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Introduction
In last months Front Page article
there was consideration of the
evidences for the Lord’s
resurrection. This paper will
present further evidences of the
resurrection of the Lord. Previous
items written on the subject were
written for Front Page in April
2014, and March and April 2015.
There can be no doubt that the
greatest evidence in any court is
not “circumstantial” or “hearsay
evidence” but “first hand evidence”,
that being, those who have actually
seen the fact being questioned. It
is interesting to observe that no
one saw the Lord rise from the
dead. Are we then shut up to
“circumstantial or “hearsay
evidence?” Definitely not! In life
I do not need to see or be with
someone in the process of dying to
know they are dead. Once I see them
as they lie a corpse I know the
individual is dead. The evidence is
in plain sight. No one needed to
see the Lord actually rising from
the dead, they saw the evidences of
it.
It is also an interesting fact that
there are several verses in the Old
Testament which indicate the day the
Lord rose from the dead, that being,
the sheaf of firstfruits was
presented (Lev. 23:11) on the morrow
after the Sabbath, and the Sabbath
is Saturday, thus the day after the
Sabbath is Sunday or the first day
of the week. When we read of the
Lord as the “Firstfruits from the
dead” (1 Cor. 15:20), when connected
to the Old Testament it indicates
the Lord rose on the first day of
the week. On this consideration, it
is observed that there is only one
verse in the New Testament which
specifically informs us the day the
Lord arose. It is when Mark wrote,
“Now when Jesus was risen early the
first day of the week, he appeared
first to Mary Magdalene” (Mk.
16:9). We are not told which day
the Lord was crucified and to an
extent it is irrelevant whither it
was Wednesday, Thursday or Friday
for had it been important to any
aspect of the glorification of the
Lord we would have been told.
Another observation is that the body
of the Lord never decomposed for his
body saw no corruption (Psa. 16:10;
Acts 2:27; 13:35). Sin had no power
over the Lord to bring about His
death for the wages of sin is death
(Rom. 3:23) and since He was
impeccable, there was no sin
committed by Him or in Him. The
dead body of the Lord was in
contrast to that of every other
human being for unlike Lazarus, even
his sisters bore witness to the fact
that having been dead four days “he
stinketh” (Jn. 11:39). That was
never the case with the Lord. He
had a body that was impervious to
disease, a spirit impervious to sin,
and a body impervious to decay.
Finally, the resurrected body of the
Lord was a real human body still
having the marks of the nails and
the sword. It was not a spirit body
for He himself said, “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” (Lk. 24:39).
Evidences Christ Rose From The Dead
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If I was going to call for witnesses to
a major matter of great importance, I would seek out the most
skeptical and ask them, “What changed you from being an open
skeptic of the resurrection to being a firm believer in it?” I
would not ask a group of people who solidly believed the Lord
would rise before it happened for their opinion would be bias.
As I read the scriptures I am aware of one individual who
believed in the resurrection of the Lord before He died, and
that was the thief on the cross. Believing the Lord would rise
from the dead he said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into
thy kingdom” (Lk. 23:42). |
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a) |
While Paul, being a Pharisee, believed in the resurrection, he
with others did not not believe that Jesus was the Messiah but
rather a false messiah who was rightly put to death because he
claimed to be the Son of God (Jn. 19:7). Furthermore, he
persecuted and put to death those who believed Christ was the
Messiah and had risen from the dead (Acts 9:1-2; 13).
If ever there was a skeptic it
was Saul of Tarsus, yet with great zeal he sought to prove that
Jesus was the Christ. What made him change his mind? It was
his experience of meeting the living Christ on the Damascus
Road. There the Lord appeared to him and having seen the Lord
(Acts 9:3-6) risen from the dead (Acts 9:22), He knew this Jesus
whom he persecuted was the Son of God, alive from the dead.
Later he wrote almost an entire chapter giving the
evidence for the resurrection of the Lord from logic (1 Cor.
15:16) and from nature (1 Cor. 15:35-44). However, the
scriptures do list a number of persons who were skeptics but saw
the Lord after His resurrection. |
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b) |
Seeing the resurrected Lord had a fourfold purpose: |
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i) |
The verification that the man who stood in the upper room (Jn.
20:19) walked by them in the wayside (Lk. 24:13-27); was with
them on the mount of Olives whom they saw Him ascending to
Heaven (Acts 1:9-11); and was the Jesus whom they had known and
worked with for approximately three years. |
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ii) |
A foreshadowing of His High priestly ministry to His own. With
Peter we see the great truth of restoration, to Thomas the
establishing of his faith. At times He spoke to one person with
comfort and exhortation (Jn. 20:11-17), at other times he was
there for many at one time (1 Cor. 15:6). How wonderful this
is, each of us is an individual and the Lord in His High
Priestly ministry succours the individual and yet, at the same
time, there are multiples around the world in the same situation
and He comforts, exhorts, and secures the many. |
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iii) |
The verification that he really was risen from the dead and did
have the wound to prove His death. The wound in the side of the
Lord was the only wound that was a mortal wound (Jn. 19:34).
One could have lived through the whipping, the thorns, or the
wounds in His hands and side. However, the wound in His side
was an evidence that if death had not taken place,(which it had
(Jn. 19:33), the individual would have died from such a wound. |
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iv) |
The verification of the ancient promises, pictures and
prophecies as to who He was and of His death and resurrection.
While we cannot be positive about the exact order of the
appearances, the following are, as I understand, their
chronological order: |
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1. |
Mary Magdalene (Mk. 16:9-11; Jn. 20:16-18) |
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2. |
The other women who it appears had left the tomb (Matt. 28:5-10) |
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3. |
To Peter to restore him (Lk. 24:34, possibly the same as 1 Cor.
15:5). It is normally understood that it was at this private
meeting Peter was restored. |
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4. |
The two on the road to Emmaus (Mk. 16:12; Lk. 24:13-30) |
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5. |
The disciples without Thomas (Mk. 16:14) |
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6. |
Peter/ also called Cephas (1 Cor. 15:5) |
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7. |
The disciples when fishing (Jn. 21:3-4) |
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8. |
Over 500 brethren (1 Cor. 15:6), some who were still alive who
could be contacted for verification. |
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9. |
Saul (Acts 9:4-6; 1 Cor. 15:7) |
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10. |
James (1 Cor. 15:7) |
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11. |
The disciples when Thomas was with them (Jn. 20:26-28) |
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12. |
The disciples in Galilee (Matt. 28:16-17) and possibly the same
as the time of commission of the Lord at Galilee (Mk. 16:19) |
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13. |
Then some forty days later (Lk. 24:50-53; Acts 1:11) |
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14. |
Stephen (Acts 7:55-56) |
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15. |
Saul (Acts 9:3-6) |
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16. |
John (Rev. 1:13-18) |
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c) |
The verbal / written witnesses |
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i) |
It is the Biblical teaching that the Lord did rise from the
dead: |
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1. |
Evidenced from the Old Testament scriptures, one of which was
the Lord’s application of Jonah’s experience to His death and
resurrection (Matt. 12:40) |
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ii) |
The coming of the Holy Spirit because Christ was glorified (Jn.
7:39) |
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iii) |
The witness of the Holy Spirit when He testified through Peter
(Acts 3:26; 10:40), Paul (Acts 13:9-10; Gal. 1:1; Col. 2:12; 1
Pet. 1:21) that God raised Him. |
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iv) |
The Holy Spirit authenticating signs evidencing the gospel of
Christ (Heb. 2:3-4) |
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d) |
If the Lord is not risen: |
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i) |
His fidelity is questioned |
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ii) |
His authority is questioned |
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iii) |
His deity is questioned |
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iv) |
There will be no subjection of all under the Lord (Heb. 2:8-9) |
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v) |
No righteous judgement for sin
(Rom. 3:21-26) |
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vi) |
No defeat of Satan (Heb. 2:14-15; Eph. 4:8; Col. 2:15) |
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vii) |
There is no justification (Rom. 4:25) |
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viii) |
The headship of Christ is not an assured reality (Eph. 1:22-23) |
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e) |
That which He can now do and God do through Him. |
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i) |
Give him the ability to bestow eternal life (1 Cor. 15:45) |
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ii) |
Enable God to quicken us spiritually (Eph. 1:19-2:1) |
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iii) |
Give us the power for the new life (Rom. 6:4) |
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iv) |
A prerequisite
for the dispensing of gifts (Eph. 4:8) |
Conclusion
Christ was raised from the dead
because there was no sin in Him
(Rom. 1:4). Consequently, because
He was
raised from the dead, positionally
regarding my standing before God
there is no sin in me (1 Jn. 4:17).
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