1. 1 Corinthians 15.3-11
2. About 10 years ago, during a Homicide trial in Nassau County in the state of New York, the prosecution was examining their witness on the stand. In his testimony, the witness stated that he saw the victim lying on the ground, obviously dead.
When the prosecution had finished, the defense lawyer rose to his feet intent on undermining the credibility of the witness; and conducted the following cross-examination:
"Sir, are you a doctor?"
"No," replied the witness.
"Well, are you a paramedic?"
"No, I’m not," the witness stated.
"Have you ever gone to medical school?"
"Never," was the answer.
"Then tell me, sir, how do you know that the victim was indeed dead?"
"Well," responded the witness, "I went to his funeral."
APPLY: In every Crime Scene Investigation, it’s hard to beat the value of eyewitnesses
3. So Far we have seen:
a. Lamb Selection Day – “Palm Sunday”/”Triumphal Entry”/1 Week before resurrection
b. Lamb Sacrifice Day – Passover
c. Our Lamb’s Burial – Feast of Unleavened Bread
d. Lamb’s Resurrection – Feast of Firstfruits
e. 50 Days to Shavuot/Pentecost
4. Post-Resurrection Yeshua (Jesus) to His Apostles – 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Acts 1.3
I. Yeshua’s (Jesus’) Formidable Witnesses
During the WWII the US Army was forced to retreat from the Philippines. Some of their soldiers were left behind, and became prisoners of the Japanese. The men called themselves "ghosts", souls unseen by their nation, and were forced on the infamous Bataan Death March in which many would die by brutality, disease, or lack of water, etc.
Those who made it through the march spent the next three years in a prisoner-of-war camp. By early 1945, 513 men were still alive at the Cabanatuan prison camp, but they were giving up hope. The US Army was on its way back, but the POW’s had heard the frightening news that prisoners were being executed as the Japanese retreated from the advancing U.S. Army. Their wavering hope was however met by one of the most magnificent rescues of wartime history. In an astonishing feat 120 US Army soldiers and 200 Filipino guerrillas outflanked 8000 Japanese soldiers to rescue the POW’s.
Alvie Robbins was one of the rescuers. He described how he found a prisoner muttering in a darkened corner of his barracks, tears coursing down his face. "I thought we’d been forgotten," the prisoner said. "No, you’re not forgotten," Robbins said softly. "You’re heroes. We’ve come for you."
Often in life we can start to give up hope, to feel that God has forgotten us, abandoned us to dark and hurtful experiences, but the cross of Christ reminds us, "No, you’re not forgotten" and the resurrection gives us the assurance that someday we too will see our rescuer face to face and be liberated from the distresses of this life. When he returns we too will hear him say, "I’ve come for you."
A. The Significance of Witnesses –
1. In establishing a Truthful Situation
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Matthew 18.15-16
CF Deuteronomy 19.15: 15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.
2. Yeshua even used TWO Parables to establish the truth of some of his teachings
B. The Sacred Scriptures as Witnesses –1 Corinthians 15.3-4
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
1. Declared the Gospel in Advance – Isaiah 61.1 (Luke 4.18)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2. OT scriptures produced faith in believers of Yeshua (Jesus) – Acts 8, etc.
C. The Sanctified Saints as Witnesses – 1 Corinthians 15.5-8
1. References of Jesus’ appearances after His resurrection:
1. TO MARY MAGDALENE AT THE TOMB – JOHN.20:11-17
2. TO THE OTHER WOMEN RETURNING TO THE TOMB – MT.28:9-10
3. TO PETER – LUKE 24:34; 1 COR. 15:5
4. TO THE DISCIPLES ON THE EMMAUS ROAD – LU.24:13-31
5. TO THE 10 DISCIPLES – MK.16:14
6. TO THE 11 DISCIPLES A WEEK AFTER THE RESURRECTION – JN.20:26-29
7. TO 7 DISCIPLES BY SEA OFGALILEE – JN.21:1-23
8. APPEARANCE TO 500 – 1 COR. 15:6
9. TO JAMES THE LORD’S BROTHER – 1 COR. 15:7
10. TO THE 11 DISCIPLES ON THE MT. IN GALILEE – MT.28:16-20
11. AT THE ASCENSION – ACTS 1:3-9
12. TO STEPHEN AT HIS STONING – ACTS 7:55 – 56
13. TO PAUL ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD – ACTS 9:3-6
14. TO PAUL IN ARABIA – GAL. 1:12-17
15. TO PAUL IN THE TEMPLE – ACTS 9:26-27
16. TO PAUL IN PRISON IN CAESAREA – ACTS 23:11
17. TO THE APOSTLE JOHN – REV. 1:12 – 20
2. PEOPLE and Eyewitness Accounts are important!
The scene was San Diego Superior Court. Two men were on trial for armed robbery. An eyewitness took the stand, and the prosecutor moved carefully:
“So, you say you were at the scene when the robbery took place?” “Yes.”
“And you saw a vehicle leave at a high rate of speed?” “Yes.”
“And did you observe the occupants?” “Yes, two men.”
“And,” the prosecutor boomed, “are those two men present in court today?”
At this point the two defendants sealed their fate. They raised their hands.
II. Yeshua’s (Jesus’) 40 Day Teachings
A. Focused on the Scriptures
1. Emmaus – Luke 24.13-35 (esp. v. 27)
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
2. Disciples – Luke 24.36-49 (esp. vv. 44-49)
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
B. Emphasized Action
1. His Coming Ascension
2. The Coming Holy Spirit (Acts 1.4-5; John 14.15-17; 16.7-10)
Luke 24.49 -- 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.
3. Advancing the Kingdom (Rule of God) – Acts 1.6-8
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
1. Could all of this have been a hoax? Could Yeshua (Jesus) have manipulated the situation for his own benefit and then the disciples have taken advantage of the situation after his death?
2. This is only possible IF:
a. More than 500 people collaborated and were willing to suffer and die for it
b. Note Paul’s Trials in 2 Corinthians 11.23-29
23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
c. Note the Apostles’ Fate:
SIMON PETER - A FISHERMAN was crucified, head-down, at his own request.
ANDREW, BROTHER OF SIMON PETER - A FISHERMAN was crucified at Patras in Achaia. JAMES, SON OF ZEBEDEE - A FISHERMAN was beheaded - ’put to the sword’ (Acts 12:1-2 following) by King Herod.
JOHN, BROTHER OF JAMES and SON OF ZEBEDEE - A FISHERMAN was banished to the island of Patmos, now one of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. He was subsequently freed and died a natural death at Ephesus c AD100.
PHILIP was martyred at Hierapolis.
BARTHOLOMEW, also NATHANAEL was flayed alive, and then beheaded.
THOMAS DIDYMUS - ’DOUBTING THOMAS’ was speared to death in India.
MATTHEW, also LEVI - TAX-COLLECTOR/PUBLICAN was martyred in Ethiopia.
JAMES, SON OF ALPHAEUS was martyred in Egypt.
JUDE, also THADDAEUS was killed with him in Persia.
SIMON THE ZEALOT or PATRIOT was either crucified or hacked to death in Persia
MATTHIAS was martyred in Ethiopia.
PAUL OR SAUL OF TARSUS was beheaded in Rome.
3. Would you be willing to go through these things for a hoax?
4. The Eyewitness accounts of Yeshua AFTER his resurrection indicate the truth of it/Him
5. How does this impact us? – It is true; we believe; act; and go “all out” – hold nothing back
