ARE ALL RELIGIOUS LEADERS GOOD?  Are they all led by the power of God? Religious leaders have power over people, cities, states, nations, and even the world. In the time of Jesus, although the Jewish religious leaders were under the power of Rome, they had influence. How did they use their power and authority? 

This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us, humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.

But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again. 

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)

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Inviting God’s Presence

God Most High, You are our Supreme Ruler. You have power over the entire universe. You never fail us. You work everything out in our favor. Even the bad you turn to good. Therefore, we put our trust in You.  In Jesus’ Name Amen

The religious leaders at the time of Jesus had power over the nation. They were even able to convince the Roman authorities and the people to help them with their dastardly scheme to have Jesus an innocent man executed. Even after Jesus woke up from the dead, the religious leaders paid the guards “hush money” to lie and claim his body was stolen all the while they stood guard over his grave.

But God, the Leader of the Universe, in a display of his miraculous power turned their evil tactics into good.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew. 27:51–53, NKJV).

What can I say? But God!

When Jesus died, executed on behalf of the Jewish religious authorities, we see in Matthew 27:50, 51 that an earthquake marked His death.

Matthew 27:50-51

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, (Matthew 27:50-51)

Matthew 28:2 lets us know that when He woke up from the dead, another earthquake marked his resurrection.

Matthew 28:2

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. (Matthew 28:2)

Not only that, in a manifestation of His power over the universe, In Matthew 27:51–53, we see that God woke up many of His people who had been sleeping in their graves.

Thus, the moment Jesus woke up from the dead,

“the earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people” (Matt. 27:51–53, NIV).

Those who came forth after the resurrection of Jesus appeared to many, telling them that the sacrifice for man was completed, that Jesus, whom the Jews crucified, had risen from the dead; and in proof of their words they declared, “We be risen with Him.” They bore testimony that it was by His mighty power that they had been called forth from their graves.—Early Writings, p. 184.

These saints were raised glorified meaning that they were raised immortal as a witness of God’s power to wake up the dead. They are the assurance that God’s people will be raised from the dead at Jesus’ Second Coming.

So, right after Jesus’ resurrection, God gave the Jewish people powerful evidence that Jesus was in fact the Savior. Therefore, many people, including some religious leaders accepted Jesus as their Savior. We see evidence of this in Acts 6:7.

Acts 6:7

7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7)

Interesting enough,

“During His ministry, Jesus had raised the dead to life. He had raised the son of the widow of Nain, and the ruler’s daughter and Lazarus. But these were not clothed with immortality. After they were raised, they were still subject to death. But those who came forth from the grave at Christ’s resurrection were raised to everlasting life. They ascended with Him as trophies of His victory over death and the grave. . . . These went into the city, and appeared unto many, declaring, Christ has risen from the dead, and we be risen with Him. Thus was immortalized the sacred truth of the resurrection.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 786. 

When you think about it, the chief priests and elders, that is the religious leaders had great advantages over the people. They held the religious power of the nation and were even able to convince the Roman authorities and the crowds to help them with their schemes to execute Jesus But they forgot one thing

“ ‘ “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” ’ ” (Dan. 4:32, NASB).

Therefore, their lies were contradicted and invalidated by the existence of those resurrected saints.

it does not matter who gets elected. It does not matter who is leading. God is the leader of our universe. No matter how bad things may get, we trust in His ultimate victory for us as we still struggling in this fallen world with leaders who have their own selfish interests at heart.

Yes, things in life may get very bad at times. But we can trust that Jesus already won the battle.

If the testimonies of the dead raised back to life again were not enough convincing evidence that Jesus had risen from the dead, there is more! Check out Day 5, Witnesses of the Risen Christ

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