Proofs of the Resurrection
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If we were to be reading out of a modern version of the Bible this morning we would see that it reads...
Modern Versions*** Some manuscripts end the book with 16:8; others include verses 9–20 immediately after verse 8. At least one manuscript inserts additional material after verse 14; some manuscripts include after verse 8 the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. These manuscripts then continue with verses 9–20
What they would have us assume is that Mark 9-20 shouldn’t be included in the Canon of Scripture… But, here is the problem, that without a record of the actual physical resurrection of Christ, you are left with an incomplete gospel.
Mark 16:9-20 were found in every Greek manuscript that there were in the entire world except two… The Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, which are manuscripts that were written sometime in the 4th century. They included the Apocrypha as scripture and even included several New Testament Apocryphal books.
The argument is that these verses were not in the original and oldest manuscripts, but their were people who quoted the Bible in their writing before 325 AD who quoted Mark 16:9-20
202 AD it was quoted in the writings of Irenaeus
397 AD it was quoted in the writings of Ambrose
430 AD were even quoted by Augustine and we know how corrupt he was in his theology.
Here’s the reality is that Mark 16:9-20 was dropped on the authority on the authority of 2 Greek manuscripts in opposition to the majority of the Greek manuscripts of which every single one of them included these verses.
These verses were dropped on the authority of one man, his name was John Anthony Hort… Westcott and Hort produced the revised standard version in 1891.
The Vaticanus manuscript today is in a museum, and do you know what it interesting which no one wants to talk about is that as Mark comes to a close, the scribe left space enough for those verses to be written, but for some reason they were not included.
If Mark 16:9-20 is to be left out based on the Authority of the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, that means Hebrews 9-13, Titus, Philemon, Revelation, Genesis 1-46, Psalm 105-137 doesn’t belong there either because none of these verses are included. The point is this, that none of the modern versions actually follow the manuscript they claim they follow…
Why are those verses left out? Let’s look at how important that chapter is!
Mark 16:9-20 deal with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and many of the evidences given to us!
Mark 16:9-11, The first evidence is Him being seen by Mary Magdalene.
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. 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. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Jewish tradition says that when you are at a table and they leave but they place their napkin folden on the table it means that they are going to return. Here though beyond that I want you to see what is more important than tradition…
No body if they were going to steal away a body is going to first of all remove the burial clothes, and absolutely no body is going to leave the head napkin folden in it’s own place. Common sense tells us that, right wouldn’t it be easier if the body was wound to just grab the body and go? Why were the linen clothes there? because He had risen!
Do you remember what Jesus told those bystanders when He raised Lazarus from the dead?
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Why? Because he no longer was dead but he was alive!
Jesus said to Martha...
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Now when we see those clothes there, the evidence is astonishing!
Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 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. 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. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 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. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
Why didn’t she know it was Jesus? I believe it was simply because she didn’t believe He would rise from the dead. He doesn’t look any different, He doesn’t sound any different, He is the same Lord that she anointed four days ago, but she doesn't know who He is because she believed He was dead though He said He would rise!!!
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Matthew 28 tells us that He appeared to the other women...
After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
He appeared to His disciples...
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.
He appeared to the disciples without Thomas, then a week later in
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
We learn much about His resurrected body… He appears and disappears, He passes through walls, but He wasn’t a spirit but could be touched, and ate just to enjoy food...
He appears to them while they are fishing...
He appears to them to commission them in Luke 24...
Paul tells us in
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 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. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 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. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
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: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 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. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Mark 16:14… They believed not… They had a hard time believing the testimonies of their Lord’s resurrection. Why?
For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Jesus told those two on the road to Emmaus “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:”
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The prophets have spoken, the prophecies written...
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The word of God is testimony enough and proof enough that Jesus rose from the dead!
The Bible tells us some things that God cannot do...
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Everything you believe in your life, can I say this… You can trust God...
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Remember the kingdom was offered through Acts 7… We don’t as Peter preached that if Israel repented, believed and was Baptized then Jesus would come back and establish His kingdom right then and their… We preach the Gospel of Christ! We are not waiting for His kingdom, although we anticipate its greatness, as New Testament believers we are waiting for the gathering together of the saints in the clouds, where the dead in Christ will rise first!
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Listen, before we muddy the waters anymore… The Apostles came to this understanding when they came together concerning those works which the Jews practiced…
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Jesus is the power source… Not me, not you, not humanity, not anybody… It’s JESUS!
Mark 16:16 is often quoted by those who want to make baptism part of salvation… It’s not… Look at the whole verse… What condemns a man? His baptism or his unbelief…
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Peter preaching at the house of Cornelius.
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
We see here that it was not baptism that made them candidates to receive the Holy Ghost, but that them receiving the Holy Ghost made them candidates for Baptism. We must understand the importance of that!
And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Peter when talking about the flood in 1 Peter 3 he speaks of the conscience not the saving of a soul...
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
The water was that which bore Noah and his family up, however the water did not save…
Baptism is a picture of the death burial and resurrection of our Lord! The context of 1 Peter 3 is indeed obedience, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts… The product of that obedience through the cleansing and washing of water by God’s word is a pure conscience...
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Peter makes sure we understand that Baptism, doesn’t save but is a figure which puts us in good conscience toward God...
Belief saves the sinner, not Baptism...
Mark 17-18
Casting out of devils… For all the casting out of devils that Paul does he never one times commands the church to do it...
Tongues… Acts 2:8-11 defines tongues as known languages and it even tells us which languages are spoken, the miracle being this… They were spoken but someone who previously didn’t know that language.
Taking up serpents - The only example was an accident. Paul was picking up sticks and the serpent was in the pile of sticks, he was bitten and he lived… There’s the sign…
drinking deadly poison - not commanded but what if someone tried to poison Paul… He would have lived, there is your sign.
Healing the sick...
Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
If this was for today, it wouldn’t be in controlled environments but in cancer hospitals, and children’s hospitals.
Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.
Why didn’t he just heal him? He was a Gentile...
What’s the point? The world needs to know about the Resurrected Saviour, the truth of the Gospel, and what’s real and what’s not...
A Christian should lift up his hands and give, he should lift up his eyes and look, he should lift up his heart and pray, he should lift up his feet and go, he should lift up his voice and speak.
Together...
vs. 19-20 God gave them a job, and they went together...
Jesus at the right hand of God proves that the atonement for our sins is completed, He sent His Spirit to indwell us, from there He sits at the head of His spiritual body the church, from the right hand of God the Father, He makes intercession for those who have trusted Him as their Lord and Saviour, according to Romans 8:24...
This is where our affections should be...
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: