Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27 Then he began with Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets to explain to them what was said about him throughout the Scriptures. 28 When they came near the village where they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 They urged him, "Stay with us! It’s getting late, and the day is almost over." So he went to stay with them. 30 While he was at the table with them, he took bread and blessed it. He broke the bread and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, "Weren’t we excited when he talked with us on the road and opened up the meaning of the Scriptures for us?" 33 That same hour they went back to Jerusalem. They found the eleven apostles and those who were with them gathered together. 34 They were saying, "The Lord has really come back to life and has appeared to Simon." 35 Then the two disciples told what had happened on the road and how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread. 36 ¶ While they were talking about what had happened, Jesus stood among them. He said to them, "Peace be with you!" 37 They were terrified, and thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 He asked them, "Why are you afraid? Why do you have doubts? 39 Look at my hands and feet, and see that it’s really me. Touch me, and see for yourselves. Ghosts don’t have flesh and bones, but you can see that I do." 40 As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 The disciples were overcome with joy and amazement because this seemed too good to be true. Then Jesus asked them, "Do you have anything to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish. 43 He took it and ate it while they watched him. 44 Then he said to them, "These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you. I told you that everything written about me in Moses’ Teachings, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to come true."”

Tuesday – It Empowered a Movement
Acts 3:11-16 NRSV “11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. 12 ¶ When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.”
Acts 4:8-12 NRSV “8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11 This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’ 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."”
Acts 7:54-56 NRSV “54 ¶ When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. 55 But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"”
Acts 17:29-31 NRSV “29 Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30 While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead

Wednesday – Provided Authority for Witnessing
Philippines 3:7-10 NKJV “7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 ¶ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which [is] from the law, but that which [is] through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,”
1 Corinthians 15 Holman “1 ¶ Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it. 2 You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed to no purpose. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time, most of whom remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one abnormally born, He also appeared to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God’s grace that was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we preach and so you have believed. 12 ¶ Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is without foundation, and so is your faith. 15 In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Therefore those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. 19 If we have placed our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone. 20 ¶ But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, the people of Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For \%He has put everything under His feet. But when it says “everything” is put under Him, it is obvious that He who puts everything under Him is the exception. 28 And when everything is subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all. 29 Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day! 32 If I fought wild animals in Ephesus with only human hope, what good does that do me? If the dead are not raised, \%Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.\% 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Become right-minded and stop sinning, because some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame. 35 ¶ But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” 36 Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He wants, and to each of the seeds its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. 41 There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for star differs from star in splendor. 42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; 43 sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; 44 sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: \%The first man Adam became a living being\%; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth and made of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 Like the man made of dust, so are those who are made of dust; like the heavenly man, so are those who are heavenly. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly man. 50 Brothers, I tell you this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. 51 ¶ Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 Because this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. 54 Now when this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting? 56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 ¶ Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Thursday – Guarantees Our own Resurrection
John 5:25-29 Holman “25 “I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted to the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He has granted Him the right to pass judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.”
John 11:23-26 Holman “23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. 24 Martha said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?””
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 MKJV “51 ¶ Behold, I speak a mystery to you; we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed; 52 in a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet. For a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. 54 But when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and when this mortal shall put on immortality, then will take place the word that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where [is] your sting? O grave, where [is] your victory?" 56 The sting of death [is] sin, and the strength of sin [is] the law. 57 But thanks [be] to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 ¶ So that, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not without fruit in the Lord.”
Revelation 1:18 MKJV “and the Living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever, Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death.”