The Resurrection of Christ

Text: Luke 24:25-27, 45-51; 1Cor. 15:12-23; Acts 1:1-3, 10-11; Eph. 4:7-10; Heb. 2:9; 7:22-28

Memory Verses: 1Tim. 3:16                                                                

Theme: We believe the Lord Jesus literally arose from the dead.   

Aims: I hope to deepen your convictions, fuel your worship, and enlarge your appreciation for the resurrection and ascension of Christ. May God help each of us to respond appropriately to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Relevance:

Why is the Resurrection & Ascension of Jesus Christ so important?

 Much of the Lord Jesus’ resurrection and ascension will remain a mystery if we don’t understand what He did and why He did it. We need to know what Jesus did and why He did it, or these acts will be shrouded in mystery. He and the significance of these events will remain a puzzle to us. We will not have as much personal trust in Him, as much appreciation for Him, or as much confidence in sharing Him with others as we could have.

It is important for us to understand what Jesus is doing now so that we don’t feel alone and helpless as we live, and so that we don’t get the impression that things are out of control and God doesn’t have a plan that He is working out. God does have a plan.

Why do we need to know about the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus?

If we don’t believe the resurrection is true, then the Lord Jesus cannot be God. He is just another human. The Bible cannot be trusted, and there is no hope for life after death, for divine guidance, or for truth or morality in this life. Human history pivots on the resurrection. If it is true, there is hope: if it is not true, then there is no reason to hope for meaningful earthly existence or life after death.

 

Introduction:

            Did Jesus rise from the dead? Both the Bible and history confirm that Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus definitely died on the cross. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people witnessed it. The Romans were not careless executioners; they knew when a person was dead. They had ways of making sure. They broke the legs of the person so he could not support himself to breath any more, and he asphyxiated. But Jesus needed no bones broken. He was already dead. To be sure, the Roman speared his side. No reaction. Blood and water came out, a sign of legal death. The executioner had to verify the death to Pilate. If he had gotten it wrong, it would have meant his death. Finally, if those certain events had never happened, a historian would have corrected the lie. Jesus definitely died.

They buried Him just before the Sabbath. Three days later, the disciples went to the tomb and found it empty. There was no one to deny it. All anyone would have had to do to put an end to the rumor was to produce the body. They could not.

There are only two possibilities—the tomb was either empty or it was not. If it was not, the Christian claim would have been stomped out immediately. So, it was empty. If it was empty, there are two possibilities. Someone stole the body, or else Jesus rose from the dead.

Who would have wanted the body? Jesus' enemies? No. They wanted Him in the grave. They wouldn't have stolen it. Would His friends have wanted the body? Perhaps, but they would not have tried to steal it, and if they had they would have failed.

The disciples did not understand the resurrection until afterward. They were not expecting Him to rise. Additionally, had they tried to steal His body, the Roman guard would have prevented it. Finally, the disciples would not have dedicated their lives and paid with their lives for spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth if they had known the resurrection was a lie.

If Jesus' body was not removed by His enemies or His friends, the answer that remains is that He rose from the dead, just as He said He would (Matthew 28:6).—Max Anders

Lesson:

I.                The Resurrection of Jesus Christ—Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a biblical, theological, and historical reality. Though many have questioned its veracity, some have outright denied it as a lie, yet others have investigated it and found it to be undeniably true. Then there are those of us who have believed it because the Scriptures unmistakably declare it and our lives have been changed significantly because of it (1Cor. 15:3-11).

A.    The Resurrection of Christ Denied—How do some explain away Christ’s resurrection?

The resurrection of Christ is the single Bible teaching that Satan hates the most. He has through the centuries tried to ridicule, down play, discredit, deny, and explain it away. The following are some of those unsuccessful attempts by wicked men to deny the resurrection of Christ.

1.The Fraud Theory. They hold that Jesus and or His disciples invented the whole thing. They suppose that Jesus used the ancient prophesies as a road map and followed them like a script. But it is difficult to map out where you would be born (Mic. 5:2), how you would die (Ps. 22:16), and how you would avoid the Roman soldiers breaking your bones (Jn. 19:30-37).

2.The Swoon Theory. They think that Christ merely fainted on the Cross and then later revived in the coolness of the tomb. But the Scriptures say Christ died (1Cor. 15:3). This idea requires far more faith than the truth of the resurrection. It requires that one believe that after his whipping and crucifixion Christ recovered so dramatically that the disciples worshiped Him as God.

3.The Vision Theory. They allege that the disciples used some primitive form of LSD and as a result saw visions of Christ. This is extraordinary because there were over 500 believers who all saw Christ at once (1Cor. 15:6)! That must have been some powerful stuff!

4.The Spirit Theory. This is the idea that only Jesus’ spirit arose, not his physical body. But this is incredible because it does not explain how the Lord invited the disciples to physically touch Him (Luke 24:39; Jn. 20:17, 27) and how He eat fish before them (Luke 24:42; Acts 10:41).

5.The Heart Theory. This theory holds that Jesus was only resurrected in the heart of his friends. The difficulty is that the disciples did not anticipate the resurrection, and when the ladies told them of Christ’s resurrection some still did not believe it (Mark 16:9-14).

6.Over the years many skeptics have scoffed at the resurrection of Christ. Several examined the historical evidence with the purpose of disproving the resurrection of Christ only to find themselves overwhelmed with solid evidence for the resurrection. These findings, arguments, and evidences can be studied in Frank Morison’ “Who Moved the Stone?,” J.N.D. Anderson’s “The Evidence for the Resurrection,” and Josh McDowell’s “Evidence that Demands a Verdict.”

B.     The Resurrection of Christ Declared—What does the Bible say about Christ’s resurrection?

The best source of insight into the resurrection of Christ is the Scriptures. There you will find that His resurrection was anticipated, executed, and declared with brilliant clarity and conviction to saving of sinners.

1.What Bible Passages present the strongest declarations that Jesus Christ actually rose from the dead?

2.Consider these OT Passages.

                                                                    i.            David’s prediction (Ps. 16:10)

                                                                  ii.            Isaiah’s prediction (Isa. 53:9-12)

3.Consider these NT Passages.

                                                                    i.            The Lord Jesus’ predictions (Matt. 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:19, 22, 23; 20:18, 19; Jn. 2:18-22)

                                                                  ii.            The Lord Jesus’ appearances (John 20:11-17; Matt. 28:9-15; Luke 24:34; 1Cor. 15:5; Mark 16:12, 13; Luke 24:13-35; John 20:26-29; 1Cor. 15:6, 7; Matt. 28:16-20)

                                                                iii.            The Apostle Paul’s explanations (1Cor. 15:20-23; Rom. 10:7-17; Col. 2:10-15)

4.Consider these Proofs of the Resurrection

                                                                    i.            Credibility refers to the acceptance of a fact in a manner that deserves belief; it is belief based upon good authority, reliable facts, and competent witnesses.—William Evans

                                                                  ii.            Acts 1:1-3, The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ² Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: ³ To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

                                                                iii.            The empty tomb

                                                                iv.            The tremendous change in the lives of the disciples

                                                                  v.            The change from Saturday to Sunday as the primary day of worship

                                                                vi.            The existence of the church and her continuation

                                                              vii.            Consider these proof passages also (Acts 13:31; 1Cor. 15:5-7; 1John 1:1)

C.    The Resurrection of Christ Described—How is Christ’s resurrection portrayed?

What kind of body did Christ rise from the grave with? What kind of body can we expect to have for all eternity? (1John 3:1-3)

1.Christ’s resurrection body had flesh and bones (Luke 24:39, 40)

2.Christ ate food in His new resurrection body (Luke 24:41-43; Jn. 21:12, 13)

3.Christ’s resurrection body still had evidence of His crucifixion (Jn. 20:27; Luke 24:40; Rev. 5:6)

4.Christ’s resurrection body was no longer subject to natural laws (Jn. 20:19; Luke 24:31, 36)

5.Christ’s resurrection was an expression of the awesome power and will of the Triune Godhead (Jn. 10:18; Acts 2:30-36; Rom. 1:4)

D.    The Resurrection of Christ Distinguished—Why is Christ’s resurrection so important?

1.Christ’s resurrection is utterly different from all others (Jn. 11:1-44; 1Cor. 15:20, 23). He will never die again and His glorified body is not subject to weakness, aging, and death, but will live eternally (Phil. 3:20-21).

2.Christ’s resurrection is the foundation for all future resurrections (1Cor. 15:20-23; Acts 17:31).

                                                                    i.            The Rapture Resurrection (1Cor. 15:53; 1Thess. 4:16)

                                                                  ii.            The Premillennial Resurrections (Jn. 5:24-30; Dan. 12:2; Rev. 20:4-6)

3.Christ’s resurrection is fundamental to Christianity (1Cor. 15:12-19). It is so vital that without it, there is no reality to the Christian Faith!

                                                                    i.            All gospel preaching has been, is now, and always will be useless (15:12-14)

                                                                  ii.            All past, present, and future faith is futile (15:14)

                                                                iii.            All preachers become notorious liars (15:15)

                                                                iv.            All living Christians are still guilty of their sins (15:15-17)

                                                                  v.            All departed Christians are in Hell (15:18)

                                                                vi.            All reason and purpose for life is destroyed (15:19)

4.Christ’s resurrection is distinguished for its achievements

                                                                    i.            For Christ

a.       It is the mark of His deity (Rom. 1:4; Acts 10:40)

b.      He is exalted as Savior and Lord (Acts 5:30, 31; Phil. 2:9-11)

c.       He is given to the Church as the Head (Eph. 1:19-23)

d.      His teachings, ministry, and authority were validated (Matt. 12:38-42; Jn. 2:13-22)

                                                                  ii.            For Believers

a.       It guarantees our justification (Rom. 4:25)

b.      It guarantees our power and strength each day (Eph. 1:18-2:10; Phil. 3:10)

c.       It guarantees daily forgiveness through our High Priest (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25)

d.      It guarantees our own resurrection (John 14:19; 1Thess. 4:14; 2Cor. 4:14)

                                                                iii.            For Sinners

a.       It is a warning of coming judgment (Acts 17:31)

b.      It is the substance of conversion faith (Rom. 10:7-17)

                                                                iv.            For Satan

a.       It seals his doom for all eternity (Heb. 2:14; Rev. 20:10)

b.      It was the death blow to his kingdom and authority (Col. 2:10-12, 15)

5.If the resurrection is true, the implications are staggering.

                                                                    i.            First, we can be sure that Jesus was who He claimed to be. The apostle Paul wrote, “[He] was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3–4).

                                                                  ii.            Second, if Jesus rose from the dead, we can be sure that everything else He said was true. Most importantly, He did make possible the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life. Again, the apostle Paul wrote, “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:25).

                                                                iii.            Third, if He rose from the dead, we can be assured of our own resurrection and eternal life. “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17). But if Christ has risen, our faith is not futile and we are not still in our sins.

                                                                iv.            And, it is as Jesus said in John 14:2–3: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

                                                                  v.            If Jesus has been raised from the dead, if He has been raised to a new and deathless life, then best of all, He is still alive!

6.Napoleon is reputed to have said,

I marvel that whereas the ambitious dreams of myself, Caesar, Alexander, should have vanished into thin air, a Judean peasant, Jesus, should be able to stretch His hands across the destinies of men and nations.

I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I myself have founded empires; but upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded his empire upon love; and to this very day millions would die for him.

When you look at the facts of the resurrection, without having made up your mind ahead of time against it, the birth, explosive growth, and permanent survival of the church are powerful evidence for the truth of the resurrection.