Are You A Witness?

Are You A Witness?

JCC Easter Morning 04.04.10

Mark 16

1Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

8So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

9Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

The stone was rolled away from the door, not to permit Christ to come out, but to enable the disciples to go in

The new body Jesus had was a transformed body

He could walk through walls and doors, so he didn’t need the stone removing

Why is this event the most important doctrine we have?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the corner-stone of Christian doctrine

It is mentioned over one hundred and four times in the New Testament

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a key point Peter emphasized in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost

His whole sermon centred on the fact that, "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses" Acts 2:32

When the Apostles were filled again with the Holy Spirit later on, the one central thing was that "with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus."

The central doctrine that the Apostle Paul preached to the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers on Mars Hill was Jesus and the resurrection Acts 17:18, Acts 23:6; 1 Cor 15:15

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the two fundamental truths of the Gospel

One His atoning death

Two the resurrection

Paul says in 1 Cor 15:1,3,4 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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."

The crucifixion would lose its meaning without the resurrection

Without the resurrection, the death of Christ was only a heroic death like any other martyr

Illustration: A Muslim and a Christian were discussing their religions and had agreed that both Mohammed and Christ were prophets. Where, then, lay the difference? The Christian illustrated it this way: “I came to a crossroads and I saw a dead man and a living man. Which one did I ask for directions?” The response came quickly, “The living one, of course.” “Why, then,” asked his friend, “do you send me to Mohammed who is dead, instead of Christ who is alive?” This is the basic difference between Christ and every other religious leader. All the others came into the world, lived, and died—but none of them lived again. The resurrection of Christ was the one event that persuaded His disciples once for all that He was the Christ, God’s Son.

"If Christ be not risen," said Paul, "then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain" 1 Cor 15:14

He then adds, "If Christ be not risen, your faith is vain. You are yet in your sins."

This is the most powerful doctrinal truth we have