Proof of Life

Text: Luke 24

Central Idea of the Text: Christ rises from the dead and is seen by men, women & angels.

Proposition: The fact of the Resurrection is the pivotal point of history that calls for a response from every person.

Purpose: All hearers should come to the point of response: Christ is risen. He alone holds power over death and grave. What will you do with him?

It is great for God’s people to be under the same roof, proclaiming with one voice: “He is risen, indeed.” For nearly 2000 years, this has been the commemoration of the church. The day of worship, Sunday, is literally chosen because of what Christ did on the first day. He rose from the dead. Our very days and weeks and years are oriented around it. Church meeting places, great hospitals, schools & universities, built in his name and named after him. King and Lord, his name is Jesus, proven in his resurrection. And this is his exclusive title, glory and honor: King of Kings & Lord of Lords. Nobody else compares. Jesus is singular. Consider some of the large and looming figures of History ....

This is the tomb of Mao Ze Dong. For 30+ years, Mao led the Communist revolution in China, and he is the Chairman that many still love and fear. He oversaw much powerful rule, censorship and bloodshed. He died in 1973, but his large tomb was built in the middle of Beijing, and millions still pass through to remember their dear leader. But he is still there, preserved under glass. That tomb is still occupied, and Mao is neither almighty or all powerful.

This is the tomb of Mohammed. Mohammed was the revered prophet of Islam, who’s religion has spread its lies and violence worldwide. Though he claimed to be a prophet higher than Abraham or Jesus, he would die. His tomb is still occupied, and every year Islamic pilgrims gather from around the world to Medina to honor their dear prophet. But there is still a body there, along with the bodies of his other key supporters. Mohammed is neither almighty nor all powerful.

This is the tomb of Elvis Presley. He was buried in the backyard of his Graceland mansion. Apparently, he wasn’t supposed to be buried there, but someone tried to steal the body, so the family resorted to a more secure location. Of course, many of us know that for decades, rumors of elvis faking his own death and Elvis sightings were a regular occurrence on the covers of tabloids, but for some reason, those rumors never amounted to much. Yes, much to the dismay of your oldies loving grannie, it does appear that the king of rock and roll did overdose on drugs, and his body is still sitting in that tomb. Elvis is neither almighty nor all powerful.

No, none of these notable figures is alive. They all influenced many in political, religious and pop culture ways, but their enduring legacy will ultimately remain in the tomb with them, especially at the end of history. But there is one tomb that is not occupied, and that is the tomb of Jesus Christ. There is a cross, but it is empty. Those empty locations lead us to today’s event that we celebrate the Jesus that the disciples mourned on Saturday, was raised on Sunday, and he is the same Jesus that is still alive today.

Today, we zoom in for a few short minutes on the resurrection and the evidence for it found in Luke 24. We won’t read the entire text this morning, but I would ask that you follow along and note the evidence with me from Luke 24 with me. Would you pray with me for our time in the word? Lord, we thank you for the true hope that we have because Jesus is alive. I thank you that because of your Holy Spirit in believers, we can know that you are truly present with us in this place today. I pray that your Holy Spirit would open the eyes and ears of those who have not yet believed or received your promises to see the risen Jesus clearly, and to turn from their sin and follow Him, being obedient in baptism and all discipleship. Jesus is alive! We praise you in His name, amen.

I do not want to mess around today, because this is a 7 point sermon. But those 7 points are seven proofs. As we said of Luke, he gives a detailed, well-structured, eyewitness based account of the life of Jesus. He gave great detail to the life and ministry of Jesus. He has proved his authority is the authority of God, and Luke has shown that Jesus loves with the great love of God. Now that he has died the greatest of martyr death’s, he can simply be honored with prayers and pilgrimages like all the other famous dead people, right? Wrong. Luke gives a full chapter’s worth of attention and color to speak of the Risen Jesus. And it is in this Gospel that we want to make 7 stops in these eyewitness account, to note 7 pieces of evidence that truly engage all 5 of the senses. In every way, we can know Jesus is risen because of the well documented and accounted original sources. Skeptical of what I’m telling you? Then let’s get our magnifying glasses out and look closer at these 7 proofs.

Proof #1: The Empty Tomb

The first proof that we must start with is that of the Empty tomb. Luke 24:2 states it plainly: On Sunday, they went to the tomb “And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” As if it would be unbelievable, and it would be, it gets reiterated again in verse 12: “But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.” So not only was it witnessed by one investigator but multiples, the place the body was put on Friday no longer holds the body.

Now there are some people who point out several objections on the face of it to the empty tomb.

Couldn’t they have just gone to the wrong tomb? This doesn’t logically work. They knew where they went on Friday, and if they had gone to the wrong one, the Jewish authorities would have simply pointed everyone back to the right one. But they couldn’t.

Couldn’t someone have just done something with the body, like a disciple? This doesn’t work either. the Jewish leaders did spread this around as a rumor, paying off the guards of the tomb to even spread the rumor (according to Matthew’s account). But the body never turned up, and no disciple admitted this to be the case. All of them died believing that Jesus was not in that tomb, and people do not willingly die for things they know not to be true.

Couldn’t Jesus have just passed out and woke up later? Not a chance. Blood and water came from Jesus side. Proof of death was there. the Crucifixion was both cruel and thorough. No way Jesus was rolling that stone and walking out of the tomb. He really did die and something miraculous had to account for the emptiness of this tomb.

And because there were multiple eyewitnesses that saw this, both men and women, this is already building a full case that would hold up in court under trial. Jesus is not in that tomb. That is why we must really pause to consider the truth and implications of an empty tomb. But that is not NEARLY all the evidence. ...

Proof #2: Supernatural Witnesses

When we zoom in on verses 3-9, we see the next proof: Angels attest to what they saw. And what they saw is Jesus risen. (Luke 24:3–7 “While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”” We often talk of Jesus’ appearance to Mary, recorded in John 20, as THE Easter Occurence, but it is the appearance and the words of the angels that Matthew, Mark and Luke all speak of. Angels are showing up, and they are seen by several people. Verse 10 makes it clear that it was at LEAST 5 women who saw these angels and returned to tell the disciples of what they found at the tomb

When someone comes to you and says they saw a ghost, an alien, or an angel, what is your normal reaction? “Yeah right.” When it comes to seeing a supernatural being, they aren’t going to just take you to a certain spot and introduce you to the angel as well. They are telling you to take their word for it. It is good to have healthy skepticism when it comes to the appearance to beings like angels. Even in the Bible, the appearance of angels is a rare thing. Not even close to everyday, and not in most people’s lifetimes. But at both the birth of Jesus (with the shepherds) and now at the resurrection of Jesus (with these women) we see the recording of multiple eyewitnesses seeing these messengers giving the good news of Christ’s absence from the tomb. They saw it happen. Will the eyewitnesses, who are seeing these angels and hearing them together, believe the message that “He is Risen?”

Proof #3: The Burning Presence

For the third proof, we look just briefly at what is one of my favorite accounts in all the Bible. The story of two men walking on the road to Emmaus. It is while walking on this road that they encounter Jesus. Luke 24:13–24 “That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things…” What are we seeing Jesus doing here? He is physically with them, even though they are not recognizing him. He is walking with them and talking with them. Hardly the work of a vision or ghost.

Not only that, but as he continues with them, they go to into a village and encourage Jesus to share a meal with them. And it says in verses 30-31: “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.” He was sitting and breaking bread with them. And with his disappearing from their presence, they might have thought Him to be a ghost, but they noted in verse 32: “They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Jesus disguised himself, and then revealed himself, but he was very much present with them. Again, taken in by not one but two witnesses. But that’s not all! ...

Proof #4: The Prophecies Aligned

Note what Jesus discusses with the two on the road in verses 25-27: “And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” What does Jesus want to clarify for them? The prophecies and scriptures. He wants there to be no confusion. This resurrection that has happened has been according to prophecy and the will of God. It is no fluke or accidental thing.

Later in verse 44-45, when appearing to a larger group of disciples, Jesus wants to make sure they are clear on this as well. “Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures ...” Now all the things that he had told them about add up. They didn’t fully understand it then, but they do now and they are all in. The scriptures were clear ...

Jesus must die: Zechariah 13:7 “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.” Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” Zechariah 12:10 ““And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”

Jesus must be buried: Isaiah 53:8–9 “He was cut off out of the land of the living … And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”

Jesus must rise again: Job 19:25 “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” Hosea 6:2 “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” Psalm 40:1–2 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” Psalm 16:9–11 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

It all adds up. Jesus is the fulfilled promises of God and the eyewitness disciples are hearing the words straight from the horse’s mouth. There are many more bullets for this gospel gun. The scriptures are solidly behind Jesus as the fulfillment of all prophecy. But that’s not all!!...

Proof #5: The Touch of the Savior

They aren’t just seeing Jesus from a distance, and even those who doubt what they are seeing are met in their doubt by Jesus’ words and invited actions in verses 36-40: Luke 24:36–40 “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.” When he appears before all of the disciples and other followers, this is not a vision. It is touch and see. Ghosts don’t do this, and Jesus is engaging in something that can’t be faked, hallucinated or duplicated.

One of my favorite paintings of Jesus ever is this one of the resurrection by Caravaggio. In the picture, you can imagine the stunned moment when they actually touched the sound in his side. It had to be unbelievable. But it added a solid piece of touch evidence to the case. But that’s not all! ...

Proof #6: The Fish’s Bones

I did say earlier that all 5 senses were engaged in experiencing Jesus. But that’s a bit off, since they weren’t really tasting Jesus. They did, however, taste a meal that Jesus shared with them. When he appears in the room with the disciples in verses 41-42, he goes on to make another request: Luke 24:41–43 “And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.” Again, the disciples are not tasting Jesus here, but they are sharing a meal with Jesus, eating fish. They can see that the meat disappears from the bones, as Jesus eats it. This is not what a spirit being does. This is what a human does. And that is who Jesus is. He is the God/Man. He is fully God and fully man, and he displays the full humanity and his full alive-ness by eating the fish with them. Both natures on display together. But that’s not all! ...

Proof #7: The Ascension Scene

We said earlier that the jewish leaders spread a rumor that the disciples stole the body. But the disciples couldn’t go along with it, because they knew exactly what had happened to the body. Jesus arose, and then he ascended into heaven: Luke 24:50–52 “And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

The coverup that many thought would eventually come out never did. They knew where Jesus went and what he had gone to do. He had told them in John 14:1–6 ““Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The emptiness of the tomb and the full absence of the body of Jesus prove one thing. He has indeed ascended, and he has gone to prepare a place for his people. He is very much ALIVE.

From the carefully researched and curated interviews by Doctor Luke, we have gleaned a mountain of hard evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. There is most certainly an empty tomb. Angels showed up to testify and mutiple people saw/heard them. Jesus showed up physically present to walk and talk with followers. Jesus connected all the dots to see the meaning of his death, burial and resurrection, fulfilled from prophecy. Jesus invited multiple skeptical disciples to touch him and see that he is the same Jesus who was pierced by nails and spear. Jesus ate fish to show his full physical presence and humanity. And you won’t find the body of Jesus here, because he has gone to prepare a place for us.

Dare I call the resurrection a fact? Yes I do. The fact of the resurrection is the pivotal point of history that calls for a response from every person. The response to understand at believe this:

Jesus loves you. His love is the motivating factor in his coming. It was because of our sin and our inability to solve our sin problem that he came into the world in the first place. It is because God so love the world, that he gave his one and only son. There is no other like him.

Jesus died for you. When Jesus went to the cross, it wasn’t random or for no reason. It was intentional, and it was sacrificial. The scripture is clear in Hebrews 9:22 “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Only the blood of an innocent man, who had committed no sin, could be shed as the penalty, the sacrifice for your sin and mine. The wages of sin is death. And death is what we deserve. But Jesus laid his life down. And now ...

The living Jesus stands ready to forgive you. He laid down his life because he loves you, and his desire is to forgive those who turn to him. So we should believe him and return to him, turning from our sin. It starts when we follow in the way of the disciples before us, those who repented and were baptized. They followed in the way and they learned what it means to be called a Christian, to know forgiveness, and to have the full promises of salvation and heaven for eternity. The Resurrection proves that it is all true, and it is possible for you and I.

Christ is risen. He alone holds power over death and grave. What will you do with him?

Respond to him. Call others to follow him with us.