Chapter 3

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

John 20:1-9

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.  But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away."  Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher ). Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.' "Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;  and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact 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 worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

The testimony of Mary Magdalene proclaiming “I have seen the Lord” echoes in the heart of every person who has ever had a personal encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ. We can have the assurance that Jesus Christ did indeed experience bodily resurrection by the very power of God that first Resurrection Sunday morning. It is not an idea or a myth. It is not a moral story meant to help us find our way. It is a reality of historical and spiritual significance. Clearly, if it is true, the resurrection has great significance. If Jesus rose from the dead, then He was beyond dispute, a unique figure.[1]   

Christian faith began with the resurrection of Jesus, whose death was interpreted (in Jewish terms) as atoning and saving and in fulfillment of prophecy[2]. Throughout the centuries skeptics and atheistic scholars have tried to refute the fact of the resurrection of Christ. Nevertheless, it has not changed the overwhelming evidence. There is extremely credible amount of evidence that Jesus Christ was bodily resurrected from the dead. There is more evidence surrounding this one fact than any other faith or religion can claim about any dynamic institute or doctrine of their own religious beliefs or customs.

The primary evidence for the Resurrection is the foundational documentation we have in the Scriptures- specifically the four Gospels of the New Testament. These Gospels were composed by first century Christians who were contemporaries to Jesus Christ. They either were those who knew Jesus, or they had access to those who the original disciples and apostles of the risen Jesus. The evidence presented to the New Testament Christians was overwhelming. The worst doubter among them (the Apostle named Thomas) had to give up his doubts and accept it as a proven fact that Christ was risen from the dead. [3] 

 In the mid 2^nd century (AD) the Church Father Ireaneus brought together the four Gospels we now have in the New Testament primarily because they all told the “passion narrative” in an understandable harmonious format. The passion narrative is the documented account of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The four New Testament Gospels are all distinctively different in their specific content, as would any same story being told by four different individuals. Yet, they all contain the same core theology and factual accounts of this glorious event in a coherent way that cannot be viably contested. The earliest of these accounts may have been written within a few short years of the actual event, thus preserving it well for us now for nearly two millennia. We believe these Scriptures are inspired by God, and thus they are eternal.

Another convincing evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the consistent message of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by the universal Christian Church for two thousand years. The content, emphasis and theology of the event haven’t changed. That is a good reason we can place our faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and our hope of eternal life with Him in Heaven. The Resurrection is the capstone event of our faith. Without it, Jesus cannot grant new life and an assured hope for eternity with Him to all who believe it.   

Finally we must look at one other obvious proof of the Resurrection. Down through the last two thousand years hundreds of thousands of people have been martyred because of their faith and belief in this Jesus who was raised bodily from the mortal dead.

Ten of the original Apostles of Christ all died torturous martyrdoms. Judas Iscariot committed suicide at the time of Christ’s crucifixion and John (the beloved) died some 60-70 years later after being released from years of exile on a mineral mining prison camp called Patmos. 

The accounts of these Apostles lives, ministries and martyrdoms hold a very rational development. They are often accused of perpetuating a “made-up-story” regarding the resurrection of Jesus. If they were just trying to perpetuate a simple religious story for personal gain or notoriety, one of them would have cried out just as they were about to unleash the lions – “Hold on guys! It’s all just a great hoax! It didn’t really happen. Let me explain!” But, in every recorded account of their deaths, nothing even close to that scenario ever took place.  

Myths do not make martyrs. People in their right minds do not give their mortal lives to perpetuate a lie or a hoax. It just does not work that way. The whole resurrection “scheme” (if that’s what it really was) would have unraveled in a few short years, or even months if that was all there was to it.

In the Scripture reading from 1 Corinthians 15 illustrates to us that there is also a great need for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to have taken place. Paul tells them “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless”. He is saying that our Christian faith finds its core theological belief system in the very bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul also proclaims that ttthe resurrection completes the process of our salvation “if Christ has not been raised…. you are still in your sins” When Jesus was raised for the dead it finalized the whole series of events by which we are united in a right relationship to God. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ completed the work of redemption from our sins.  

Paul told the Church at Rome “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) There can be no resurrection unless there is a death. Jesus Christ died in our place because we all deserve to die for our sins. Then He conquered death through His Resurrection. This is how, we by believing in Him can have eternal life.

Finally, Paul implies that we need the Resurrection so we as believers in Christ can experience eternal when this mortal life is over. He says, “if Christ has not been raised….Then those also who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ have perished”. Without a resurrection we are all fatalists. This means that when this mortal life ends we simply cease to exist without Jesus Christ being raised from the dead.

Jesus confronts each and every one of us with the biggest decision we can ever make. He asks us individually “Do you believe this?” (John 11:25) If we believe that Jesus died in our place and that He was raised from the dead, we not only receive forgiveness for our sins, and confirm the truth of the Scriptures, but we obtain eternal life with Him also.       

The Resurrection is needed to completely validate our faith and trust in Jesus Christ! It is that hinge pin that holds the door to the frame in our Christian faith experience! 

We as true Christians are the very best evidence of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ this world can experience. How we represent Jesus everyday of our lives shows the world that we believe the truth of what the Scriptures tell us in this regard. Songwriter Dallas Holm wrote a song that proclaims the powerful truth of this reality; “The world will know the tomb is empty when they see our hearts are full.”