The Resurrection Of Christ
The Life Of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: The Life of Christ
Hope: To draw closer to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, through a study of his life and teachings here on earth.
Last week we examined the excruciating situation Jesus went through during his trials and eventual hanging on the tree, the cross.
How his backbone and ribs were likely exposed after the flogging.
How he had to carry, at minimum, a 125 pound upper portion of the cross after all this.
How he was nailed to the cross to take away our shame, guilt, and curse that sin brought into our lives.
Today, we are going to now take our attention from the darkest day in human history to the most beautiful, “The Resurrection Of Christ.”
1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” 11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers
13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Three days after Jesus’ death everything changed.
Early on the first day of the week, news began to spread that this Jesus, whom so many had seen crucified on the cross, was no longer in the grave.
How were people taking this news?
Some, like the Mary Magdalene and James and Joseph’s mother Mary, reported that Jesus had risen.
Jesus’ own disciples doubted at first that this could be true.
We all remember Thomas’ words…
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
The Jewish leadership was busy trying to squash this news.
They even paid the guards to say Jesus’ disciples stole Jesus’ body.
11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’
As we look closer at this historic event there are several things that must be keenly aware of.
So, with that in mind, let’s begin by looking at our first point…
All This Took Place
All This Took Place
Jesus Did Really Die.
Jesus Did Really Die.
It’s hard to believe but there are some that think Jesus just “walked away after his burial” yet when we consider what he went through before his death, this is simply impossible.
Remember he went through 6 trials in less than a day’s time.
He was beaten, slapped, flogged, and had a crown of thorns forced into his skull.
He was paraded through the streets while carrying his cross for a time.
He was nailed to that cross.
He was also confirmed dead by the executioners, as they thrust a spear through his side and into his heart.
And if that was not enough, all this was witnessed by both his disciples and his enemies.
His actually death is, in reality, without doubt to anyone with the use of their brain.
Even Pilate verified he was dead.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph.
We can also be assured that…
Jesus Did Really Get Buried.
Jesus Did Really Get Buried.
Remember, a member of the respected Sanhedrin is the one who took the body and had it buried in his family tomb.
43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
We know Jesus’ body embalmed with about 75 pounds of spices.
39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
The tomb that Jesus was buried in had a large stone placed in front of the entrance for the very purpose of keeping Jesus’ disciples from stealing the body.
63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
The stone has been estimated to way as much as two tons. It was heavy enough that the women had no idea how they were going to “get into the tomb” to adhere to the rest of the Jewish burial rites.
This burial was also witnessed.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
Again we can be assured Jesus’ body was indeed buried.
Let us then take our attention to the fact that…
Jesus Did Really Rise From The Dead.
Jesus Did Really Rise From The Dead.
It is without dispute that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb it had been at.
The stone that had been placed in front of the entrance had been moved.
3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.
As we noticed before, the guards had reported and the Jewish leadership confirmed, that Jesus’ body was not in the grave.
Thus, both Jew and Gentiles confessed Jesus was not in the grave.
Jesus’ clothing was even folded nicely and left in the tomb.
Not only that, but once again there were many witnesses that Jesus rose from the dead.
The fact that women were the first ones to witness the resurrection is not something any Jew or even Jesus’ own apostles would have “made up.”
Josephus would write, “But let not a single witness be credited; but three, or two at least, and those such whose testimony is confirmed by their good lives. But let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex.”
Women were not the only witnesses, Peter and John witnessed an empty tomb.
At one point 500 people were witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection.
6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
Now many have suggested that the apostles and others that claimed to have witnessed the empty tomb and witnessed the “resurrected Jesus” were simply lying, as to become the important people they eventually became in the historical account.
On question must be asked though.
Why would so many be willing to die for something they did not actually witness, in the beginning?
Why would any Pharisee become a Christian if they had not discovered the truth?
5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
Why would Paul, who believed in all good conscience that Jesus was a fraud, the Christian movement was a sin, and that all who listened should be silenced, at a moments notice change his mind on all of it and be willing to die for Jesus and the movement.
1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
I’ll tell you why, because Paul was not taught by “any man” but God himself.
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Summary
Summary
Yes Jesus was not only murdered and buried, but he also rose from death on the first day of the week.
And Jesus’ resurrection was not like all those that had be “raise from the dead before” because they all died again, no Jesus’ was raised to “die no more.”
9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
But why is it so important to “know” Jesus was raise from the dead?
That brings us to our second point…
We Are Not Pitiful
We Are Not Pitiful
What If Jesus Has Not Risen?
What If Jesus Has Not Risen?
If Jesus was not raise on the third day, the first day of the week, then…
Every preacher has been teaching false teaching.
Our faith in the bible is useless.
Our hope in eternity is baseless.
If Jesus did not rise on that third day, then there is no eternal life.
This is why…
Salvation Requires The Resurrection.
Salvation Requires The Resurrection.
Notice Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Summary
Summary
It’s simply not good enough to “think Jesus has been raised from the dead” but rather we must “know he has been raised from the dead.”
Our faith in the resurrection of our Savior is not “blind” but “built.”
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The reality is far too many simply do not have enough faith that Jesus did indeed rise from the grave and overcome sin.
They love the idea and “wish with all their heart” it is true but we know they don’t have real faith in it because their life doesn’t reflect such.
We, who know the truth, have faith in the truth, must demonstrated to those that don’t how wonderful and powerful the truth of the resurrection is.
We must be that beacon of light to all!!!
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.