The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ

The resurrection of Christ is essential to our salvation.

Christianity is the only religion that bases its claims of acceptance upon the resurrection of its founder.  In the 15th chapter of 1 Cor. the Apostle Paul makes Christianity answer for its life for the literal truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:13-19 “then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain … ye are yet in your sins ... we are of all men most miserable“

All is vain if Christ’s body is not raised from the dead.  Remove from Paul’s gospel and his message is gone.  The early church constantly affirmed the resurrection.  The apostles preached it in the face of fiercest opposition.

The resurrection is written more than 100 times in the New Testament.

If Jesus Christ had remained buried in the grave the story of His life and death would have remained buried with him. The New Testament is an effect of Christ’s resurrection.  The resurrection does not grow out of the story of His life but the beautiful story of Christ’s life grew out of the fact of His resurrection.  The New Testament is the book of the resurrection.

In other words the resurrection of Christ’s body from the tomb proves the Deity of Jesus, the officiousness of the atonement toward sinners.

References:

• Acts 2:24
• Acts 10:40
• Acts 17:31
• Acts 3:15
• 1 Peter 1:21-23
• I Corinthians 15
• Acts 4:10
• Acts 13:30-34
• Phil 3:21

2. Proof of the resurrection

The number of the witnesses to the resurrection was many. The weight of their testimony is quite conclusive.  Both friends and enemies testified to the resurrection of Christ: the women, the disciples, the angels and the Roman guards.

The soldiers were bribed to tell the story of Him being stolen from the tomb (Matt 28:11-15).  Note verse 13, if they were asleep how could they know what took place?

We have the testimony of angels that Jesus had risen as was foretold (Matt 28:8; Mark 16:6).

The Apostle Paul lists a number of witnesses to the resurrection in the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians:  Peter, the twelve, about five hundred brethren, James, the apostles, finally Paul himself on the road to Damascus.

3. The appearances of Christ after the resurrection

It is necessary to read the account of the resurrection in the four gospels to get the story as it happened.  Undoubtedly His appearances were as follows:

• The women at the tomb see the angels.
• The women hurry to tell the disciples Peter and John lived
  quite close; the other disciples were a greater distance from the tomb.
• Peter and John run to the tomb John being younger
  outrunning Peter.
• Mary follows returning to the tomb and lingers there and
  sees Jesus.
• Jesus appears to the Emmaus disciples.
• Jesus appears to Peter.
• Jesus appears to ten apostles with Thomas absent.
• Jesus appears to the apostles with Thomas present.
• Jesus appears to the apostles and a multitude on the mount.
• Jesus appears to the apostles on the shores of Lake Galilee.
• Jesus appears to James.
• Jesus appears to the apostles at the ascension.
• Jesus appears to Paul on the road to Damascus

4. The message of the empty tomb

One of the greatest messages of the empty tomb was told by the grave clothes and the napkin (John 20:6-7). In the resurrection of Lazarus he came forth from the tomb bound hand and foot with the grave clothes.

It was necessary to loose him from those by unwinding the grave clothes. (John 11:44. 

What was so startling to Peter and John in the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the fact that the grave clothes and napkin were in their place untouched like they had been when the body was there but now the body was gone. It was not necessary to unwind any grave clothes for Jesus to arise. He simply came out of them. 

Likewise it was not necessary for the stone to be rolled back for Jesus to arise. The stone was not rolled back to make the resurrection possible; it was rolled back to show the world the empty tomb.

5. The nature of the resurrection

• Christ rose literally from the grave. It was the same body that had been placed in the tomb (John 20:27 Luke 24:37-39).
• Christ rose with a real body not a ghost or phantom. It was a body composed of flesh and bones (Luke 24:36-43). His body could be touched (John 20:20).
• His body bore the marks of His passion (John 20:24-29).
• Christ ate and drank in the presence of His disciples (Acts
  10:41).
• He could pass through barred doors and vanish (John 20:19).
• Christ’s body can no more taste of death (Romans 6:9-10).
• Christ was the First-Fruits of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20).

6. The meaning of the resurrection to us

The resurrection brings assurance of justification.

Romans 4:25 “Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.“

The people waited outside the temple for the high priest to come out of the holy place, for they knew then that all their sins were borne away. Our high priest came out of the grave and by this we know that our sins are atoned for.

• The resurrection of Christ brings assurance of our resurrection.
• The resurrection of Christ makes coming judgment certain.
• The resurrection makes eternal life certain (John 14:19)

7. Personal proof of the resurrection

All the proof we need of the resurrection is the fact that Jesus Christ saves sinners, heals sick bodies, and abides within the hearts of His saints today.  

He not only has appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road, but to each of His blood washed children on their respective roads.  The reality of the resurrection is proven by the reality of His living presence today.  We may sing in the words of Rev Ackley “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart “

It is possible to experience the power of His resurrection in our lives today. In fact we must experience this if we are to be members of His Church and in His Kingdom.  The resurrection of Christ made the power of the atonement effective. It took His death burial and resurrection to provide salvation for us.  Likewise, it takes death burial and resurrection on our part to become recipients of the SALVATION provided for us.