Why I Preach the Literal Resurrection of Christ Jesus

Good afternoon and welcome to the Panhandle on this blustery April day. For Easter I preached a sermon on why I preach the literal resurrection of Christ Jesus. The thing is this isn't just an Easter sermon, this is a study into the very cornerstone of Christianity. So come on in sit a spell, open your Bibles and let's do some Bible surfing.

1 Corinthians 15:1-20

15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

NIV

The German theologian Jurgen Moltmann expresses in a single sentence the great span from Good Friday to Easter. It is, in fact, a summary of human history, past, present, and future: "God weeps with us so that we may someday laugh with him." - Philip Yancey in Christianity Today.

Easter is our greatest celebration as Christians, because it focuses our minds on the highlight of the Christian faith—the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord, Christ Jesus, His rising physically, visibly, bodily from the tomb, His remarkable return to life following His torturous death. This isn’t just another wonderful gospel story or another in a series of amazing miracles. This is the story and the miracle of Christianity. It ties together all the other strands of our faith. As scientist Henry Morris put it, “The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity. If the resurrection did not take place, then Christianity is a false religion. If it did take place, then Christ is God and the Christian faith is absolute truth.” And this morning I am here to tell that it did take place.

According to Acts 1:3, Christ Jesus presented Himself alive by “many infallible proofs.” Notice those three words: Many—not just one or two of something. Infallible—this means irrefutable, certain, convincing. Proofs—these are solid evidence, admissible in a court of law. In the first part of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul lists some of these proofs. Look with me at the Bible’s Resurrection chapter. In these verses you will see five reasons why I preach the literal resurrection of Christ Jesus.

The reason I preach the literal resurrection of Christ Jesus is because of fulfilled Prophecy (vs. 4).

1. Fulfilled Prophecy (vs. 4)

The Resurrection of Christ Jesus was predicted well in advance of it actually happening. Verse 4 says, “and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

As we look at the Old Testament predictions of Christ Jesus' resurrection we are not hunting for one or two obscure verses. Instead we see several verses predicting the bodily resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 53:9–11 ~ He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (NIV).

In Psalm 16:10 we are told, “because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” (NIV). Listen to Zechariah 12:10 ~ "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” (NIV). And Job speaks of a risen Saviour ~ But I know my living Redeemer, and He will stand on the dust at last. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see Him myself; my eyes will look at Him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me. (Job 19:25-27).

There’s also the example of Jonah in 1:17, whose departure from his “grave” in the fish after three days, was a foreshadowing of our Lord, Christ Jesus' emergence from His tomb.

Christ Jesus’ also gave a foreshadowing of His resurrection: But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:39-40). Scripture also tells us ~ Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."...But He was speaking of the temple of His body. (John 2:19; 21).

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up." (Matthew 20:18-19)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.” (John 16:20).

Christ Jesus enemies did us the favor of pulling out His resurrection predictions and reinforcing them for all history.

How? They used them in His trial and afterward ~ But later on two came forward, and said, "This man stated, "I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.'" (Matthew 26:60-61). And in Matthew 27:62-63 ~ the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, "After three days I am to rise again.'

I have given you a lot of Scripture already, but I want to give you two more verses ~ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14-15). Are you starting to believe yet?

I preach the literal resurrection of Christ Jesus because of the eyewitnesses.

2. The Eyewitnesses (vs. 5–8)

Following His Resurrection, Christ Jesus remained on earth for forty days (Acts 1:3), appearing at least ten times to various individuals and groups. At one time Christ Jesus appeared to a crowd of 500. The genuineness and historical reliability of these accounts are well attested.

Remember the earliest writings were written only 25 years or so after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ Jesus.

Some people assume that Christ Jesus only appeared to His hardcore believers. At the time there were no hardcore believers. That means that statement isn’t true. The disciples were skeptical, James thought his half-brother was crazy, Saul (Paul) wanted to stamp out the original Jesus Movement.

You know, we may never see Christ Jesus in our lifetime, but we will all see Him someday. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:8-11). On that day will your confession be one of praise and adoration or of pain and sorrow?

I preach the literal resurrection of Christ Jesus because of the power of the resurrection to change lives.

3. The Power of the Resurrection to Change Lives (vs. 9–11)

Again the disciples were skeptics; none thought that Christ Jesus would rise from the dead (Matthew 16:21, 22). Yet all but John would be martyred for their belief in their risen Saviour, Christ Jesus.

Thomas was the most vocal and a constant doubter (John 20:24–29). This is where the saying “Doubting Thomas” comes from. Thomas called Didymus, preached the Gospel in Parthia and India, where exciting the rage of the pagan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear.

James, the Lord’s half-brother, had ridiculed and rejected Christ Jesus (John 7:1–5). James (also known as James the Less) was thrown from a pinnacle (between 300 and 600 feet) of the Temple for preaching a risen Christ Jesus. And then as if the fall did not kill him, he was beaten with a club.

Saul of Tarsus was the greatest enemy to the followers of Christ Jesus (Acts 8:1; 9:3–5). Saul was the one who had once held the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen and set out to eradicate the first “Jesus Movement.” Later as Paul, he would suffer many hardships in the service of our Lord, Christ Jesus and eventually be beheaded in Rome for his belief in the resurrected Christ Jesus.

Those first century Christians thought that following the risen Saviour, Christ Jesus was worth anything they had to endure. And it wasn't just the disciples and early Church leaders that suffered, many ordinary people have suffered even unto death for their belief in Christ Jesus.

Lieghton Ford, in Good News is for Sharing, relates this story: From boyhood, one of my favorite stories has been the forty martyrs of Sabaste. These forty soldiers, all Christians, were members of the famed Twelfth Legion of Rome's imperial army. One day their captain told them Emperor Licinius had sent out an edict that all soldiers were to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. These Christians replied, "You can have our armor and even our bodies, but our hearts' allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ."

It was midwinter of A.D. 320, and the captain had them marched onto a nearby frozen lake. He stripped them of their clothes and said they would either die or renounce Christ. Throughout the night these men huddled together singing their song, "Forty martyrs for Christ." One by one the temperature took its toll and they fell to the ice.

At last there was only one man left. He lost courage and stumbled to the shore, where he renounced Christ. The officer of the guards had been watching all this. Unknown to the others, he had secretly come to believe in Christ. When he saw this last man break rank, he walked out onto the ice, threw off his clothes, and confessed that he also was a Christian. When the sun rose the next morning, there were forty bodies of soldiers who had fought to the death for Christ. - Lieghton Ford, Good News is for Sharing, 1977, David C. Cook Publishing Co., p. 16. People around the world still risk all to worship and serve our risen Saviour, Christ Jesus. When you take an honest look at who Christ Jesus is I think you will say, “Change my heart O Lord.”

I preach the literal resurrection of Christ Jesus because of the absence of logical alternatives.

4. The Absence of Logical Alternatives (vs. 12–20)

There is no other truth discovered by humanity by which we can be both logically consistent in our thinking and spiritually happy in our souls.

There is no religion founder who does not require you to earn your salvation. Christ Jesus on the other hand bases His relationship with us on what He has done for us. His birth, death, burial, and resurrection was all done with reconciliation in mind. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:19-20).

Francis Schaeffer wrote in “He is There and He is Not Silent”: “There is no other sufficient philosophical answer. You can search through university philosophy, underground philosophy, filling station philosophy—it doesn’t matter which—there is no other sufficient philosophical answer to existence.”

Only Christianity provides a comprehensive explanation for the reality of death and a satisfying answer for the problem of death; and only Christianity has authenticated its message by providing a Leader who actually arose from the tomb.

Why would you want to place your faith in the words of dead men when you can have a relationship with the Word made flesh. Why would you follow the philosophies of dead religious founders when you can have a relationship with the Risen Saviour, Christ Jesus. Why would you trust your life too anything or anyone except Christ Jesus?

I preach the literal resurrection of Christ Jesus because of God's Word

5. God's Word (vs. 18–20)

The Resurrection completes the Gospel and fits into the entire structure of Biblical theology. It is so woven into the shape and thread of the Biblical plan of salvation that the entire Bible is held together by it, and the entire plan of salvation depends on it. Without the Resurrection of Christ Jesus, nothing in the Bible makes sense. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20).

It was May Day, 1990. The place, Moscow's Red Square. "Is it straight, Father?" one Orthodox priest asked another, shifting the heavy, eight-foot crucifix on his shoulder. "Yes," said the other. "It is straight." Together the two priests, along with a group of parishioners holding ropes that steadied the beams of the huge cross, walked the parade route. Before them was passed the official might of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: The usual May Day procession of tanks, missiles, troops, and salutes to the Communist party elite. Behind the tanks surged a giant crowd of protesters, shouting up at Mikhail Gorbachev. "Bread!...Freedom!...Truth!"

As the throng passed directly in front of the Soviet leader standing in his place of honor, the priests hoisted their heavy burden toward the sky. The cross emerged from the crowd. As it did, the figure of Jesus Christ obscured the giant poster faces of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin that provided the backdrop for Gorbachev's reviewing stand. "Mikhail Sergeyevich!" one of the priests shouted, his deep voice cleaving the clamor of the protesters and piercing straight toward the angry Soviet leader. "Mikhail Sergeyevich! Christ is risen!" Charles W. Colson, The Body, 1992, Word Publishing, p. 231.

He is alive! He is alive indeed! He showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs, and we can preach the literal Resurrection of Christ with intellectual integrity and spiritual joy. He is alive today! He wants to touch your life. He wants to save you, to give you hope, to bring peace into your heart. Will you come to Him now, while there’s still time and while you still can?

I pray that you see through these reasons why I preach, not just preach; but believe with my whole being the literal resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Now may our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus bless you and yours mightily.

Biblesurfer