He's Alive - Proofs of the Resurrection

Acts 17:31 (KJV)

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Nothing cuts to the core of Jesus’ identity like critiques of his resurrection. If the belief that he rose from the dead is a legend, a misunderstanding, or a deliberate falsehood perpetrated by his followers, then Jesus is quickly demoted from the Son of God to a failed prophet—or worse.

Lee Strobel (2012-01-03T16:45:27+00:00). The Case for the Real Jesus

The resurrection of Jesus was important to the Apostle Paul. He spoke of it and the cross nearly everywhere he went. In the chapter we read from this morning we find two somewhat different approaches of Paul as he tries to convince the world of the resurrection and its importance. Acts 17:1-3 when Paul visited Thessalonica he went to the synagogue of the Jews and reasoned with them for three days out of the scriptures that "Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead;"

Later on in the chapter 30-31 he appeals to their conscience and builds up his argument for the resurrection by again trying to reason with them about the resurrection of Jesus. In fact he said all the proof of what he was teaching and what Jesus taught hung on that one act of history. If the resurrection of Jesus never happened then all of what he believed and taught was in vain. But Paul a brilliant man, a man of many degrees, a scholar, a doctor of the Jewish law, never for one moment since that point on the Damascus rode when Jesus himself stepped out of the shadows and said "Saul why do you kick against the pricks" and the light was so bright that he fell from his donkey to the ground. He was changed forever not because a man who was dead came to talk to him, but because the "resurrection and life" came by and forever changed the history of the church. That is why the resurrection was so important to Paul - it was the means of his salvation.

Paul goes on in his speech to the philosophers in verse 31 to tell them that God has given assurance to all men that the resurrection really happened. Paul is talking about proof

There is proof for the resurrection

I'm not going to spend a long time on this side this morning as probably most of us believe in the resurrection - but if you have doubts let me encourage you to look at all the historical facts before jumping to conclusions.

Jesus died - he was really dead - a dead man cannot move let alone get up fold the napkin The right tomb was really empty - not just the words of the disciples, the religious leaders and Roman guards testify to this fact - it is a historical fact that the tomb was and still is empty. No body was ever found. The disciples all martyred but John died with the testimony of the resurrection of Jesus on their lips - never recanted - how many people would die for something they knew was a lie?

Simon Greenleaf—professor of law at Harvard in the 1800s

• His three-volume work A Treatise on the Law of Evidence has been considered by the Supreme Court to be the greatest single authority on legal

evidence.

• He said, “If the evidence for the resurrection was set before any unbiased

courtroom in the world it would be judged to be an historical fact—Jesus Christ rose from the dead!”

"The evidence for Jesus' resurrection is so strong that nobody would question it except for two things: First, it is a very unusual event. And second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live." (Wolfhart Pannenberg)

From <https://www.facebook.com/matt.friedeman.5?fref=ts>

Not only is there proof for the resurrection there is proof from the resurrection

There is Proof From the Resurrection

The Surety of Pilate exposes the Weakness of Satan and Death - They came to Pilate and warned him that "this Jesus preached he would rise from the dead would he set a watch and guard " Pilate told the religious leaders to go make it as secure as they could.

They made the grave sure - but it wasn't sure enough for God and resurrection power They posted Guard - But they couldn't control God Pilate in Mark 15:44-45 asks if Jesus is really dead, he received answer Jesus was really and truly dead,

The Coroner gave his pronouncement of death but the words and the signature on the death certificate was not enough to keep Jesus in the tomb. I love what Peter says in his Pentecost sermon

Acts 2:24 (KJV)

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Joseph of Arimathea was given permission to take the body, he and Nicodemus covered Jesus is spices, linen cloths, rolled a two-ton stone over the tomb said their prayers and eulogies and sadly disappointedly walked away into the night - but none of the spices, linen cloths, or even the two-ton stone could keep Jesus in that tomb.

The Power of the Resurrection Provides Promise

Promise of New Life

God specializes in taking lives that are broken, messed up, defeated, confused, twisted, and lost and not putting them on a 12 step plan of recovery but instead picking up the broken pieces the mess that we have made and starting over scripture tells us he doesn't do patchwork he makes a new creature in Christ Jesus. A second chance at life because of the resurrection of Jesus, because of what he accomplished for us

Mary Magdalene Woman at the Well Peter who denied Jesus Promise of Eternal Life

John 17:3 (KJV) 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Jesus prayed this - this is the words of the Son of God - he said that eternal life is not a promise but a reality when you Know truly KNOW GOD and His SON JESUS CHRIST - do you know them? I mean KNOW AND HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM? YOU CAN BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS MORNING!!! Paul wanted this kind of relationship when he prayed Philippians 3:10 (KJV)

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Promise of Everlasting Life

When the Christian dies he sleeps, he waits, he listens and one day The Lord Himself will call their names - the dead hear not, they cannot hear, they cannot feel, they cannot see but those who die in the Lord when the Life Giver speaks their name, will wake up will rise and ever be with the Lord.

CLOSE # 1

This morning if you do not know Jesus and the power of his resurrection you can know him now - lets stand and I'd like to give you an opportunity to come and pray to let Jesus come into your heart. Won't you come and pray - we would love to pray with you. It doesn't matter what baggage you have, or what you have been covering or hiding or hurting from all this time, it's time to come to Jesus and let the power of his resurrection give you a brand new life, a brand new chance, won't you come.

CLOSE #2

I'm so thankful for a risen conquering savior. He went to the very gates of hell and spoiled it, came back with the keys of death, hell and the grave - we no longer have to fear death, we no longer have to fear what the world will do to us, we no longer have to live in fear, Sing with me

"UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE WITH A MIGHTY TRIUMPH O'ER HIS FOES

HE AROSE A VICTOR FROM THE DARK DOMAIN

AND HE LIVES FOREVER WITH HIS SAINTS TO REIGN

HE AROSE, HE AROSE HALLELUJAH CHRIST AROSE!!!