| The Resurrection of Jesus Christ |
John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
The resurrection is CENTRAL to the Gospel message. The resurrection of
Jesus Christ is the most significant event in ALL of human history. When the
disciples preached Jesus, they preached His death and resurrection. The
message was one of a Risen Savior, who is able to save ALL who believe.
Without the resurrection, everything else is meaningless-- a dead Savior cannot
save anyone! Notice what God's Word says:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath RAISED HIM FROM
THE DEAD, thou shalt be saved.
Yes, that is what God's Word says. Yet so many today, have left the
Resurrection out of their preaching. A Swiss theologian named Karl Barth said,
"Without the belief in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ there is no
salvation." How true that is! Yet, many TV preachers fail to even mention the
Resurrection. Most say a quick, "Did you know Christ died for you? Pray this
prayer..." But they fail to say, "and He rose again...He is alive!" Many also fail
to mention the Heavenly Father in their salvation message. John 12:44 Jesus
cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him
that sent me.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come
into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
1John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son
to be the Saviour of the world.
Rom 4:24b-25 "if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from
the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for
our justification."
1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
When comparing the preaching of decades past, one will find a significant
difference in the way preachers used to preach the Gospel. The Resurrection
was not only mentioned in passing but also preached in detail. Somewhere,
the young preachers of today (and some older ones as well) have missed the
message-- we cannot give only part of the story. If one only gives part of the
story, those listening CANNOT get saved. For it is the belief in a Risen Christ
that one is saved. Belief in the resurrection was the faith of the Early Church.
They preached the Risen Christ.
There can never be too many Resurrection sermons preached for it is the heart
of our belief. It is the heart of all of Christianity.
"The resurrection is not merely important to the historic Christian faith; without
it, there would be no Christianity. It is the singular doctrine that elevates
Christianity above all other world religions." --Pastor Adrian Rogers
Our Savior is not dead but ALIVE!! Hallelujah! It was prophesied in the Old
Testament how Messiah would die and would rise again. This is the core
message of the Gospel. Mohammed is still in his tomb. Confucius, Buddha, still
dead. They are all dead. Only Jesus rose from the grave! We must say it again
and start preaching it again! The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ-- We
have hope. We have eternal life because of Jesus and what He accomplished
for us at the cross and because He rose from the grave!
"Gospel preachers nowadays preach the gospel of the Crucifixion, the Apostles
preached the gospel of the Resurrection as well. (2 Tim. 2:8-"Remember that
Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my
gospel.") The Crucifixion loses its meaning without the Resurrection. Without
the Resurrection the death of Christ was only the heroic death of a noble
martyr; with the Resurrection it is the atoning death the Son of God. It shows
that death to be of sufficient value to cover our sins, for it was the sacrifice of
the Son of God." (R. A. Torrey, What The Bible Teaches (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1898-
1993) p. 177)
"The Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost of the risen Savior, says,
"God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ." And He speaks of Him as the anointed One, exalted at God's right hand.
The Gospel is the Gospel of the Risen Christ. There would be no Gospel for
sinners if Christ had not been raised. So the apostle says, "If Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). --H.A. Ironside
Notice how the Apostles preached:
Act 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the
dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God
raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you
whole.
Act 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and
risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you,
is Christ.
In the New Testament alone, the Resurrection is mentioned over 100 times.
"The Church came into existence because of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus.
If Jesus had remained buried in the grave, the story of His life and death would
have remained buried with Him. The New Testament is an effect of Christ's
resurrection. It was the resurrection that put heart into the disciples to go forth
and tell its story." -William Evans
The birth of Jesus was a miracle; His life on earth was an amazing perfection
of doing the Will of the Heavenly Father. Jesus lived a perfect life while He
walked the earth, without ever sinning. He walked perfect before God. He
was God in flesh. He paid the price for our sin on the cross. He shed His
precious blood for us so that we might be forgiven. (Hebrews 9:22) Jesus
suffered and died the most tortuous death so that we might have eternal life.
Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians would be powerless,
hopeless, and all our believing would be vain. Because of the resurrection of
Christ, all believers have power, love, and the hope of His SOON return!
1Cor 15:17-23 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet
in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-
fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
What is the above passage saying?
If Christ be not raised your faith is vain-- Why? Well, for one, the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus proves that He is the Son of God.
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to
the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
The resurrection proves that Jesus finished the redemptive work. It proves that
He is our Savior-- the Great High Priest who is seated at the Right hand of the
Heavenly Father.
It proves that He did exactly what He said He would do.
Matt 20:18-19 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall
be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall
condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock,
and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Luke 24:6-8 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto
you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be
delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third
day rise again. And they [the disciples] remembered his words
Dr. H.A. Ironside said, "We are not preaching the Gospel of a dead Christ, but
of a living Christ who sits exalted at the Father's right hand, and is living to save
all who put their trust in Him. That is why those of us who really know the
Gospel never have any crucifixes around our churches or in our homes. The
crucifix represents a dead Christ hanging languid on a cross of shame. But we
are not pointing men to a dead Christ; we are preaching a living Christ. He lives
exalted at God's right hand, and He "saves to the uttermost all who come to
God by Him."
John 3:13-16 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came
down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.
If Christ be not raised, we are yet in our sins.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the proclamation of God to the whole
world that His Son bore the punishment of the sins of the people; was lifted up
on the cross (as Moses lifted up the serpent); shed his blood as the spotless
Lamb of God-- Jesus died on the preparation of Passover; that Jesus received
all of God’s wrath upon Himself on the Cross, and that He completed the
redemptive work and arose from the grave, victorious over death.
If Christ be not raised, we are without hope for He said, "I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die." If Christ be not raised, there is no promise of a victorious life for us here
on earth nor is there a resurrection for us in the future.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
If Christ be not raised, there can be
no kingdom and no returning King!
If Christ be not raised, where is the promise of the resurrection for us?
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell
in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your
mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
1Cor 15:20-21 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the
firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the dead.
If Christ be not raised, there is no future of the Rapture.
1Thess 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one
another with these words.
If Christ be not raised, there is no future of the Lord's return and no
future of the Millenial Kingdom.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for
evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he
doth judge and make war.
Zech 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the
house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Jude 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of
these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among
them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and
of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
If Christ be not raised, there can be no new heaven and no new earth.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it.
If Jesus is not raised, there is no judgment of the devil and no destruction
of the devil's kingdom.
1John 3:8b For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be
tormented day and night for ever and ever.
For ALL these biblical beliefs have their foundation in the Risen Christ.
Because Jesus is alive, we know His promises are true. He arose and we shall
arise also. He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah
and will fulfill the rest of them at His Second Coming. Well known evangelist
Billy Graham once said, "the entire plan for the future has its key in the
resurrection."
Jesus- The Joy of Our Salvation
Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith! He is the reason we have joy
within our hearts. He is the Resurrection and the Life. We can say as Job, "I
know that my redeemer liveth!"
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth:
Every True Believer today has joy because of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the
reason for our joy. He is our peace in the midst of adversity. The Disciples had
joy after they saw the Lord resurrected. After Jesus' crucifixion, the followers
of Jesus were in such deep despair. "We trusted that it had been he which
should have redeemed Israel..." They were confused; they had no hope. They
remembered not the words that Jesus said to them before His crucifixion, "the
Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of
the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise
again." (Mark 8:31)
They did not remember, nor did they understand...their Lord was crucified
before their eyes. They had no hope left. The Lord who calmed the troubled
seas, told the great storms to "be still"; the Lord who fed them, taught them,
gave them power to do such wonderful things-- Jesus of Nazareth-- healed the
blind, made the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the dumb to talk, set the captives
free-- the Lord who raised the dead back to life. The One who touched every
life who ever encountered Him...the One who was their guide and Shepherd,
the One who would make every situation all right...was no more with them-- He
died before their eyes. Peter had once said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God.", "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of
eternal life."
Yet Jesus died a horrific death upon a cruel Roman torture device-- the Cross--
He died for the sins of the world. He was placed in a rich man's tomb and had
Roman soldiers guarding the Tomb. The Disciples were without hope...they
were fearful of what would become of them. Life had no meaning-- all hope
was lost. But when Jesus arose from the tomb-- "He is alive!!"-- They saw
Him-- The Living Risen Christ and their hearts rejoiced. Jesus is the reason for
living! John20:20 And when he [Jesus] had so said, he shewed unto them
his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the
Lord. The Greek word for "glad" in this passage means to be full of “cheerâ
€�, that is, "calmly happy or well off." One could say that the disciples were
"happily relieved"...all of their stress turned to pure JOY at the sight of Jesus.
THE KINGDOM
Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many
infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God:
During the forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus was seen by 500 brethren at
once (1Cor 15:6). He spoke to them of the Kingdom of God. He showed
Himself alive by MANY infallible proofs: He appeared in their midst; He walked
with them, ate with them, they touched His body, His hands and His feet, and
they found that He was not an apparition, but had a glorified body of flesh and
bones. He taught them things pertaining to the Kingdom...THE FUTURE
KINGDOM WHEN HE SHALL REIGN UPON THE EARTH...Our future lies
in Christ Jesus. We shall reign with Him.
Blessed fact, Jesus presented Himself living for He is the Living One!!! The
disciples who had no hope after the crucifixion became as bold as lions after the
Resurrection-- once they received the Holy Spirit. They began to preach the
Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and were willing to be tortured and to die for
Him-- for the sake of the Gospel-- for they KNEW Jesus is alive and the
Gospel...the Good News that Jesus saves has been preached ever since.
THE ASCENSION
Acts 1:8-11 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And
when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and
a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly
toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white
apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Jesus-- The Risen Savior-- ascended up to Heaven in a cloud. Some Bible
teachers believe this was no ordinary cloud.
A.C. Gaebelein wrote in his Commentary on Acts:
"That cloud was not a cloud of vapor. It was the same cloud which had
appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Shekinah. It was the same cloud
of glory which had filled Solomon's Temple, which so often in Israel's past
history had appeared as the outward sign of Jehovah's presence with His people.
The Glory-cloud came to take Jesus in, to bring Him back to the Father from
whence He had come. What human tongue or pen can picture what took place
after He had disappeared from human vision! The Shekinah cloud had come to
meet Him and where that Glory began sight ceases and faith begins. What must
it have been when He came into the presence of the Throne of His Father when
He took His seat, greeted with the word of welcome, "Thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchisedec...sit thou at my right hand until I
make thine enemies thy footstool." What a glorious scene it must have been
participated in by the angels in Heaven!...In His Name we can approach God;
He is our Advocate, our Priest in the presence of God, appearing for His own.
The evidence that He is thus with the Father is soon given by the answered
prayer of the first chapter, and the greater evidence, the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, the Coming of the Third Person of the Trinity-- What a blessed Work--
a work we cannot fully estimate, the Lord Jesus Christ must have accomplished
on the cross, that the Third Person of the Trinity came down from Heaven
and has made His abiding place in believing sinners." --Arno C. Gaebelein
What a great Savior! In His name-- the name of Jesus, we can approach the
Heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is our Mediator, our Advocate, our Great
High Priest in the presence of God, interceding for us.
1Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;
Heb 7:25-27 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first
for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he
offered up himself.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
Eph 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he
loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together
with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to
come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus.
Notice from the above text, that we, as Believers, are not only made partakers
of the Lord's death and resurrection, but of His very ascension-- seated in
Heavenly places!
F. J. Huegel wrote:
Oh! May Christians arise and take their place with Christ in the Heavenlies
--far above principalities and powers. Their right to the air they breathe and
the water they drink is no more inalienable. They are members of Christ's
body and by the Word of God, the Covenant of Calvary, they are the legal
possessors of all that which Christ Himself rose out of the grave to inherit.
When God raised His Son from the dead and set Him at His right hand in
the Heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and
dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in
that which is to come, and put all things under His feet,� you, too, O
Christian member of the body of Christ you, who believe in Him and who
have been grafted into the Vine, you, of whom Jesus said: “I in them and
thou in me, that they may be made perfect in One,� you, too, O Christian,
were raised to sit at the right hand of God; all things have been placed
under your feet. Will you not assert your right to freedom, and throw off the
abominable yoke? Will you not remove, on the basis of the Calvary victory,
every faculty, every power, every phase of your life whether of the spirit or
of the soul, or of the body, from Satan’s blighting, stultifying, deadening,
damning dominion, so that in the fullest possession of your faculties you may
serve God in holy freedom and joy?
THIS SAME JESUS...Will Return
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Jesus is the Man in Glory. The hope of the Church is to meet Him in the air.
Jesus ascended back to the Heavenly Father. He left his disciples with the
promise of the Holy Spirit who came on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus left them
in order to enter into the Holy of Holies, to exercise the priesthood – Our
Great High Priest—the Lord Jesus who is a priest after the order of
Melchisedec.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
When the Lord Jesus comes back to earth to rule and reign, He will come to be
priest and a King upon His Throne-- He will rule forever and forever. We, who
have received Him as Savior, are joint-heirs with Him. We will rule and reign
with the Lord Jesus. The Lord is coming back very soon to take His Church out
of the earth before the Great Tribulation period begins. After the 7 years, we
shall return with Christ Jesus back to this earth and we shall forever reign with
Him. Jesus- Our Blessed Hope. He is our only hope. He is our life-- our reason
for living. Jesus is coming back so soon. Are you ready?
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and
they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Copyright © 2004-2005 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved
FURTHER READING:
Resurrection Quotes by Well Known Christian Leaders
Psalm 40 - Messiah's Death and Resurrection - A Must-Read!
Poem : The Resurrection Of Our Lord
His Obedience - Christ Jesus Did The Father's Will
The Burial of Jesus Christ - Interesting Facts concerning His Burial
The Preaching Of Jesus Christ After His Resurrection Concerning the Kingdom of God
Dead With Christ, Risen With Christ
The Free Gift of Salvation
What Is The Gospel? by H.A. Ironside
Till He Come
Our Lord's Triumph
Jesus Christ is God
The Christ of the Cross
Resurrection Cookies: Teach Your Children about the Lord's Resurrection
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
The resurrection is CENTRAL to the Gospel message. The resurrection of
Jesus Christ is the most significant event in ALL of human history. When the
disciples preached Jesus, they preached His death and resurrection. The
message was one of a Risen Savior, who is able to save ALL who believe.
Without the resurrection, everything else is meaningless-- a dead Savior cannot
save anyone! Notice what God's Word says:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath RAISED HIM FROM
THE DEAD, thou shalt be saved.
Yes, that is what God's Word says. Yet so many today, have left the
Resurrection out of their preaching. A Swiss theologian named Karl Barth said,
"Without the belief in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ there is no
salvation." How true that is! Yet, many TV preachers fail to even mention the
Resurrection. Most say a quick, "Did you know Christ died for you? Pray this
prayer..." But they fail to say, "and He rose again...He is alive!" Many also fail
to mention the Heavenly Father in their salvation message. John 12:44 Jesus
cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him
that sent me.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come
into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
1John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son
to be the Saviour of the world.
Rom 4:24b-25 "if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from
the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for
our justification."
1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
When comparing the preaching of decades past, one will find a significant
difference in the way preachers used to preach the Gospel. The Resurrection
was not only mentioned in passing but also preached in detail. Somewhere,
the young preachers of today (and some older ones as well) have missed the
message-- we cannot give only part of the story. If one only gives part of the
story, those listening CANNOT get saved. For it is the belief in a Risen Christ
that one is saved. Belief in the resurrection was the faith of the Early Church.
They preached the Risen Christ.
There can never be too many Resurrection sermons preached for it is the heart
of our belief. It is the heart of all of Christianity.
"The resurrection is not merely important to the historic Christian faith; without
it, there would be no Christianity. It is the singular doctrine that elevates
Christianity above all other world religions." --Pastor Adrian Rogers
Our Savior is not dead but ALIVE!! Hallelujah! It was prophesied in the Old
Testament how Messiah would die and would rise again. This is the core
message of the Gospel. Mohammed is still in his tomb. Confucius, Buddha, still
dead. They are all dead. Only Jesus rose from the grave! We must say it again
and start preaching it again! The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ-- We
have hope. We have eternal life because of Jesus and what He accomplished
for us at the cross and because He rose from the grave!
"Gospel preachers nowadays preach the gospel of the Crucifixion, the Apostles
preached the gospel of the Resurrection as well. (2 Tim. 2:8-"Remember that
Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my
gospel.") The Crucifixion loses its meaning without the Resurrection. Without
the Resurrection the death of Christ was only the heroic death of a noble
martyr; with the Resurrection it is the atoning death the Son of God. It shows
that death to be of sufficient value to cover our sins, for it was the sacrifice of
the Son of God." (R. A. Torrey, What The Bible Teaches (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1898-
1993) p. 177)
"The Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost of the risen Savior, says,
"God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ." And He speaks of Him as the anointed One, exalted at God's right hand.
The Gospel is the Gospel of the Risen Christ. There would be no Gospel for
sinners if Christ had not been raised. So the apostle says, "If Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). --H.A. Ironside
Notice how the Apostles preached:
Act 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the
dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God
raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you
whole.
Act 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and
risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you,
is Christ.
In the New Testament alone, the Resurrection is mentioned over 100 times.
"The Church came into existence because of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus.
If Jesus had remained buried in the grave, the story of His life and death would
have remained buried with Him. The New Testament is an effect of Christ's
resurrection. It was the resurrection that put heart into the disciples to go forth
and tell its story." -William Evans
The birth of Jesus was a miracle; His life on earth was an amazing perfection
of doing the Will of the Heavenly Father. Jesus lived a perfect life while He
walked the earth, without ever sinning. He walked perfect before God. He
was God in flesh. He paid the price for our sin on the cross. He shed His
precious blood for us so that we might be forgiven. (Hebrews 9:22) Jesus
suffered and died the most tortuous death so that we might have eternal life.
Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians would be powerless,
hopeless, and all our believing would be vain. Because of the resurrection of
Christ, all believers have power, love, and the hope of His SOON return!
1Cor 15:17-23 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet
in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-
fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
What is the above passage saying?
If Christ be not raised your faith is vain-- Why? Well, for one, the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus proves that He is the Son of God.
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to
the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
The resurrection proves that Jesus finished the redemptive work. It proves that
He is our Savior-- the Great High Priest who is seated at the Right hand of the
Heavenly Father.
It proves that He did exactly what He said He would do.
Matt 20:18-19 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall
be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall
condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock,
and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Luke 24:6-8 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto
you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be
delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third
day rise again. And they [the disciples] remembered his words
Dr. H.A. Ironside said, "We are not preaching the Gospel of a dead Christ, but
of a living Christ who sits exalted at the Father's right hand, and is living to save
all who put their trust in Him. That is why those of us who really know the
Gospel never have any crucifixes around our churches or in our homes. The
crucifix represents a dead Christ hanging languid on a cross of shame. But we
are not pointing men to a dead Christ; we are preaching a living Christ. He lives
exalted at God's right hand, and He "saves to the uttermost all who come to
God by Him."
John 3:13-16 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came
down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.
If Christ be not raised, we are yet in our sins.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the proclamation of God to the whole
world that His Son bore the punishment of the sins of the people; was lifted up
on the cross (as Moses lifted up the serpent); shed his blood as the spotless
Lamb of God-- Jesus died on the preparation of Passover; that Jesus received
all of God’s wrath upon Himself on the Cross, and that He completed the
redemptive work and arose from the grave, victorious over death.
If Christ be not raised, we are without hope for He said, "I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die." If Christ be not raised, there is no promise of a victorious life for us here
on earth nor is there a resurrection for us in the future.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
If Christ be not raised, there can be
no kingdom and no returning King!
If Christ be not raised, where is the promise of the resurrection for us?
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell
in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your
mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
1Cor 15:20-21 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the
firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the dead.
If Christ be not raised, there is no future of the Rapture.
1Thess 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one
another with these words.
If Christ be not raised, there is no future of the Lord's return and no
future of the Millenial Kingdom.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for
evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he
doth judge and make war.
Zech 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the
house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Jude 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of
these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among
them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and
of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
If Christ be not raised, there can be no new heaven and no new earth.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it.
If Jesus is not raised, there is no judgment of the devil and no destruction
of the devil's kingdom.
1John 3:8b For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be
tormented day and night for ever and ever.
For ALL these biblical beliefs have their foundation in the Risen Christ.
Because Jesus is alive, we know His promises are true. He arose and we shall
arise also. He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah
and will fulfill the rest of them at His Second Coming. Well known evangelist
Billy Graham once said, "the entire plan for the future has its key in the
resurrection."
Jesus- The Joy of Our Salvation
Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith! He is the reason we have joy
within our hearts. He is the Resurrection and the Life. We can say as Job, "I
know that my redeemer liveth!"
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth:
Every True Believer today has joy because of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the
reason for our joy. He is our peace in the midst of adversity. The Disciples had
joy after they saw the Lord resurrected. After Jesus' crucifixion, the followers
of Jesus were in such deep despair. "We trusted that it had been he which
should have redeemed Israel..." They were confused; they had no hope. They
remembered not the words that Jesus said to them before His crucifixion, "the
Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of
the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise
again." (Mark 8:31)
They did not remember, nor did they understand...their Lord was crucified
before their eyes. They had no hope left. The Lord who calmed the troubled
seas, told the great storms to "be still"; the Lord who fed them, taught them,
gave them power to do such wonderful things-- Jesus of Nazareth-- healed the
blind, made the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the dumb to talk, set the captives
free-- the Lord who raised the dead back to life. The One who touched every
life who ever encountered Him...the One who was their guide and Shepherd,
the One who would make every situation all right...was no more with them-- He
died before their eyes. Peter had once said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God.", "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of
eternal life."
Yet Jesus died a horrific death upon a cruel Roman torture device-- the Cross--
He died for the sins of the world. He was placed in a rich man's tomb and had
Roman soldiers guarding the Tomb. The Disciples were without hope...they
were fearful of what would become of them. Life had no meaning-- all hope
was lost. But when Jesus arose from the tomb-- "He is alive!!"-- They saw
Him-- The Living Risen Christ and their hearts rejoiced. Jesus is the reason for
living! John20:20 And when he [Jesus] had so said, he shewed unto them
his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the
Lord. The Greek word for "glad" in this passage means to be full of “cheerâ
€�, that is, "calmly happy or well off." One could say that the disciples were
"happily relieved"...all of their stress turned to pure JOY at the sight of Jesus.
THE KINGDOM
Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many
infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God:
During the forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus was seen by 500 brethren at
once (1Cor 15:6). He spoke to them of the Kingdom of God. He showed
Himself alive by MANY infallible proofs: He appeared in their midst; He walked
with them, ate with them, they touched His body, His hands and His feet, and
they found that He was not an apparition, but had a glorified body of flesh and
bones. He taught them things pertaining to the Kingdom...THE FUTURE
KINGDOM WHEN HE SHALL REIGN UPON THE EARTH...Our future lies
in Christ Jesus. We shall reign with Him.
Blessed fact, Jesus presented Himself living for He is the Living One!!! The
disciples who had no hope after the crucifixion became as bold as lions after the
Resurrection-- once they received the Holy Spirit. They began to preach the
Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and were willing to be tortured and to die for
Him-- for the sake of the Gospel-- for they KNEW Jesus is alive and the
Gospel...the Good News that Jesus saves has been preached ever since.
THE ASCENSION
Acts 1:8-11 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And
when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and
a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly
toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white
apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Jesus-- The Risen Savior-- ascended up to Heaven in a cloud. Some Bible
teachers believe this was no ordinary cloud.
A.C. Gaebelein wrote in his Commentary on Acts:
"That cloud was not a cloud of vapor. It was the same cloud which had
appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Shekinah. It was the same cloud
of glory which had filled Solomon's Temple, which so often in Israel's past
history had appeared as the outward sign of Jehovah's presence with His people.
The Glory-cloud came to take Jesus in, to bring Him back to the Father from
whence He had come. What human tongue or pen can picture what took place
after He had disappeared from human vision! The Shekinah cloud had come to
meet Him and where that Glory began sight ceases and faith begins. What must
it have been when He came into the presence of the Throne of His Father when
He took His seat, greeted with the word of welcome, "Thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchisedec...sit thou at my right hand until I
make thine enemies thy footstool." What a glorious scene it must have been
participated in by the angels in Heaven!...In His Name we can approach God;
He is our Advocate, our Priest in the presence of God, appearing for His own.
The evidence that He is thus with the Father is soon given by the answered
prayer of the first chapter, and the greater evidence, the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, the Coming of the Third Person of the Trinity-- What a blessed Work--
a work we cannot fully estimate, the Lord Jesus Christ must have accomplished
on the cross, that the Third Person of the Trinity came down from Heaven
and has made His abiding place in believing sinners." --Arno C. Gaebelein
What a great Savior! In His name-- the name of Jesus, we can approach the
Heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is our Mediator, our Advocate, our Great
High Priest in the presence of God, interceding for us.
1Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;
Heb 7:25-27 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first
for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he
offered up himself.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
Eph 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he
loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together
with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to
come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus.
Notice from the above text, that we, as Believers, are not only made partakers
of the Lord's death and resurrection, but of His very ascension-- seated in
Heavenly places!
F. J. Huegel wrote:
Oh! May Christians arise and take their place with Christ in the Heavenlies
--far above principalities and powers. Their right to the air they breathe and
the water they drink is no more inalienable. They are members of Christ's
body and by the Word of God, the Covenant of Calvary, they are the legal
possessors of all that which Christ Himself rose out of the grave to inherit.
When God raised His Son from the dead and set Him at His right hand in
the Heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and
dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in
that which is to come, and put all things under His feet,� you, too, O
Christian member of the body of Christ you, who believe in Him and who
have been grafted into the Vine, you, of whom Jesus said: “I in them and
thou in me, that they may be made perfect in One,� you, too, O Christian,
were raised to sit at the right hand of God; all things have been placed
under your feet. Will you not assert your right to freedom, and throw off the
abominable yoke? Will you not remove, on the basis of the Calvary victory,
every faculty, every power, every phase of your life whether of the spirit or
of the soul, or of the body, from Satan’s blighting, stultifying, deadening,
damning dominion, so that in the fullest possession of your faculties you may
serve God in holy freedom and joy?
THIS SAME JESUS...Will Return
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Jesus is the Man in Glory. The hope of the Church is to meet Him in the air.
Jesus ascended back to the Heavenly Father. He left his disciples with the
promise of the Holy Spirit who came on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus left them
in order to enter into the Holy of Holies, to exercise the priesthood – Our
Great High Priest—the Lord Jesus who is a priest after the order of
Melchisedec.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
When the Lord Jesus comes back to earth to rule and reign, He will come to be
priest and a King upon His Throne-- He will rule forever and forever. We, who
have received Him as Savior, are joint-heirs with Him. We will rule and reign
with the Lord Jesus. The Lord is coming back very soon to take His Church out
of the earth before the Great Tribulation period begins. After the 7 years, we
shall return with Christ Jesus back to this earth and we shall forever reign with
Him. Jesus- Our Blessed Hope. He is our only hope. He is our life-- our reason
for living. Jesus is coming back so soon. Are you ready?
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and
they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Copyright © 2004-2005 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved
FURTHER READING:
Resurrection Quotes by Well Known Christian Leaders
Psalm 40 - Messiah's Death and Resurrection - A Must-Read!
Poem : The Resurrection Of Our Lord
His Obedience - Christ Jesus Did The Father's Will
The Burial of Jesus Christ - Interesting Facts concerning His Burial
The Preaching Of Jesus Christ After His Resurrection Concerning the Kingdom of God
Dead With Christ, Risen With Christ
The Free Gift of Salvation
What Is The Gospel? by H.A. Ironside
Till He Come
Our Lord's Triumph
Jesus Christ is God
The Christ of the Cross
Resurrection Cookies: Teach Your Children about the Lord's Resurrection
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