Three Witnesses
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16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Introduction
Introduction
visitors
Isaac and Katherine
Alison
Darrell Ward Sat at 7 Christian tabernacle
The Death Burial and Resurrection of Christ is the most pivotal event in world history. All of our hope of heaven, our confidence in Christ, the life that we now live, it all rests on the fact that He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Paul was a witness of His resurrection, and counted himself as such.
Out of the hundreds and even thousands of witnesses, I want to present three witnesses of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ:
1. Simon the Cyrene
1. Simon the Cyrene
Simon witnessed the death of Christ.
Jesus had endured six separate trials. He had been beaten, spit on and abused.
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
He didn’t ask to be involved, he was simply at the right place at the right time.
He stood at a crossroads, and when he was compelled to carry the cross, it changed his life forever.
He was a witness to the death of Christ on the cross. He actually carried the instrument of torture, felt the weight of it, but Jesus carried the sins of the whole world.
33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Simon perhaps watching from the crowd, heard Him say “I Thirst”.
He heard Him cry “Father forgive them”, and he heard Him say “It is Finished”.
What happened to Simon?
He became a Christian. His sons Rufus and Alexander were well known disciples in the early church. His story impacted his people for generations. He is a witness of the death of Christ, and His life changing power.
Lets look at the 2nd witness:
2. Mary Magdalene
2. Mary Magdalene
Mary was one of Jesus helpers.
1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
They provided food and mended clothes.
She loved the Lord because she had been delivered of Seven devils.
She was at the crucifixion.
55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
Mary knew He was dead.
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
She was a witness of His burial.
Why do Christians and Jews bury their dead? Because of the hope of Resurrection.
Everyone who was buried stayed there, except for Lazarus. To be raised to life on the way to the grave is one thing, to be brought out of the grave is another.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
He raises Lazarus after corruption, but there was promised one who would raise before corruption set in.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
He did not appear when they were all there, He waited on Mary.
11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
She was a witness of His death and burial, and the very first witness of His resurrection.
3. Peter the Apostle
3. Peter the Apostle
Simon carried the cross, Mary waited by the tomb, but Peter did everything wrong.
He had to be rebuked by Christ.
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
When Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin, Peter denied he knew Him three times.
He ran home like a coward, didn’t even attend His crucifixion and burial.
John not only outran him to the tomb, but he described every detail of his betrayal.
As a witness he wasn’t very credible.
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
Gifts and callings are without repentance.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Peter recognized Jesus jumped out of the boat and swam to shore to meet Him.
Jesus said “lovest thou me more than these?”. Feed my sheep.
He didn’t seem to be a credible witness.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Peter stood in the same place where 50 days before He was a betrayer of Christ and said “This is That’. He became a witness!
We have seen His resurrection in this age.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
“Because I live, ye live also,” speaking to His Wife. “Because I live, ye live also.” What a resurrection that that was! And what a resurrection this is, to be quickened from the dead, “to be made alive in Christ Jesus,” by God’s quickening Power! 65-0418M - "It Is The Rising Of The Sun"
There has been a resurrection in our day!
And they seen His resurrection. And today we are seeing His resurrection, the sign of His resurrection. Jonah, three days and nights was in the belly of the whale, and on the third day he arose from the whale.
Jesus raised from the dead, after being three days in its belly. Two thousand years He’s been absent from the church. But He promised, through Joel, “What the palmerworm left, the caterpillar eaten.
But I will restore, saith the Lord, all that the palmerworm, and the caterpillar, and the locust, and so forth, eat up. I will restore it in the last days.” 63-0115 - "Accepting God's Provided Way At The End Time"
Look at these witnesses of His resurrection today:
1. The Blind Girl in Jonesboro
1. The Blind Girl in Jonesboro
This happened in our area.
And I just took her by the hand, I said, “Heavenly Father, years ago there was an old rugged cross dragging down through Jerusalem, the streets, dragging out the Bloody footprints of the Bearer.
On His road up the hill, His little, weak, frail, body fell under the load, there was Simon, the Cyrene, came and picked up the cross and helped Him to bear it on.”
I said, “Here is one of his children tonight, staggering in darkness, Lord, I’m sure You understand.” She begin to praise God, she could see. That was all there was to it. She had her sight. 62-0630E - "The Meanest Man In Santa Maria"
2. Hattie Wright Mosier
2. Hattie Wright Mosier
Hattie Wright was a witness.
She was a helper to the Gospel, like Mary Magdalene.
And little old quiet Sister Hattie, setting back there, little dust bonnet on like the country women wear there. And she’d put on a little clean dress to come over to help her mother cook me a dinner.
And she was setting with her hand like this, and she said, “That’s nothing but the Truth.” She said the right thing.
Just as she said that, she said the right thing. The Spirit of the Lord said to me, “Tell her to ask what she will, and you give it to her.”
I couldn’t speak. That room, everybody, felt strange. I said, “Sister Hattie.” She said, “Yes, Brother Branham.”
I said, “Ask anything that’s in your heart, anything that you want to; you ask it, and THUS SAITH THE LORD, I’ll speak it behind you and you’ll have it.”
She said, “The salvation of my two boys.” I said, “You have it, in the Name of the Lord.” And those two little modern teen-age snicklefritz boys, that had hated the very cause of Christ grabbed one another and begin to scream the blessings of God.
The power of God struck that place. Banks fell into his plate. I don’t know what happened for about ten minutes.
Friend, do you realize what that was? I have never in all my life had felt such anointing. The first time it was ever performed on a human being, it bypassed aristocrats, it bypassed everything else, and went to a poor little old widow woman living up on the hill there.
And God knowed what she’d ask. Her two boys was gloriously saved the very minute it was spoken. 59-1123 - "Speak To This Mountain"
She was a witness. When she acknowledged a Prophet’s words were true, her family was saved.
3. I Am a Witness
3. I Am a Witness
I am a witness of the power of His resurrection.
Like Simon, I know His power breaks family curses.
Like Mary Magdalene I am a witness of His mercy. I didn’t see Him buried but I was buried with Him in baptism.
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Like Peter He has healed my backslidings.
Like the blind girl my eyes have been opened.
Like Hattie I know when I acknowledge this Message is nothing but the Truth, my children are saved.
I am a witness.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
I wasn’t there to see William Branham’s ministry, but that same resurrected Jesus is here this morning, proving His resurrection in us.
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Are you a witness? You can be. Are you willing to carry the cross? Will you change your family history? Will you be buried with Him in Baptism and be filled with the Holy Ghost?