He Is Risen
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very heart of Christianity. The foundation!
I Corinthians 15:12-22 – “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
Let us return to the first century as we take a glimpse into the first Easter. While Jesus was alive, he had predicted that He would rise from the dead.
John 2:19-22 – “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”
The leaders who killed Jesus were aware of this prediction that He would rise from the dead. So they posted a guard at the tomb and put a seal on the stone.
Matthew 27:62-66 – “The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 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.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”
Despite their efforts, Jesus rose from the dead.
John 11:25 – “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;”
Note for clarification: tradition has Christ crucified on Friday the ninth hour or at 3:00 pm and laid to rest at about 6:00 pm. Then rising from the dead at dawn on Sunday.
Luke 23:54 – “It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.”
I Corinthians 15:4 – “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”
How do we get 3 days from Friday at 3:00 pm to Sunday at dawn?
Roman method of time was 12:00am to 12:00am as we use today.
The Hebrew method of time was 6:00pm to 6:00pm.
In either case when an event took place within a certain day regardless of the time of the event it was counted as that being the first day.
So both methods of time give us 3 days.
Acts 2:29-36 -“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ” ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ‘”Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
On Easter morning some women went to the tomb expecting to find His body.
But the tomb was empty and an angel spoke to them.
Matthew 28:1-15 – “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.”
Luke wrote in the book of Acts that Jesus gave many convincing proofs that He was alive.
Acts 1:3-4 – “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wai t for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.”
Acts 10:39-41 – “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.”
Also we have an invitation to breakfast.
John 21:12-14 – “Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
He also says ‘touch me and see.’
Luke 24:36-43 – “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.”
We need to understand that when Christ died on the cross that Friday afternoon, his disciples were crushed of all the hope that they ever had.
To see Jesus vanish away in death was devastating to say the least.
But when they saw that the grave could not hold Him, that moved them in such a way that they were willing to suffer martyrdom for their faith.
Some Christians never see Jesus as the resurrected one. They live their lives as though He is still in the tomb. Therefore they don’t experience victory over sin in their life. They keep Him on the cross with the look of a dead man’s face.
Many people deny the resurrection, from the Sadducees of the first century up until the twentieth century theologians Karl Barth and Rudolf Bultmann.
Most liberal churches deny the resurrection.
In the first 3 centuries Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, Europe, Asia, Africa, and just about everywhere else. In 426 we saw the beginning of the dark ages, lasting 1200 years, during which over 50 million believers were killed for their faith in the resurrection.
Before that, the disciples of Jesus were brutally killed for their faith in the resurrection.
Stephen stoned, Matthew slain in Ethiopia, Mark dragged through the streets until dead, Luke hanged, Peter and Simeon were crucified, Andrew tied to cross, James beheaded, Philip crucified and stoned, Bartholomew flayed alive, Thomas pierced with lances, James the less thrown from the Temple and beaten to death, Jude shot with arrows until dead, Matthias stoned to death and Paul beheaded.
No resurrection = no Hope.
What significance does the resurrection have for us who believe? We see the clear demonstration of the power of the true God.
Ephesians 1:18-21 – “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”
The resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is God.
Romans 1:4 – “and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Our salvation depends on our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:9 – “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
The resurrection of Jesus Christ secured our justification.
Romans 4:25 – “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
The resurrection enables us to live life in a new way.
Romans 6:4 – “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
We see that all will be raised from the dead. Some to eternal bliss and some to eternal torment.
John 5:27-29 – “And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
How do you respond to the resurrection?
Will you receive Him as your Savior today?
He is knocking on the door to your heart, will you let Him in?
