The Resurrection

1. The Resurrection– 16th
April 2017
“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it
into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”(John 20:27).
The resurrectionof JesusChristisa giftfromGod and fulfillmentof Hispromise.Itisthe veryfoundation
of Christianity.Since the disobedience of Adam andEve inthe Garden of Eden,all mankindisbornwith
a sinnature. We can learnfromthe scriptures thatthere isa price to be paidforsinand that cost is
deathbut God availedmankindthe possibilityof Eternal lifethroughourfaithinJesusChrist.We can
learnthisfromRomans 6:23, “Forthe wages ofsin isdeath, but the gift ofGodis eternal life inChrist
Jesus our Lord.”
Therefore alife withoutChristcanonlyoffereternaldeath.AsstatedinRomans6, the acceptance of
Jesusas ourrisenSaviorgivesus Eternal life.Because eternal deathisnotwhatGod wantsforus,
because He wantsan ongoingrelationshipwiththe people He created. Because of Hislove formankind,
He providedawayof atonementthroughthe crucifixionof HisSon,Jesus,andHisresurrection…sothat
all may knowof His absolute sovereigntyoverlifeanddeath.Inadditionthe resurrectionof JesusChrist
validateswhoJesusclaimedtobe…the sonof God.We can learnfrom Matthew 26:62-63, “ButJesus
remained silent.The highpriest said to him,“I charge youunder oath by the livingGod:Tell us ifyou
are the Messiah,the Son ofGod.” “Youhavesaid so,” Jesusreplied. “But I say to all of you:From now
on youwill see the Son of Mansittingat the righthand ofthe MightyOne and comingonthe cloudsof
heaven.”
The resurrectionisGod’sisproof of claimsto divine authority.Butinour pluralisticsocietyformanyit
has become ‘politicallyincorrect’toclaimthatGod hasrevealedHimself decisivelyinJesusandthatHe
was Crucifiedbutresurrected…risingagainfromthe dead…impossible!Therefore whatjustificationcan
Christiansoffer,incontrasttoHindus,Jews,andMuslims,forthinkingthatthe ChristianGodisreal?
DevoutChristianswillcertainlysay: “Youask me how I know he lives?He liveswithinmy heart!”This
answerisperfectlyappropriate onanindividual level.ButwhenChristiansengageunbelieversinthe
publicsquare—suchasin“Letterstothe Editor,”discussionson Facebook orevenjustinconversation
withothers,thenit’scrucial thatwe be able to presentobjective evidence insupportof ourbeliefs.
We state three truths withregardto the Resurrection thatevencritical scholarsadmitandare accepted
by historians.The three truthsare as follows:
First: The tomb inwhichJesuswasburiedwasdiscoveredemptybyagroupof womenonthe Sunday
followingthe crucifixion. We canlearnthisfrom John20: 1-7, “Earlyon the first dayof the week, while
it was still dark, Mary Magdalenewent to the tomb andsaw that the stonehad been removed from
the entrance. 2
Soshe came runningto SimonPeter and the other disciple,the one Jesus loved,and
said,“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, andwe don’tknow where they have put him!” 3
So
Peter andthe other disciplestarted for the tomb. 4
Both were running,but the other discipleoutran
Peter andreached the tomb first. 5
He bent over and lookedin at the strips oflinen lyingthere but did
not go in.6
Then SimonPeter came alongbehindhim andwent straightintothe tomb.He saw the
stripsof linenlyingthere, 7
aswell as the cloth that hadbeen wrappedaroundJesus’ head. The cloth
was still lyinginits place, separate fromthe linen.”

2. Whenwe read furtherwe can learnfromthe same passage: “NowMary stoodoutside the tomb crying.
As she wept, she bent over to lookinto the tomb 12
andsaw two angelsinwhite, seated where Jesus’
bodyhad been, one at the head and the other at the foot.13
Theyasked her, “Woman,whyare you
crying?”“Theyhavetaken my Lord away,” she said,“andI don’t know where they have put him.” 14
At
this,she turned around andsaw Jesus standingthere, butshe did not realizethat it was Jesus.15
He
asked her, “Woman,whyare you crying?Whois it you are lookingfor?”Thinkinghewasthe gardener,
she said,“Sir,if youhave carried him away,tell me where you haveput him, andI will get
him.”16
Jesussaidtoher, “Mary.”Sheturned towardhim andcried out in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which
means “Teacher”).17
Jesussaid, “Donotholdon to me, for I have not yet ascendedto the Father. Go
insteadto my brothers and tell them, ‘I amascendingto my Father and your Father,to my Godand
your God.’”(John20:11-17). We can observe thatJesus’resurrectionisreportedalsoin Matthew28:1-
15: Mark 16: 1-20: Luke 24: 1-48. Theywere fourdifferentindividuals.
Second:Jesus'discipleshadreal experienceswithone whomtheybelievedwasthe risenChrist. We can
learnof two incidentsreportedinJohn20: “Onthe eveningof that firstday of the week, when the
discipleswere together, with the doors locked forfear ofthe Jewishleaders, Jesuscame and stood
amongthem and said, “Peacebe withyou!” 20
After he said this,he showed them hishandsand side.
The discipleswere overjoyedwhen they sawthe Lord.21
AgainJesussaid, “Peace be withyou! As the
Father has sent me, I am sendingyou.” 22
Andwith that he breathed on them andsaid, “Receive the
Holy Spirit.23
If youforgive anyone’ssins,their sinsare forgiven;if you donot forgive them, they are
not forgiven.” (John20:19-23).
We can readfurtheras reportedinthe same passage: “Now Thomas(alsoknownas Didymus),one of
the Twelve, wasnot with the discipleswhen Jesuscame. 25
So the other disciplestoldhim, “Wehave
seen the Lord!” But he saidto them, “UnlessIsee the nail marks in hishandsand put my fingerwhere
the nailswere, andput my handinto hisside, I will not believe.”26
Aweek later his discipleswere in the
house again,andThomaswas with them. Thoughthe doors were locked,Jesus came andstood
amongthem and said, “Peacebe withyou!” 27
Then he said to Thomas, “Putyour fingerhere; see my
hands.Reach out your handand put it intomy side. Stop doubtingandbelieve.”28
Thomassaidtohim,
“MyLord andmy God!”29
ThenJesustoldhim, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John20:24-29).
Third: The preachingof the discipleshadthe resurrection of JesusChristatitscenter, andthe Christian
church was establishedandgrew inleapsandbounds.The existence andthe continuinggrowthof the
Christianchurchisstrong proof for the resurrection.Whyisthis?Because eventhe mostskeptical
scholarsadmitthat the disciplessteadfastlybelievedthatJesuswasresurrected.TheylivedwithHim
day inday outfor at leastthree full years.Itwasunthinkable thatasmall,despisedmovementfroma
corner of Palestine couldmoveouttobecome the dominantfaithof the mightyRomanEmpire,an
empire steepedinfiercelydefendedtraditional paganreligions.The spreadof the Christianchurchinits
earliestcenturiesisone of the mostamazingphenomenainall of humanhistory. Onthe surface,the
earlyChristiansappeared powerlessand weak;theywere aneasytargetforscorn andridicule.Theyhad
no greatfinancial resources,nobuildings,nosocial status,nogovernmentapproval,norespectfromthe
educatorswhereveranyteaching wentagainstJesus’teachings. EarlyChristiansevenbecameseparated
fromtheirfirst-centuryassociationwiththe Jewishsynagogues;theymovedawayfrominstitutional
methodsadoptedbyJewsforcenturiesanddidawaywithancienttradition.

3. But whatfinallymatterediswhat Christians didhave.Theyhada faith.Theyhada fellowship basedon
Love for one another. They promoted anew wayof life. Care andPrayer:Christiansbecame knownas
those whocared forthe sick.Many were knownforthe healingthatresultedfromtheirprayers.
Christianshadabsolute confidencethattheirLordwas alive inheavenandguidingtheirdailylives.
These were the importantthings.Anditmade all the difference inlayingaChristianfoundationforall of
Westerncivilization…tocome towhere itistodayovera periodof 2000 years!
Therefore as modernChristians, we shouldfocuson similarresults;we mustactin the same manner.To
be faithful toGod’sself-revelationinJesusChristrequiresmore than coming toChurch;it entails being
the Church — that bodyof God’sadoptedchildrencalledtomanifestHislove inthe world.