It is that time of year where we have the privilege of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Of course not everyone in the world will be celebrating the resurrection, not everybody has saving faith in Jesus Christ. There were many doubters at the time of the early church, and there are many doubters today who would deny it ever happened happened at all. So what evidence do we have that a resurrection actually happened?
- Jesus was seen by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who became His witnesses to the people – (Acts 13:29-31)
- An empty tomb! Christianity is the only major religion in the world, where the faithful do not have a grave to make pilgrimages to. We have only an empty tomb where our Lord’s grave once was. Hallelujah, Lord Jesus Christ is Risen!!!
- Angelic testimony! The angel of the Lord was witness to the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection, moving the stone from the tomb, He announced to Mary that Christ had risen from the dead (Matthew 28:5-7).
- The enemies of Jesus Christ! The chief priests assembled the elders together for a religious council, to plot a way of discrediting the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:11-15).
- Jesus spoke to the women! Mary Magdalen, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them to the sepulcher (Luke 24:1-10).
- The wounds of his crucifixion! The disciples, including doubting Thomas, saw the wounds in the hands, feet and side of Jesus Christ (John 20:20,27).
- Jesus appeared! He appeared to two men from Emmaus (Luke 24:13-18).
- He was seen! He was seen by Cephas, then of the twelve; after that he was seen by 500 brethren at once (1 Corinthians 15:5-6).
- Jesus appeared! He appeared to Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples at the sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-14).
- Many infallible proofs! The Resurrected Jesus Christ, Son of God, showed himself alive by many specific and unerring ways. He was seen for forty days after his passion, and spoke of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
So, why should the empty tomb, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the death even matter to us in April of 2021?. To bring us back to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). Most importantly, to justify the believer (Romans 4:20-25). Have you ever wondered why we need the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament, and just what significance it has for us? Think about these matters for a moment.
- The resurrection is one of the major evidences that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Paul affirmed that Christ is…. “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).
- Jesus’ resurrection is assurance that we can have forgiveness from our sins. Scripture says, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
- The resurrection declares to us and the world that Jesus Christ IS ALIVE. Jesus said, “I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death (Revelation 1:17-18).
- Jesus’ resurrection proves that physical death is not the termination of our existence. Christ’s triumph over the grave is God’s pledge to us that we too shall be raised. This is why the Scripture tells us, ….But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
The resurrection of the Son of God should be a constant reminder to us of these wonderful biblical truths, and should be celebrated, not once-a-year, but every month, week, day, hour, minute of our life.
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