The Power of His Resurrection
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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most amazing and powerful event in the history of mankind…
Part of the amazement is that it is simple enough for a child to understand yet deep enough to leave scholars in awe! As we begin today, and before we dismiss the children for children’s church, I would like you to watch this quick video...
Start video here… Dismiss children after video
“I love you Jesus and Thank you” what an great summary of what this day is about!
Before Stig Kernell died, he told the local funeral home that he didn’t want a traditional obituary. Instead, the Swedish man instructed them to publish only three words noting his passing: “I am dead.” When Mr. Kernell died at age 92, that’s exactly what appeared. The audacity and simplicity of his unusual death notice captured the attention of newspapers around the world. In a strange twist, the international curiosity about the man with the three-word obituary caused more attention to his death than he intended.[i]
[i] By David McCasland http://odb.org/2016/03/25/three-word-obituary/
Jesus on Friday could have had the same obituary… “I am dead” Jesus died on that cross that day, and had that been the end it would have been accurate
BUT His obituary had yet to be written because Sunday morning 3 OTHER WORDS were declared clearly “HE IS RISEN” and today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be looked at, talked about, or considered without realizing the POWER that accompanies the Resurrection!
The Power over Death
The Power to Refute Doubts
The Power to Change Lives
Power Over Death
Power Over Death
Jesus Christ had risen from the dead!
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
He has claimed the victory, He has taken away the sting!
Death is no longer a thing to be feared as a one who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ finished work! Acts 2:24
24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
Because of His power over death God granted Him all power. Look at Ephesians 1:19-21
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Death holds no power over the follower of Christ! Because Christ has conquered DEATH!
Power to Refute Doubt
Power to Refute Doubt
When you look at the resurrection in any generation there is always those who will doubt… including from the very beginning Mark 16:1-14
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. 5 Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 7 “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ” 8 They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. 9 Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. 12 After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. 13 They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either. 14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.
Some claim the resurrection never occurred…Consider Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-22
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
12 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? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
Let’s consider some of the doubts and lies concerning the resurrection…
The authorities could have easily exhumed his body and said, “Look, here’s your dead Messiah and leader!”
All four Gospels also report that the first people to discover the tomb to be empty were female followers of Jesus, including Mary Magdalene, a formerly demon-possessed. This is another detail that no Christian, making up a fictitious story about the resurrection of Jesus, would have invented—especially not in a culture that was reluctant to accept the testimonies of women because it did not consider them to be reliable witnesses.[ii] [ii] Mittelberg, M., & Strobel, L. (2010). The questions christians hope no one will ask: (with answers). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale.
Many people saw, (500) talked with, touched Jesus who were still living when this was written!
Jesus statements He made John 2:19-22 “Rebuild Temple” and Matthew 12:39-40 “Jonah”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
39 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; 40 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.
Even his own disciples had trouble believing at first… NOTHING like this had ever occured nor has it since!
I appreciate that scripture includes one of Jesus’ disciples… Thomas: John 20:24-29
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
What if the disciples hid the body to create the story of the resurrection???…
I believe the lives of the disciples is the biggest testimony to the resurrection!
Power to Change Lives
Power to Change Lives
These were men who were terrified, ran for their lives, abandoned the Messiah
One scared to confess Him before a servant girl
Hiding away in rooms staying away from people
BUT something… someone changed all this…!!!
Each one of these men were emboldened! Each one except John would die a martyr’s death
These were men who had probably never gone much further than Galilee now taking the Gospel to the world
Simple men, no organization headquarters, no mass funding, declaring what some considered crazy, going BOLDLY into the world sharing Christ!
By all human standards this movement should have failed… but it didn’t and It will continue until He returns
Have you allowed the FINISHED work Jesus did by His death, burial, and resurrection to change your life?
Closing…
He Is Risen!
He Is Risen!
We do not declare a three word obituary of defeat... “He is dead”
Rather… Because of this Power of the Resurrection We declare and proclaim a VICTORY!!! “He Is Risen!”