Surely
the Lord Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. The resurrection of
the Lord Jesus Christ is the basis on which Christianity stands or falls.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the unshakable rock of Christian faith.
It is the Waterloo (utter defeat) of infidelity, agnosticism and atheism.
Because Jesus Christ raised, materialism, communism, atheism must fall.
The
doctrine of the resurrection of Christ Jesus is the foundation doctrine of
the New Testament. The boast and glory of Christianity is the empty tomb.
Jesus is risen. On the cross Jesus cried, “It is finished,” and the
Father said “Amen” by resurrection of the Son from the dead. Jesus
said that He would die and rise again from the dead the third day,
Matthew 16:21
There
are many solid evidences and witnesses for us to believe Jesus is alive
from the dead.
1.
The Empty Tomb:
The absence of a body in the tomb is evidence of the resurrection. “He is
not here; for He is risen, as He said, come, see the place where the Lord
lay.”
(Matthew 28:6)
“And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.”
(Luke 24:3.)
2. The
testimony of angels:
And the angel answered and
said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which
was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come; see the
place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that He
is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee;
there shall ye se him: Lo, I have told you”.
“(Matthew
28:5-7; Luke 24: 2-7)
3. Jesus
appeared to Mary Magdalene:
But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she
stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in
white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the
body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman why weepest thou?
She saith unto them, because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not
where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself
back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith
unto her, Woman why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him
to be the Gardner saith unto him, Sir, if tou have borne him hence, tell
me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto
her, Mary, she turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabbone; which is to
say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet
ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend
unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary
Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen Lord and that he
had spoken these things unto her”.
(John 20:11-18)
4. The
testimony of two disciples on the way to Emmaus at evening meal:
And came to pass, as he
sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave
to them. And there eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished
out of their sight.
And they said
one to another; did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us
by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up
the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered
together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed,
and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the
way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.”
(Luke 30-35)
5. Jesus
appeared to His disciples on the same day at evening of first day of the
week: Then the
same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were
shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus
and stood in the midest, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And he
had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the
disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again,
Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And
when he had this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye
the Holy Ghost: whose so ever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them;
and whose so ever sins ye retain, they are retained”.
(John 20:19-23)
6. The testimony of Thomas:
Now we
read in the Holy Bible,”But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymous,
was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said
unto him, we have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall
see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print
of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again
his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the
doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;
and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not
faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord
and my god. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hath seen me, thou
hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have
believed.”
(John 20:24-29)
7. Jesus
appeared to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias and dine with them:
After
these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of
Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon
Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and
the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith
unto them, “I go a fishing”. They say unto him, “We also go with him”.
They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they
caught nothing.
But
when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the
disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them,
“Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto
them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They
cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude
of fishes…………As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of
coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them,
“Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, who art tou?
Knowing it was the Lord. ……………………………….
So when they had dined,
Jesus saith to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more
than these? He saith unto him, ye, Lord; thou knowest I love thee. He
saith unto him, “Feed my lambs”. He saith to him again the second time,
“Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou
knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto
him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was
grieved because he said uto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he
said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love
thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep”.
(John 21:1-17)
8. He appeared to the eleven disciples on the mountain:
Then the eleven disciples
went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted. And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,
lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen!
(Matthew 28:16-20)
9. Jesus
appeared to five hundred brethren:
“After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom
the greater part remain unto t his present, but some are fallen asleep”.
(1-Corinthians 15:6)
10. He
appeared to the eleven disciples at Bethany where He ascended:
“And as they thus spake,
Jesus himself stood in the midest of them, and saith unto them, Peace be
unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they
had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, why are ye troubled? And why
do thoughts arise in your heats? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is
I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as
ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and
his feet.
And
while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them,
Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and
of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.
And he
said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was
yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in
the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me.
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the
Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.
And, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in
the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
And he led them out as far
as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came
to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up
into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with
great joy…..”
(Luke 24:36-52)
11.
Paul's eyewitness account is evidence of the resurrection.
“
And as he journeyed, he
came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light
from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And
the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou pesecutest: it is hard for thee to
kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into
the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do”.
(Acts 9:3-6)
1-Corinthians 15 is
one of the earliest records of the resurrection.
Paul talked about seeing the risen Jesus less than 15 years after it
happened.
Paul's transformation is evidence of the resurrection. The one, who
killed followers of Christ, became one of them.
Christians risking their lives is evidence of the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Why would anyone be willing to die for a
mythological story they created?
The absence of a body is evidence of the resurrection.
Jesus' enemies would have produced his body to dispute the resurrection.
There is no such thing as a mass hallucination.
The gravesite is evidence of the resurrection.
Jesus' followers didn't make the grave a place of worship.
Conclusion:
Jesus' own brother was the leader of the Jerusalem Church.
The
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, next to the crucifixion itself,
is the most significant event in church history. It is not a peripheral
issue. It is foundational. It is bedrock. It is the bottom line. Christ
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life, he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet he shall live: and whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die”.
(John
11:25) According to the Holy Bible and Christian's belief there is
life beyond the grave. And because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross,
and because He rose from the dead three days later, we as Christians have
the hope that when we die we will have eternal life and go into the
presence of God into a wonderful place called heaven. That is why the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is one of the most important
biblical truth there is.
So dear visitors, we are bringing you good news and requesting you to turn from the worthless things to the living Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ and receive forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life. It is written in the word of God, "To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins".
Rev. G.M.Tebassum
berachah125@yahoo.com
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