Who is Alive?
Jesus Christ who rose from the grave is alive!
Jesus was born; Jesus ascended to Heaven; in between Jesus teaches, heals, suffers, dies and comes back to life. The life of Jesus is a story of triumph that confirms and validates His identity as God incarnate.
There are five recorded occasions when Jesus specifically stated He was going to die:
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Matthew 16:21
When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. Matthew 17:22-23.
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31.
They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” Mark 10:32-34.
And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Luke 9:22.
Jesus described in detail His crucifixion and was explicit in stating that He would rise from the dead three days later. His disciples reaction to Him sharing His destiny with them was mixed. Often the statements Jesus made mystified the disciples, sometimes they even protested about His words.
With the benefit of hindsight we can look back at what Jesus said and see that He was 100 percent accurate in His description of what would happen. Jesus was crucified. Jesus was laid in the tomb. Jesus was resurrected. The accuracy of the fulfilment of prophecy is part of the strong evidence of who Jesus was and is.
Why is the resurrection important?
The resurrection is on the list of reasons for recognising the deity of Christ. It is an event that validates His identity, His miracles, His power over nature, His hand in creating the world and us.
His resurrection confirms His compassion for each of us.
An illegal arrest!
All of the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – record this incredible event. Jesus was with His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane praying. The Chief Priests (the ones who taught the law to the people) sent Roman soldiers and some of the Hebrew elders to capture Jesus. After a series of illegal night trials, in the morning soldiers took Jesus outside the city of Jerusalem to the hill of Golgotha to be crucified.
Calvary or Golgotha (ˈgoɫ.gə.θɘ) are the English language/Western Christian names given to the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early 1st century walls, ascribed to the crucifixion of Jesus. The name Golgotha is the Greek transcription given by the New Testament, of an Aramaic name, which has traditionally been presumed to be Gûlgaltâ; the Bible refers to it as place of [the] skull - Κρανίου Τόπος (Kraniou Topos) in Greek, and Calvariae Locus in Latin, from which we get Calvary.
The location itself is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels:
Mark - And they brought him to the place called Gol’gotha (which means the place of a skull)
Matthew - And when they came to a place called Gol’gotha (which means the place of a skull)
Luke - And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left
John - So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol’gotha
His hands and feet were nailed to a wooden cross and He died from asphyxiation. Jesus died before sunset on Friday afternoon and two of His disciples took His body to a newly carved tomb.
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. John 19:38-40.
Why 75lbs of spice? It is important to note that the amount of spice used in the burial (75 pounds / 34 Kilograms / In Greek 100 litrai) was the amount that was normally used for royal burials.
Roman soldiers then rolled a heavy stone weighing several tonnes across the opening of the tomb. Rock‑hewn tombs in Palestine were usually closed with a circular stone set in a slanting groove; when pushed its own weight would close the door - to open it again would require several strong men. His enemies were fearful that the disciples may attempt to steal the body and they were not going to take any chances. They asked that a seal, the symbol of Roman authority, be placed on the stone. In their paranoia they also asked for Roman soldiers to guard the seal and the tomb around the clock.
On Sunday morning three days after the burial, several women who were follower of Jesus went to the tomb. When they got there they found the tomb open and the stone rolled away. The body was gone. The tomb was empty. The guards had gone. Jesus had left the grave alive, not dead. This was the authentication that He was not just a good man, He was not just a prophet, He was the One who conquered death.
The next chapter
The religious leaders were desperate. They had to hide the event of the empty tomb. They even bribed the soldiers and told them, “Tell everybody the disciples stole the body while you were asleep” (see Matthew 28:12-13).
What would happen to a Roman soldier asleep at his post? The Roman historian Flavius Josephus recorded that the Roman army believed in punishment. If a guard was found asleep at or left his post then he would be stoned or beaten for putting fellow soldiers at risk. The outcome of that was usually death.
Why is it that even today, so many people want to disprove or discredit the resurrection?
Why are there so many theories about “the truth” that have no historic or biblical reality attached to them?
For over two thousand years people have been arguing that the resurrection did not happen, and the record of it is just a story, because if they acknowledge the truth of the resurrection, they need to acknowledge the truth about sin and the need for a personal saviour.
One theory that has been promoted in various forms is that Jesus did not die on the cross, He ‘only fainted’ and then ‘escaped’ from the tomb (after his embalming with 75 pounds of spice!) when He had regained His strength.
The German sceptic David Friedrich Strauss who spent most of his life arguing against the fundamental truths of Christianity famously discounted this theory in his book, The Life of Jesus for the People. He wrote: “To conceive of man hanging on a Roman cross in a blistering sun for six hours, a spear put through his side, taken down from a cross and wrapped like a mummy, as was their custom, sealed into a tomb without air, that such a person could have found his way out this, rolled away a stone of more than a ton, fought his way past a Roman guard and appeared as a hero eight miles away to his disciples is more fantastic than the resurrection itself!”
Another theory often promulgated but easily discounted, is that it was the enemies of Jesus that stole His body. The details of them carrying this out without discovery by soldiers and mourners are a problem. The enemies of Jesus wanted both Him and His teachings destroyed. They could have easily demolished all of His messianic claims by parading His dead body round the streets of Jerusalem.
If His enemies had stolen His body they would have used it to prove that He was dead.
What if it was the disciples that stole the body?
Circumstantial evidence disproves this. The two women who discovered the tomb was empty were carrying more spices to anoint the dead body. When Jesus appeared to one of them in the garden, she was frightened and did not recognise Him. In fact many of the disciples were so frightened that they ‘huddled together in fear.’ Peter was so fearful that he had even denied he knew Jesus. The behaviour of the disciples suggests that they were not expecting to see Jesus again.
The reaction to seeing the risen Jesus changes the disciples and 120 other followers who joined them - on one occasion, as many as 500 people saw Jesus in His resurrected body.
What about the experience of Thomas?
Thomas, the classic sceptic. Thomas, the classic example of unbelief. Even when the other disciples told him about the resurrection and what they had seen he refused to believe. Thomas said, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, place my finger in that mark, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Thomas would not accept hearsay; he would only believe what he could see for himself. Eight days later Jesus appeared again to the disciples, He said, “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus turned to Thomas: “Put your fingers here and see my hands; and place your hand in my side. Don’t be faithless, but be believing.” It was the same crucified Jesus and the scars were visible. Thomas did not doubt any longer, Thomas fell to his knees and exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). The life of Thomas was changed from that moment. He became an evangelist who spent most of his life preaching about Jesus in India.
How many appearances of Jesus are recorded in the Bible after His resurrection?
In another of the 12 recorded appearances of Jesus after His resurrection, the disciples were on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Bible records that the men were startled and “Fear shook them,” Jesus spoke to them and asked, “Why are you troubled? See my hands and feet it is I, myself.” His next words were “Do you have anything to eat?” They gave him a piece of cooked fish and He ate with them.
The truth of the resurrection transformed wimps into roaring lions. Peter preached the truth of the resurrection in Jerusalem, the very place where he had denied Jesus 50 days earlier.
Three thousand people believed the message that day. Peter had the courage to tell them truthfully, “This same Jesus, whom you crucified, God has raised from the dead, whereby we have become eyewitnesses” Acts 2:36.
The Apostle Paul writes about several post-resurrection appearances: “to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living…. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all to me” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Paul also wrote about the importance of the resurrection: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” 1 Corinthians 15:14.
Jesus is Alive!
The resurrection of Jesus was not just a spiritual resurrection; Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead, and eyewitness testimony of many prove this. Jesus Christ is alive today, and because He lives, He continues to work in us, through us and for us.
At the end of the John’s Gospel, John tells us that Jesus did many other things that went unrecorded; if they were written down the “whole world would not have room for the books that would contain them.” The life, death and resurrection of Jesus authenticate His power to transform lives.
Jesus took His disciples from where they were and transformed them. Jesus accepts us and transforms us.
When the Apostle Peter was asked, “By what power or what name were these men made whole?” he gave a straight answer. “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead” Acts 4:10.
The life of Jesus, His death and resurrection prove how much God values us: “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him”
1 John 4:9.
Jesus died and rose again “so as to be just an the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” Romans 3:26.
Jesus has power over death and gives eternal life:
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live” John 11:25.
Because He is alive, talk to Him – He is listening!
For personal reflection
Which evidence for the resurrection do you find most convincing?
Which evidence for the resurrection do you find most comforting?
How can the truth of the resurrection help you in your prayer?
“In His great mercy [God] has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
Timeline
1 am - Jesus was taken before Annas
2 am - Jesus was taken before Caiaphas
5 am - Jesus was taken before Pontius Pilate
6 am - Jesus was taken before Herod
7 am - Jesus was taken back before Pilate
8 am - Jesus took up his cross
9 am - Jesus was nailed to the cross
3 pm - Jesus died for our sins
Jesus’ arrest and conviction were illegal
His arrest at night was illegal. Jewish law forbade arrests at night unless someone was in the act of committing the crime. His arrest using an accomplice was illegal. It was against Jewish law for a traitor to be used in an arrest. His arrest without a warrant was illegal. No court had indicted him, let alone give an arrest warrant. His examination before Annas was illegal. It was against Jewish law to be questioned at night. It was illegal for one man (Annas) to sit as sole judge in His hearing. It was illegal to conduct a preliminary examination. There was no such thing under Jewish law. The indictment before the Sanhedrin was illegal. The charge was vague, it did not state the crime. Jewish law required the crime to be stated. It was illegal for the Sanhedrin to institute proceedings. The Sanhedrin were judges, not a law enforcement agency. It was illegal for the Sanhedrin to assemble without the first offering the morning sacrifice. It was illegal for the Sanhedrin to meet on the day before the Sabbath Day. It was illegal to conduct a trail on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Friday was the first day of the Feast. It was illegal to conduct any trial on the eve of the Passover. The Sanhedrin had no right to convene. It was illegal to sentence a man on the same day as his trial. If someone was found guilty, under Jewish law, the court was required to meet on another day to pronounce sentence. It was illegal to convict a man based upon his own confession under Jewish law. Jesus’ trial was illegal because the verdict was unanimous. The Sanhedrin, which was basically a Supreme Court, had to have at least one person to defend the accused. It was illegal for the Sanhedrin to hand down a death penalty anywhere except in its regular meeting place. The Sanhedrin was in the house of Caiaphas. The balloting was illegal because it began with the High Priest. The balloting was supposed to start with the youngest and move to the oldest, with the High Priest being last so the votes could not be unfairly influenced by anyone. The Jewish Sanhedrin was not competent nor were they qualified to hear this trial. Some members were not elected, they had been placed there illegally through bribery. The court was prejudiced. They prejudged Jesus before any evidence was heard, nor was the accused ever allowed to defend himself. The Sanhedrin used perjured testimony against Jesus. Two witnesses, both unnamed, said Jesus threatened to tear the temple down. According to John 2:19, Jesus said He would rebuild it, not tear it down.
The Sanhedrin did not have the authority to execute. They went to Pontius Pilate, who could crucify a convicted person. Pilate went back to the Jews and said he could find no fault in Jesus. The Sanhedrin used a Galilean label to brand him a radical. Herod and Pilate had been feuding, so Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. Herod, who ordered the execution of John the Baptist, ridiculed Jesus and placed the scarlet robe on Him. Herod returned Jesus to Pilate. Pilate condemned Jesus to death with no one to defend Him or stand with Him. Pilate sought to release Him, but the people wanted Barabbas. Pilate, wanting to be popular with the people, acquiesced. Then they led Him away to be crucified.
