The Greatest Story Ever Told Series

Resurrection Sunday is the greatest story ever told. Now a story can be fictional (made up) or it can be non-fictional (a factual event). I am standing here before you today declaring the Resurrection Story of Jesus Christ is a factual event. It happened just as the Bible declared. And yes, death, could not hold Jesus Christ in that grave. And since I know that death could not hold Jesus is true, everything He told me about dying for my sins is true. Everything He told me about giving me a gift of eternal life if I accept His free gift is true. Everything He told me about ascending into heaven to prepare mansions so that where He is, I will be also is another truth. Everything He told me about heaven being my eternal home is true.

That is a lot to swallow, but it all hinges on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from that borrowed tomb. Let me convince you with the evidence I see that is irrefutable.

Do you realize that nowhere in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is there any recorded lie made by Jesus Christ? What Jesus said was true, and He told His disciples what would happen to Him when He went to Jerusalem. He would suffer many things, He would be killed , and He would rise out of the grave on the third day.

Let’s look at that.

Matthew 16:21 NKJV

21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

You need to understand that Matthew did not misunderstand what Jesus said that day because both Mark and Luke record this exact thing in their Gospels. All three recorded that He would suffer, be killed and raised on the third day. And since Jesus doesn’t lie, He states upon His Word that the Resurrection was to occur; and as we look back at it- it has occurred.

The University of Alabama, Department of Communication Studies lead by Dr Timothy Levine conducted a survey in 2021 on how frequently people tell lies. For this survey, they had 630 participants who over a period of time self-reported each day how many lies that they told that day.

At the end of the 90 days, the report shows that three-quarters of the study participants were consistently honest, telling between zero and two lies per day. But that leaves twenty -five percent that could not be honest even about the number the lies that they told each day. And all total over the 90 days for 630 people the number of lies that were reported was 116,336.

Forty Bible writers, sixty six books of the Bible written over a period of 1, 500 years and not a writer or a person written about, or a people group could make the accusation what God said is a lie or what Jesus said is a lie. Very remarkable! But it makes perfect sense about God and Jesus if you know the Scripture in Numbers 23 that says God is not like man that He should lie.

Jesus’ Word is factual evidence that the Resurrection occurred. We lie to each other and to ourselves, but the Godhead has never lied to us.

Do you realize after Jesus’ Resurrection from the grave, He appeared to the three women, to the two men on the Road to Emmaus, to over 500 people at once and finally to the Apostle Paul. If this account of His appearances were not accurate, with that many people involved, you would except at least one person to come forward if it was no so.

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 NKJV

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

Listen to what Proverb 11:13 says:

Proverbs 11:13 NKJV

13 A talebearer reveals secrets,

But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

You cannot tell me that with over five hundred people who testified of seeing the Risen Lord, that there was not at least once talebearer who would come out and say: “I didn’t see Him; it is not true.” But not one person came forth and said what I said about seeing Jesus is not true.