Examining the Resurrection
Did you know that the whole of the Christian faith hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? Tim Keller describes it this way:
“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” (The Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism)
Everything hinges on the resurrection. Christianity asserts that Jesus is God who became man, died, and later rose from the dead. The doctrine of the resurrection from the dead is of utmost importance to the Christian faith.The Apostle Paul tells the church in Corinth the bleak outlook Christians would have if in fact Jesus hasn't been raised from the dead:
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 ESV)
If Jesus hasn't been raised from the dead...
- Our preaching is in vain
- Our faith is in vain, its utterly useless
- We who boast in the cross are misrepresenting God by testifying wrongly
- Our faith is futile and we remain in our sins - we are not forgiven, we are not righteous before God
- Everyone who has died who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ has perished
- Christians are above all most to be pitied
That is astounding! Paul says that if Jesus hasn't been raised from the dead we are still in our sins! Everyone who has ever put their faith in Christ is in their sins and faces God's just judgment. All of our preaching and believing and labor is in vain if Jesus hasn't been raised. Paul tells us that the world should pity us if Jesus is only our hope for this life.Christians should be the most pitied people in the world if Jesus hasn't been raised.
Paul continues:
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 ESV)
We aren't a people to be pitied! Our lives and our labors and our faith is not in vain! Our faith in Jesus is not futile, and we are not in our sins! Most of all our hope isn't for this life only but also the life to come! In Christ we are made alive!
The fact of the matter is that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead!
In this very letter, Paul explains the basis of the Christian hope:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV)
Paul reminds the church at Corinth of the knowledge he has:
- Jesus died for our sins
- Jesus death for sins perfectly aligns with the plans for the Messiah in Scripture
- Jesus was buried and dead in the tomb
- Jesus was raised on the third day, again aligning with the Old Testament Scriptures
- Jesus appeared to real people who really witnessed him, Peter being the first, then the apostles
- Jesus then appeared to more than five hundred people, many of whom are still alive although some have died
- Then Jesus appeared to James and later to Paul
Paul is reminding the Corinthian church what they can investigate for themselves. The basis for their faith is reasonable and rational. Jesus appeared to people who they themselves could go find and ask, "Hey! Did you really see the Risen Christ?" This is what we affirm today as Christians. Jesus was dead, Jesus rose from the dead.
*This is a great link to investigate the historicity of Jesus' resurrection*
As followers of Jesus Christ, our faith and hope is in the resurrected Christ.
On the doctrine of the resurrection hangs the very balance not only of the Christian faith, but of all of life. If Jesus rose from the dead, then he isn't just a good moral teacher. If Jesus rose from the dead, he isn't just one way to God. If Jesus rose from the dead he isn't a lunatic or a liar.
If Jesus rose from the dead, then he is who he says he is, namely the Son of God sent into the world to die for sinners.
The resurrection affirms all of Jesus' claims to exclusivity. If Jesus rose from the dead, he is much more than a good moral teacher or one of many ways to God. If Jesus rose from the dead he confirms what he said about himself If Jesus rose from the dead, then these claims that he has made about himself must be true:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:25-27 ESV)
and
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)
If Jesus has been raised from the dead, we know that he is God, and that God raised him. Jesus' claims to be God must be true. Jesus' claims to offer forgiveness for sin and reconciliation to God must be true. He must be the only way to God. To deny Christ's resurrection is to deny God. God raising Jesus from the dead is the testimony that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the King and Savior of the world. Everything hinges on the resurrection.
Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
(1 John 5:10-12 ESV)
If God did in fact raise Jesus from the dead, then there is no other hope for salvation than in Jesus Christ alone.
Paul asserts in the letter to the Romans that Jesus "was raised up for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
How does Jesus' resurrection justify believers?
Our sins can be forgiven by our faith in in Jesus. Through faith, we are accepting Christ's finished work on the cross and believing that God raised him up. Through faith we die to ourselves and are united with Jesus.
Paul describes this unity with Christ:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 ESV)
Since Christ's sacrifice has been accepted by God, this means that when we are united to Christ by faith, we are forgiven of our sin.
Forgiveness of sins is made possible through Jesus offering himself up and dying on the cross, and his resurrection shows us that God accepted Christ's sacrifice for sin!
Justification is available to us! When we put our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, we are declared righteous before God. God did not raise Jesus from the dead so that we who put our faith in Christ would still be in our sins. We are forgiven!
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. (Romans 5:18 ESV)
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5 ESV)
Jesus Christ came to save sinners by dying in their place, and he was raised from the dead for our justification.
Again, everything hinges on the resurrection.
There are only two sides for us to be on in life when it comes to the resurrection:
1) If Jesus isn't raised from the dead, our hope is in vain because we can't be forgiven of our sins.
2) If Jesus has in fact been raised from the dead, then we have hope to be forgiven of our sins and to be justified and reconciled to God.
What we believe about the resurrection of Jesus Christ becomes the most important thing about us. What we believe about the resurrection of Jesus Christ becomes the basis of our very life no matter what worldview we have, whether we are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, agnostic, or any other worldview.
If we are believers in Christ, the resurrection is our hope and in fact God is our hope.
If we don't believe Jesus was raised, then we are denying that Jesus is the way to God and we will try to get to God in other ways. We may try to live out our lives simply having more good works than bad deeds. We may do like I did, and try to deny God altogether. We may seek enlightenment as our ultimate goal. No matter what we pursue, the way we view the resurrection becomes the most important things about us because Jesus' claims to be God make him exclusive.
In the end, you are either "in Christ" by faith that he was raised, or you are outside of Christ through denying that he was raised.
For Christians, we believe in the resurrection and stake our eternal lives on it. All who deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead are also staking their eternal lives on it. After all, Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life - the only way to God the Father. This is an exclusive claim. You are either with Jesus before the throne of God, or you are not. You are either clothed in his righteous robes, or you stand before God in your rags. Jesus is exclusive.
When I was an atheistic thinker, I had no idea how central the resurrection was to the Christian faith. Honestly, if I had known, I probably would have tried to disprove the resurrection to assure myself that I was right. In my examination of the evidence, I must admit that I would have been way wrong.
If Jesus Christ rose from the dead it is the single most important event in history. We have to decide for ourselves which side of history we come down on.
Have you examined the resurrection?
*This is a great link to investigate the historicity of Jesus' resurrection*
As followers of Jesus Christ, our faith and hope is in the resurrected Christ.
On the doctrine of the resurrection hangs the very balance not only of the Christian faith, but of all of life. If Jesus rose from the dead, then he isn't just a good moral teacher. If Jesus rose from the dead, he isn't just one way to God. If Jesus rose from the dead he isn't a lunatic or a liar.
If Jesus rose from the dead, then he is who he says he is, namely the Son of God sent into the world to die for sinners.
The resurrection affirms all of Jesus' claims to exclusivity. If Jesus rose from the dead, he is much more than a good moral teacher or one of many ways to God. If Jesus rose from the dead he confirms what he said about himself If Jesus rose from the dead, then these claims that he has made about himself must be true:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:25-27 ESV)
and
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)
If Jesus has been raised from the dead, we know that he is God, and that God raised him. Jesus' claims to be God must be true. Jesus' claims to offer forgiveness for sin and reconciliation to God must be true. He must be the only way to God. To deny Christ's resurrection is to deny God. God raising Jesus from the dead is the testimony that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the King and Savior of the world. Everything hinges on the resurrection.
Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
(1 John 5:10-12 ESV)
If God did in fact raise Jesus from the dead, then there is no other hope for salvation than in Jesus Christ alone.
Paul asserts in the letter to the Romans that Jesus "was raised up for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
How does Jesus' resurrection justify believers?
Our sins can be forgiven by our faith in in Jesus. Through faith, we are accepting Christ's finished work on the cross and believing that God raised him up. Through faith we die to ourselves and are united with Jesus.
Paul describes this unity with Christ:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 ESV)
Since Christ's sacrifice has been accepted by God, this means that when we are united to Christ by faith, we are forgiven of our sin.
Forgiveness of sins is made possible through Jesus offering himself up and dying on the cross, and his resurrection shows us that God accepted Christ's sacrifice for sin!
Justification is available to us! When we put our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, we are declared righteous before God. God did not raise Jesus from the dead so that we who put our faith in Christ would still be in our sins. We are forgiven!
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5 ESV)
Jesus Christ came to save sinners by dying in their place, and he was raised from the dead for our justification.
Again, everything hinges on the resurrection.
There are only two sides for us to be on in life when it comes to the resurrection:
1) If Jesus isn't raised from the dead, our hope is in vain because we can't be forgiven of our sins.
2) If Jesus has in fact been raised from the dead, then we have hope to be forgiven of our sins and to be justified and reconciled to God.
What we believe about the resurrection of Jesus Christ becomes the most important thing about us. What we believe about the resurrection of Jesus Christ becomes the basis of our very life no matter what worldview we have, whether we are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, agnostic, or any other worldview.
If we are believers in Christ, the resurrection is our hope and in fact God is our hope.
If we don't believe Jesus was raised, then we are denying that Jesus is the way to God and we will try to get to God in other ways. We may try to live out our lives simply having more good works than bad deeds. We may do like I did, and try to deny God altogether. We may seek enlightenment as our ultimate goal. No matter what we pursue, the way we view the resurrection becomes the most important things about us because Jesus' claims to be God make him exclusive.
In the end, you are either "in Christ" by faith that he was raised, or you are outside of Christ through denying that he was raised.
For Christians, we believe in the resurrection and stake our eternal lives on it. All who deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead are also staking their eternal lives on it. After all, Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life - the only way to God the Father. This is an exclusive claim. You are either with Jesus before the throne of God, or you are not. You are either clothed in his righteous robes, or you stand before God in your rags. Jesus is exclusive.
When I was an atheistic thinker, I had no idea how central the resurrection was to the Christian faith. Honestly, if I had known, I probably would have tried to disprove the resurrection to assure myself that I was right. In my examination of the evidence, I must admit that I would have been way wrong.
If Jesus Christ rose from the dead it is the single most important event in history. We have to decide for ourselves which side of history we come down on.
Have you examined the resurrection?
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