Jesus: The Risen Lord

Introduction

John 20:29 “Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””

He’s alive! He is Risen and He’s alive! Praise the Lord! That’s a pretty bold claim, isn’t it? A man who died 2,000 years ago, when there were little medical capabilities, after He had been tortured, crucified, and laid in a tomb for 3 days, that man rose from the dead and still lives to this day? Does the premise itself sound very believable? If it were anybody other than Jesus we would never believe it. So, what makes Jesus’ proposed resurrection real?

There’s a lot at stake. Our entire faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus has not been raised from the dead then there is no point in being a Christian. The apostle Paul even admits this, 1 Corinthians 15:12–19 “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 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. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” The resurrection of Jesus is a big deal. And Paul does not end his thought there, he continues and declares: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

Everything we’ve talked about these last several weeks: that Jesus is God in flesh, the Teacher, the Light of the world, the Healer, the Prophet, the Perfect Sacrifice, and more is not true if Jesus did not rise from the dead.

Let’s look at some of the evidence and ask ourselves, “What is the most logical conclusion?”

I. The Empty Tomb (vs. 1-10)

A. It is well documented and accepted that Jesus had died and His tomb is empty

1. Atheist N.T. scholar Gerd Ludemann said, “Jesus’ death as a consequence of crucifixion is indisputable”

2. Historian D. H. Van Daalen says, “It is extremely difficult to object to the empty tomb on historical grounds; those who deny it do so on the basis of theological or philosophical assumptions”

3. New Testament Scholar, N. T. Wright, “That is why, as a historian, I cannot explain the rise of early Christianity unless Jesus rose again, leaving an empty tomb behind”

B. The question is, “How did Jesus’ body leave?” There are only two options: 1) the disciples stole the body or 2) Jesus walked out on His own

1. It does not make any sense for the disciples to steal the body:

a. First, they hid in a house for fear of the Jews (vs. 19), there was no boldness to attempt the theft

b. Second, there were trained Roman soldiers keeping watch over the tomb

1. Illus. Let’s say you woke up one morning and decided, “I’m going to eat lunch with the president today.” No appointment, no warning, no reason other than you just want to. So, you pack up and drive to Washington. What is the likelihood of you being able to walk past the security with no issues? None. You would be detained and arrested the moment your foot touched down.

2. The disciples (most of whom were fishermen) would have had to fight multiple trained soldiers, be strong enough after this apocalyptic fight to roll a 450 lb. boulder uphill that took a legion of soldiers to move downhill, and hide the now stolen body somewhere that it could never be discovered. Does that make much sense? No

c. Third, the disciples did not get wealth and prestige, they got persecution and lived in poverty. They gained nothing by preaching Jesus, at least, nothing of monetary value. The only reason they could have to preach Jesus risen is if He actually did and the result is eternal life beyond this world

2. If Jesus is truly God and He had the power to rise from the dead then He had the power to move the boulder away from the tomb, strike fear into the soldiers so they became like dead men, and walk out by His own will. Only when the disciples saw Him alive did they believe and begin to proclaim Him (vs. 20-29)

3. Which explanation best suits the empty tomb? Doubtful, terrified disciples mount a rescue attempt only to be belittled and persecuted? Or, Jesus actually rose from the dead by the power of God?

II. Women were the First to See the Resurrected Lord (vs. 1, 11-18)

A. If you were making up a story and pawning it off as true then you would put believable details for the time it was supposed to take place

1. Illus. Let me tell you a story about something that happened to me last week. I was out for a run in the morning, the sun was rising on a cool, crisp March morning. It was beautiful and a great day for a run. When I was about halfway through the run a car pulled up and stopped next to me. I was a bit confused and concerned about what this person could want. But out comes Usain Bolt and I stopped dead in my tracks with my jaw hanging open. He walked up and said to me, “What’s your name, bud?” So, I told him and he said, “Chris, you have impeccable form while running. You’re really gonna go places if you train hard.” After taking a picture together he got in his car and drove off, so I continued my run

2. Is that story believable? Hardly. Why? The details I gave were ridiculous. Usain Bolt was driving through rural Roann, IN, he complimented my running form (if you’ve ever seen that you’d know it was a lie). The story was unbelievable because the facts I gave didn’t fit

B. Women were not very well respected in Jesus’ day, they were second-class citizens. They were not even allowed to testify in any legal case

1. So, why would the authors of the time knowingly insert women into such a prominent role in the resurrection account?

a. If you were trying to fabricate a convincing story then you would make it as believable as possible

b. The gospel writers had nothing to gain by putting in this detail, except historical accuracy

2. The only reason you would risk ridicule for placing a skeptical detail in the story is if it really happened, because it is a true telling of a historical event.

III. The disciples Turned from Afraid/Unbelieving to Powerful Witnesses Overnight (vs. 19-31)

A. Which scenario is more likely? The disciples found a way to defeat multiple trained soldiers, move a 450 lb. boulder, and steal the body of Jesus? Or, they gained confidence after seeing the resurrected Lord to preach, saying, “He is alive!”?

1. American historian and scholar of early Christianity, Paula Fredriksen (former Catholic who converted to Judaism), wrote, “I know in their own terms what they saw was the raised Jesus… I’m not saying that they really did see the raised Jesus. I wasn’t there. I don’t know what they saw. But I do know that as a historian that they must have seen something”

2. Atheistic New Testament scholar Gerd Ludemann concludes, "It may be taken as historically certain that Peter and the disciples had experiences after Jesus' death in which Jesus appeared to them as the risen Christ.”

B. The disciples from here on out are called apostles in Scripture

1. They were the ones sent with a mission to preach Jesus as the Risen Lord

a. Why would they do that and risk the same fate as the crucified Jesus unless they were witnesses of Him alive after death?

b. “Liars make poor martyrs” -Unknown

2. They got to see Jesus alive and wrote down their testimony so that those who read it may believe the evidence they present that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and the Risen Lord

Application:

These 3 lines of evidence we just discussed are only the tip of the iceberg for the resurrection of Jesus. What is the logical conclusion of the tomb being empty, women getting to see Jesus first, and unbelieving disciples turning into powerful witnesses?

We are left with a choice to make about who Jesus is and that will change the thrust of our lives. Let’s consider what C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

What will you choose? Is Jesus a liar, a lunatic, or is He Lord? If He is the Risen Lord then dedicate your life to pursuing Him! Learn who He is, walk in His ways, and have the same purpose: to bring glory to the Father in His Name.