Death, Burial, and Resurrection – Part 1

The Doctrine of Death, Burial, and Resurrection

The message of the Gospel is centered on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These three essential truths form the foundation of salvation and reveal God’s plan of reconciliation from the very beginning. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

In this three-part study, we will look at how the Old Testament — our “schoolmaster” — points us to Christ, and how each stage of the Gospel is applied in our lives today:

• Part One: Death — Repentance and the sacrifice required for sin

• Part Two: Burial — Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ

• Part Three: Resurrection — The infilling of the Holy Ghost and the new life in Christ

Death

God’s plan is revealed right at the beginning. In Genesis 2:17, God warned Adam: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

When Adam and Eve disobeyed, sin entered the world. Romans 6:23 tells us plainly: “For the wages of sin is death.” Sin brings death because sin is rebellion against God’s commandment. From that moment on, every person born into the world has been born into sin.

The First Sacrifice

But God also revealed something important: with sin, there must be a sacrifice. Genesis 3:21 tells us: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

Though the Bible does not specify what kind of animal was slain, many believe it may have been a lamb. Whatever the case, an innocent life was taken so that Adam and Eve could be covered. Every day, wearing those skins, they must have remembered: “This should have been me. I should have died. God requires a death.”

Abraham and Isaac

We see this truth again in Abraham’s test of faith:

• “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and offer him there for a burnt offering…” (Genesis 22:2).

As Isaac asked about the sacrifice, Abraham answered with prophetic words: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” (Genesis 22:8).

At the last moment, God provided a ram caught in the thicket. Once again, death was required, but God allowed an innocent substitute to take the place of the guilty. Isaac, representing all humanity, could rightly have said: “That should have been me.”

The Passover Lamb

In Egypt, God again demonstrated this truth. On the night of the final plague, He commanded Israel to take a spotless lamb, kill it, eat it, and apply its blood to the doorposts. Exodus 12:13 records God’s promise: “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

That night, every house marked by the blood was spared. Why? Because death had already visited that house — the lamb died in their place. Once again: God requires a death, but He provides a substitute.

Death as Repentance

All of these examples are types and shadows pointing to Jesus, the true “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Just as Israel turned away from Egypt — a type of sin and bondage — we too are called to turn away from our old life. That turning away is repentance.

Repentance is the death of our will, the dying out of our fleshly desires, and the surrender of our own ways to God. Romans 6:6-7 explains: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed… For he that is dead is freed from sin.”

To truly begin to walk with God, we must first experience this death. Without death, there is no burial and no resurrection.

Stay tuned for Part Two of this series: Burial.