I'm In Need Of Resurrection - Part I Series

A group of 4-year-olds was gathered in a Sunday School class in Chattanooga. The teacher looked at the class and asked this question: "Does anyone know what today is?" A little girl held up her hand and said, "Yes, today is Palm Sunday." The teacher exclaimed, "That's fantastic, that's wonderful. Now does anyone know what next Sunday is?" The same little girl held up her hand and said, "Yes, next Sunday is Easter Sunday."

Once again the teacher said "That's fantastic. Now does anyone know what makes next Sunday “Easter”?"

The same little girl responded and said, "Yes, next Sunday is Easter because Jesus rose from the grave" and before the teacher could congratulate her, she kept on talking and said, "but if He sees his shadow… He has to go back in for six more weeks of basketball."

Well just in case we have someone here who doesn’t know why today is Easter Sunday we are going to let you know.

What is the Resurrection?

Today is Easter Sunday. It is the day when Christians all over the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. The Bible teaches that Jesus has been resurrected; He has risen from the dead!

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came back to life three days after He had died on a Roman cross, having been crucified for the sins of the world.

The Resurrection had been foreshadowed thousands of years before it actually happened.

Mat 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered (Jesus), saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."

Mat 12:39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Mat 12:40 "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Mat 12:41 "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Why is the Resurrection important?

The Resurrection is the linchpin of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul makes this point in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 13-19. Let’s briefly examine these verses:

(1 Cor 15:13 NKJV) But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

There were those who at the time of this writing believed that there was no such thing as a resurrection (the Sadducees – Acts 23:38). There were others, who while believing in a resurrection, did not believe that anyone would be resurrected in bodily form like Jesus did.

But there is such a thing as a resurrection and Jesus was raised from the dead.

When Jesus was mercilessly crucified on the Cross, His disciples out of terror and fear, scattered and hide themselves in a room and locked the door. Three days later the resurrected Jesus appeared to them. This account is recorded in Luke chapter 24:

Luke 24:36 … Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."

Luke 24:37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.

Luke 24:38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?

Luke 24:39 "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."

Luke 24:40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

Luke 24:41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"

Luke 24:42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

Luke 24:43 And He took it and ate in their presence.

Jesus had risen from the dead—they were shocked to see Him—having seen Him crucified. Paul says, “… if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.” But as we have seen, He is risen!

(1 Cor 15:14 NKJV) And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

If Christ is not raised from the dead, we don’t have anything to preach about. We can all go home—preaching is empty, and our faith is empty.

(1 Cor 15:15-16 NKJV) Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.