The Top 10 Foundational Truths Of The Resurrection Of Jesus

INTRO: The resurrection is not just a historical event; it is the foundation of our faith. That had to be a brutal weekend for Jesus’s disciples and the steadfast women in His life, especially His mother. You mothers out there just imagine if you had to watch your son being slowly murdered right in front of you. imagine John in his home trying to comfort the inconsolable mother of Jesus.

John 20:1–10 (NKJV)

The Resurrection of Christ

20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

PRAY!!

First things first. Jesus lived and died on the cross. History doesn’t even try to refute this fact outside of the New Testament there are 5 non Christian sources historical accounts of Jesus being dead.

The Story Of Jesus Is NOT A Myth

Jewish historian Josephus In the Antiquities

Lucian

(Lucian, The Passing of Peregrinus)

3. Tacitus (A.D. 56-120) Was a Roman Senator

Scholars point to  the Roman historian Tacitus  for confirmation that the crucifixion of Jesus actually took place. Writing in his Annals, he records the death of Jesus at the hands of Pontius Pilate:

4. Serapion, a prisoner of war held by the Romans, wrote a letter to his son that described Jesus

5. The Jewish Talmud

Even The Journal of the American medical association did their own investigation into the death of Jesus and concluded “That clearly Jesus was dead even before his side was inflicted

Atheist historian Gerd Ludemann says “Jesus death by crucifixion is indisputable.”

There are at least 515 people (and likely many more than that) who seen Jesus after His resurrection

Listen to what the Apostle Paul says about this

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”

More historical evidence:

There are even historical account of the 3 hours of darkness..

People have tried to explain the 3 hr darkness as a solar eclipse, but it can’t be

The maximum duration for a total solar eclipse is seven minutes, not three hours, and at the latitude of Jerusalem the maximum duration is even less. 

Phlegon was a Greek historian who wrote an extensive chronology around AD 137. Phlegon provides powerful confirmation, identifying the year and the exact time of day. In addition, he writes of an earthquake accompanying the darkness, which is specifically recorded in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 27:51): 

"In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i.e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea.”

The death ofJesus is indisputable!

But perhaps the the greatest evidence of all for the resurrection was the transformation of Jesus’s disciples

They were a changed bunch after seeing and meeting the resurrected Jesus!

Billy Graham once said..

“ We experience pain and problems, and sometimes life seems to have no meaning or purpose. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ changed all that. It gives purpose and meaning to life, and life’s greatest joy comes from discovering His will and fulfilling it. His resurrection also gives us hope—hope right now, and hope beyond the grave.” -Billy Graham

The Top 10 Foundational Truths Of The Resurrection Of Jesus

10. This Was Always God’s deliberate Plan

1 Peter 1:19–21 “but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

“This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” – Acts 2:23

Jesus most certainly knew why He was here, Christ knew He had come to Earth. He told his disciples this more than once:

Matthew 16:20 “Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.”

Christ =Messiah

Philippians 2:5–8 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

9. Victory Over Death-Death is not final

John 11:25–26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

1 Corinthians 15:55 ““O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

8. Forgiveness of sins

Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”

Acts 10:43 “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

When we take communion we quote this from Jesus

Matthew 26:28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

7. Eternal life In Heaven For Believers

John 14:2–3 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 John 5:11–13 “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

6. We Have Been Restored To A Right Relationship With The Father

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

5. Prophecy Concerning The Messiah Fulfilled

Psalm 22:1 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

This was spoke 1000 years before Jesus said it on the cross

Over 300 Prophecies, that Jesus fulfilled

The odds of fulfillment and their explanation were calculated by Dr. Don Stoner on his website Science Speaks.

There are over 300 prophecies that point directly to the Messiah. Let’s start with eight and the odds of Jesus fulfilling just these eight.

The time of His birth (see the Daniel 8 & 9 Timeline)

He would be born in Bethlehem.  (Micah 5:2)

He would be born of a virgin.  (Isaiah 7:14)

He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.  (Zechariah 11:12)

He would be mocked.  (Psalm 22:7,8)

He would be crucified.  (John 3:14)

He would be pierced.  (Psalms 22:16)

He would die with the wicked, but He would be buried with the rich.  (Isaiah 53:9)

Written out this number is 1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

What ever that’s called it’s a 1 followed by 28x0

4. The Same Power That Raised Jesus From The Dead Is Available To Us

The Holy Spirit

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

On a personal level, the resurrection means the difference between life and death, hope and despair, meaning and futility, heaven and hell. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God [through Christ] is eternal life…” Romans 6:7 adds that we have “been freed from sin” through the cross and the resurrection.

3. If you believe and receive, you become

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

2. He’s Coming Back!

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Acts 1:11 “who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Hebrews 9:28 “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

1. You Have A Free Gift From God

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

CALL UP WORSHIP!!

IN CLOSING:

God has giving you a priceless gift, that cost Him the most precious thing He had, it’s yours, the gift is here, but do you want it? or are you gonna refuse it? It’s here available to you right now

PRAY!!