The resurrection! 1Cor 15:1-12,
History is vital to who we are, it gives meaning and purpose to life. It effects all our lives whether we choose to ignore it or embrace it. We are all part of history and each one of us will leave an indelible stamp upon it to some extent!
People certainly effect history for instance,Charles Darwin with the theory of evolution. William Shakespeare in literature, Albert Einstein,Isaac Newton in the sciences, Adolph Hitler for terror, Leornardo Davinci in the Arts, Beethoven for music, Martin Luther and Nelson Mandella with civil rights, all these people have left an indelible mark upon history and will be remembered in the annuals of history for ever.
But all contenders pale into insignificance when they are put up against the life of Jesus Christ. He is unique amongst all contenders He alone was the one who said follow me! He is the one who died and rose again to conquer sin and death and grant eternal life to all that would believe in Him.
Jesus Christ changed the whole coarse of world events forever he left humanity the greatest set of ethical teaching ever written down, He made the profoundest claims about Himself and billions of lives have been changed by Him!
But its the resurrection that sets Him apart, its central to the Christian faith and without it Christianity would crumble into insignificance.
The resurrection brings certain certainties which cannot be changed, for instance because Jesus died for the sin of the world and rose again it proves a number of things:
It proves
1. He is the Son of God.
2. Our Sins can be forgiven and assurance with God.
3. Death has been conquered and we will be raised.
4. Eternal life is certain
5. Authority to witness.
6. Power to change lives
7. He is Alive and He will return
8. Meaning to the Lords supper until he comes.
Do we know and believe these things? More importantly have you experienced the resurrection in your life?
Today I would like to lay down some foundations for us in order to help us come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ and to bring us confidence in the resurrection fact. So the first thing I want to say today is that....
1. JESUS IS FACT NOT FICTION!
It madness I know but there are today in our post modern culture doubting the existence of Jesus of Nazareth.It was Bertrand Russell who once said,‘Jesus Christ probably never existed.’ Such statements are absoulute nonsense!
Lets get it straight from the begining - Jesus of Nazareth never came from the tales of Nairnia or Indiana Jones and the temple of doom or Harry Potter or even Lord of the Rings Jesus Christ was and is a historical figure of history as you are today.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica has 20,000 words more than anyone else about the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not forgetting his return!
It quotes ’Concerning the testimony of the many independent secular accounts of Jesus of Nazareth, it records; These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time in the 18th, 19th 20th centuries on inadequate grounds.’
FF BRUCE Biblical scholar said, ‘ No credible historian would ever deny the historicity of Jesus Christ. The life of Jesus Christ is as axiomatic as the life of Julius Caesar.’
Secular historians confirm the life of Jesus Christ as factual
Tactius Roman historian born A.D52,54 Alludes to the Death of Christ and the persecution of Christians under Nero.
Josephus born A.D.37. Commander of Jewish forces in Palastine A.D.66 Wrote about Jesus Christ, his death, his third day resurrection and of the foretelling by the prophets
2. THE BIBLE IS GOSPEL NOT GOSSIP! V3
1Cor; 15.3,4 According to the Scriptures, Here we have the Gospel manifesto. According to the Scriptures
Paul is referring to the OT accounts. He is saying all this took place as foretold by the prophets of old. This is really awesome that thousands of years before his death and resurrection was all foretold as far back as Moses and the prophets.
Could you imagine someone predicting your life 700 - 1000 years before you were even born this is the amazing fact about the life of Jesus Christ.
The Bible is a book written over a period of 1600 years with 40 different writers with one author behind it, covering 3 continents and 3 different languages.
To get these authors to concoct such a fabrication would be impossible! We have more manuscripts backing up the authenticity of the Bible than any other historical document, in our possession. For the New Testament alone we have over 24,633 copies
How could all this take place? Although the Bible has over 40 different writers it has one major author behind it all God. As Peter writers 1 Pet:1.21 for prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Isaac Newton said, “The Bible is the rock that all the hammers of criticism have failed to chip!”
The Scripture reveals to us God’s revelation of Himself to us and His plan and purposes for us through Jesus Christ. The Scriptures from the OT to the NT are pointing and revealing us to the Christ.
St. Augustine said, ‘In the Old Testament we have Christ concealed and in the New Testament we have Him revealed.’
Jesus Christ Himself witnessed to the Scriptures on many occassions Luke 24.44. ’That all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, prophets and the Psalms concerning me.’
Jesus did not just leave us a set of ideas about daily living. It is the proclamation of Christ as the one coming into the World dying and being raised from the dead as a according to the Old Testament Scriptures that is the key message.
3.’HIS DEATH , Christ died for our sins. 1COR 15:3
Isaiah: 53.5 Here God was pulling aside the curtain of time to let the people of Isaiah’s day 700 BC look ahead and see the suffering of the future Messiah and the resulting forgiveness made available to all mankind.
On the third day he rose again!“ that is a fact of history Psalm 16;10. David speaks of the resurrection of the Messiah not being abandoned to the grave. In the New Testament Peter quotes this Psalm referring it to Jesus Christ. Acts.2;25 Peter tells us that David was not referring about himself for he died and was not resurrected 2;29. Instead he wrote as a prophet v30 foretelling the resurrection 2;27 of Jesus Christ.
4. JESUS IS LORD THE‘ Christ’ NOT LAUNATIC! V3
All but four of the major religions are based on philosophical propositions. On the four that are based on personalities rather than a philosophical system, only Christianity claims an empty tomb for its founder.I repeat only Christianity claims an empty tomb!
Notice Abraham died, Buddha died, Mohammed died all the millions of Jews, Buddhists Muslims, and millions of their followers would agree that their founders have never come out of the dust of the earth to a resurrection.
This puts Christianity in a category of its own. The Christian faith is not just about rituals and regulations, it does not matter much how Confucius, Buddha or Muhammad lived nor how they died, what matters is their teaching. None of them call for the individual to follow them Jesus did! None of them held any importance to their death and resurrection but Jesus did!
The Testimony of Jesus prior to his resurrection
Jhn.11:25 Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
You can go to the tomb of all the major religous founders and certain devotees will have to before they die, but if you go to the tomb of Christ, He’s not there....He’s Risen!
"If I said to you today, you can expect to suffer shortly and die but in three days you will rise from the dead. We would be quietly taken away and thrown into a clinic until our minds became clear and sound. This would be right for only a lunatic would say such things."
And over the years there have been many groups have been willing to make such claims. Cults who have done such things but have never backed up their words.
Only Jesus fulfilled this claim because he wasn’t a lunatic but Christ the Lord! Mark 8:27 Who do people say that I am? Christ the Lord!
The only sign Jesus would give to the religious leaders was Matt.12; 38-41 The sign of Jonah
He told the Pharisees that this would be the sign to authenticate his claims to be the Messiah. Jesus clearly states that he will be raised as a sign.
These Pharisees were well aware of Jesus’ statement at this point.Matt.27;63 The Pharisees remembered these claims more than the disciples in fact they go to great lengths to prevent such an event being humanly possible. They posted a guard at the tomb, rolled a 2-ton stone bolder and put a seal on the tomb fixed with clay.
Important to note not even the Enemies of Christ ever denied the resurrection.
Even his disciples had genuine doubts even though on many occasions during the ministry of Jesus months, weeks and days leading up to His death and resurrection Jesus himself foretold his death and resurrection; 3 x especially to his disciples Mrk.8;31. 9;31. 10; 33.34. he spoke plainly , he taught them , he took them aside but they did not understand.
5. JESUS IS ALIVE NOT DEAD V5
Sir Lionel luckhoo is in the Guinness book of records the most successful trial lawyer 245 successful murder defenses in a row! At 63 he decided to put his analytical skills to the claim that Jesus rose from the dead! He found the resurrection answered his personal needs and his intellectual questioning.
He wrote ‘I have spent over 42 years as a defence trial lawyer I say unequivocally the evidence for the resurrection is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.
Frank Morrison another lawyer set about disproving the resurrection. By looking at the evidence. He too turned from skepticism to belief! And wrote a book called Who moved the stone?
6. JESUS IS TO BE ENCOUNTERED NOT STUDIED.
The Eye witnesses accounts 1Cor15::5-8. Peter spent three years with Christ. He left all to follow Him. A respected fisherman, who said you’re the Messiah to Jesus yet later, would deny knowing Jesus, who was locked away during the crucifixion in fear of his life. Yet once he witnessed the risen Saviour and his whole life changed!
Acts.2;23,24 At Pentecost he preaches the resurrection 3,000 converted under his preaching a man who ran in fear now preaches the death and resurrection of Jesus! What other answer to his transformed life?
The disciples Jhn 20;19. Behind closed doors in fear of the Jews, confusion was in the air but the Lord appears to them! Many would go on to be martyred for their belief.
James was the oldest brother of Jesus. Could you imagine growing up with somebody (brother or sister) and in his or her later years saying that he or she was the promised Son of God. They had grown up together.
Filled with unbelief It tells us in John 7;5. For even his own brothers did not believe in him. At one point they believed he had gone over the edge as a religious fanatic. While crowds followed him in Mrk.3.21 They went to take charge of him, for they said “He is out of his mind.”
They did not fully understand at this point, it was only until after the resurrection did his brother James believes and becomes an Apostle
Matt.28.10. ‘Go and tell my brothers in Galilee they will see me’ That came to pass... 1Cor 15:6. Then he appeared to 500 witnesses at one point. Paul himself who was once enemy of Christ, he meet the risen Christ on the Damascus rd. He would take 4 missionary journeys traveling thousands of miles to speak of the risen Jesus.
Look I could write a book about my wife, within those pages you could read and study what a good cook, housewife and mother she is, and you could read all about her and get to find out all about her. But I know her personally I’ve encountered and experienced all these things I am speaking about for myself. I know here personally.
When It comes to knowing Christ that is exactly what we need a personal encounter. All these people had met the risen Jesus alive.
Its a bit like a Big Mac, you could look at a picture of a big Mac as you walk into McDonalds, you could even pay for one and give the assistant the money for it. But it’s not until you open the box and bite into it, that you experience and encounter the goodness of that big Mac.
And so it is with Jesus we need to encounter and experience Him. We need to do more than look, more than just read, we need to believe! There is a verse in the psalms that says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
I love the encounter Thomas has with Jesus
Jhn:20; 26- 29 He was not there the first resurrection day, but a week later as the doors are still locked the Lord appears to him also its here we see the one to one encounter.V28 "My Lord and My God!"
Nobody here this morning is going to be privy like Thomas was in meeting Jesus. None of us have seen the risen Christ physically as these early first century believers did. But He can really be known in our hearts and lives. You can know his transforming power in your life!
Notice the words of Jesus in John 20:29 Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
Friends are you amongest the blessed this morning? Jesus wants to bless you, repent and believe in Him and you will be blessed forevermore.
