Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.Matthew 28:5-6
Introduction
We must never underestimate the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The world believes that Jesus died but the world does not believe that He arose from the dead. Peter’s message at Pentecost emphasized the resurrection. Infact, the significance of the resurrection is emphasized throughout the book of Acts.
Christians have experienced Christ’s resurrection power in their own lives. While the inward, subjective experience alone would not prove our Lord’s historic resurrection, when combined with the other evidences, it adds great weight to the case. Still people can be self-deluded.
The Resurrection
“Believers”in all kinds of cults will claim their way is true because of what they have experienced. But Christians have the weight of church history, Scripture, and dependable witnesses to back up their own personal experiences of faith.
Over five hundred witnesses saw Jesus alive at one time (1 Cor 15:3-8). These appearances of the risen Christ were of such a nature that they could not be explained as hallucinations or self-deception. The people who saw Jesus were surprised. For over five hundred people to suffer hallucinations at the same time would have been impossible. Even the apostle Paul, an enemy of the church, saw the risen Christ; and that experience transformed his life (Acts 9).
Not only had the angel commissioned them but the Lord also commissioned them. The phrase “my brothers”in Matthew 28:10 reveals the intimate relationship between Christ and His followers. Jesus had spoken similar words to Mary Magdalene earlier that morning (John 20:17). Jesus reinforced the instructions of the angel that the disciples meet Him in Galilee.
In the garden, Jesus had told His disciples that He would rise from the dead and meetthem in Galilee, but they had forgotten.
For a roman soldier to fail in his duty was an offense punishable by death (Acts 12:19; 16:27-28). But the soldiers were shrewd: They did not report to Pilate or their superior officers; they reported to the Jewish chief priests. They knew that these men were as anxious to cover up the miracle as were the soldiers themselves! Between the chief priests, the elders and the soldiers, they put together a story that would explain the empty tomb; The body was stolen.
If Jesus’ body had been stolen, then it would have been taken either by His friends or His enemies. His friends could not have done it since they had left the scene and were convinced that Jesus was dead. His enemies would not steal his body because belief in his resurrection was what they were trying to prevent. They would have defeated their own purposes if they had removed His body. And, if they had taken it, why did they not produce it and silence the witness of the early church?
Some Bible scholars equate this mountain meeting in Galilee with the appearance of the Lord to “more than 500 of His followers at one time” (1 Cor 15:6). The fact that some of the people present doubted His resurrection would suggest that more than eleven apostles were present, for these men were now confirmed believers. Our Lord’s ascension did not take place at this time, but later after He had ministered to His disciples in Jerusalem.
Significance of the Resurrection
- The resurrection proves that Jesus is God’s son. Jesus stated that He had authority to lay down His life and take it up again. (John 10:17-18).
- The resurrection verifies the truth of Scripture. Both in the old Testament and in the teaching of Jesus, His resurrection is clearly taught (see Ps 16:10; 110:1). If Jesus had not come out of the tomb, then these scriptures would not be true.
- The resurrection assures our own future resurrection.Because Jesus died and rose again, we will one day be raised to be like Him (1 Thess 4:13-18). In fact, the entire structure of the Christian faith rests on the foundation of the resurrection. If we do away with His resurrection, we have no hope.
- The resurrection is the proof of a future judgement. “For He has set a day for judging the old with justice by the man He has appointed, and He proved to everyone this is by raising Him from the dead. (Acts17:31)
- The resurrection is the basis for Christ’s heavenly priesthood. Because He lives by the power of an endless life, He is able to save us “once and forever” (Heb 7:23-28). He lives to pray for us.
- The resurrection gives power for Christian living. We cannot live for God by your own strength. It is only as His resurrection power works in and through us that we can do His will and glorify His name (Rom 6:4).
- The resurrection assures our future inheritance. Because we have a living hope, we can experience hopeful living. A dead hope grows weaker and weaker before it actually dies. But because Jesus Christ is alive, we have a glorious future (1 Pet 1:3-5).
Whenever God’s people gather on the Lord’s Day they bear witness that Jesus is alive and that the church has received spiritual blessings. But when the followers of the Lord gathered that first Lord’s Day, they were discouraged and defeated.
Remain Blessed!
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