Sermon Tone Analysis

And if Christ be not risen, then /is/ our preaching vain, and your faith /is/† also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith /is/ vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, /and/ become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21 For since by man /came/ death, by man /came/ also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.[1]

*The Resurrection of Jesus Christ*

*Opening Prayer*

*Discussion Starter*

Each spring, we celebrate Easter as a reminder of the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after His death.

How do we know that Jesus actually did rise from the dead?

How many items of evidence can you think of?

*Lesson Development*

(Ask one of the group members to summarize the paragraphs appearing at the opening of this lesson in the student’s book.)

(Read aloud the account of the resurrection found in Mark 16:1–8.

Emphasize verse 6. Ask:)

     What difference does it make whether or not Christ truly rose from the dead?

What does His resurrection prove?

(After discussing each proof that Jesus rose from the dead, ask:)

     If someone you know were to question the authenticity of Christ’s resurrection, how could you answer him?

(Guide students in formulating short, insightful responses to each proof.)

Philip Schaff, one of the leading church historians, recorded in his book /History of Christianity/:

The Christian church rests on the resurrection of its Founder.

Without this fact the church could never have been born, or if born, it would soon have died a natural death.

The miracle of the resurrection and the existence of Christianity are so closely connected that they must stand or fall together.

The disciples had seen Jesus do many miracles, including raising people from the dead.

Many times Jesus explained to His disciples of His coming death and resurrection.

Why do you think they were so surprised when it all happened?

What physical things were done to prevent Jesus’ resurrection?

Why do you think God allowed these to be put into place?

Jesus’ claim to raise from the dead in three days was so well-known that His enemies were well aware of it.

What do you think motivated the chief priests and Pharisees to go to Pilate?

Each of the gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—describe Jesus’ friends’ initial reactions when they learned of the resurrection.

(Look up several of these accounts and discuss how authentic the reactions were:)

     Matthew 27:16, 17

     Mark 16:9–11, 13, 14

     Luke 24:9–11, 36, 37

     John 20:1, 2, 24, 25

     From the accounts of Jesus’ appearance to His friends, how did He treat them?

How does this prove that He was the same person who was crucified?

What changes have you seen in your life or in the lives of others that proves Jesus is alive?

If you were to point to one thing in your church that proves Jesus is alive, what would it be?

Why?

Christ’s resurrection shows:

     That Jesus is God (Romans 1:4)

     That Jesus’ death was accepted by God the Father as payment for our sin (Romans 4:25)

     That Christ is our High Priest and intercedes for us (1 Timothy 2:5, 6; Romans 8:34)

     That we receive many blessings because of His resurrection (Peter 1:3–5)

The ascension of Christ means that He went back to heaven in His resurrection body.

The exaltation of Christ means that God the Father gave Jesus the position of honor and power at the Father’s right hand.

The second coming of Christ is mentioned more than three hundred times in the New Testament.

Whole chapters are devoted to the subject (Matthew 24, 25; Mark 13; Luke 21; Corinthians 15) and some books (Thessalonians; 2 Thessalonians; Revelation) have Christ’s return as their main subject.

How does an understanding of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King hinge on His return to earth?

As Prophet, Jesus predicted His return to earth.

As Priest, Jesus conquered sin and death, which allows Him to be the Messiah.

As Messiah, He is the promised King who will rule when He returns to earth.

How does the church’s observance of the Lord’s Supper refer to Jesus’ return?

In Mark 14:25, Jesus says, “I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”

The Kingdom of God refers to the kingdom that Christ will set up when He returns to earth.

(See Revelation 20:4–6.)

Whenever we observe the Lord’s Supper, we can also remember that Jesus will return to reign as King of kings.

Then He will drink with us.

*Conclusion and Application*

(Have students give brief statements about what the resurrection means to them.

Then read this quote:)

The /Encyclopaedia Britannica/ records:

We have evidence that a very few weeks after the event, Jesus Christ’s followers, who had scattered in dismay, were reunited at Jerusalem … bound together in a religious society through a common conviction … They were fully persuaded that He was alive, and that he had been seen by individuals and by groups of his followers.

They were eagerly expecting that He would quite shortly return as the Messiah of their race.

The strength and the sincerity of their conviction were tested by persecution and proved by their steadfastness.

The religious quality of their attitude to Jesus was evidenced by devotion, self-sacrifice and a sense of obligation to Him and they had a message concerning this same Jesus which they proceeded to proclaim with enthusiasm and amazing success (/Encyclopaedia Britannica/, 1956, p.15).

The reaction of Christ’s followers after the resurrection is powerful proof that Jesus did, in fact, raise from the dead.

*Closing Prayer*

(Give opportunity for those present to pray silently, asking Christ to become their personal Savior.

Encourage those who already know Him as Savior to give Him preeminence in their lives, asking Him—in silent prayer—to take control.

Close with an audible prayer of thanksgiving for the resurrection of Jesus.)

*LESSON 4*

*Bible Study*

*Five Proofs That Jesus Actually Rose From the Dead*

1.     /The resurrection was foretold by Jesus Christ, the Son of God./

What did Jesus tell His disciples in Luke 18:31–33?

/(He would be killed and rise again the third day.)/

If Jesus had clearly predicted that He would rise from the dead, then failed to do so, what would this say about Him?(He was a liar and not God.)

2.     /The resurrection of Christ is the only reasonable explanation for the empty tomb./

What did Jesus’ friends do to make certain His body would not be taken from the tomb (Mark 15:46)?(A stone was rolled against the entrance to the tomb.)

What did Jesus’ enemies do to make sure His body would not be taken (Matthew 27:62–66)?

/(They assigned guards to make the grave secure, and they set an official seal on the stone.)/

But on Sunday morning the tomb was /empty!/

/Note:/ If Jesus had not been killed, but only weakened and wounded by the crucifixion, the stone and the soldiers would have prevented His escape from the tomb.

If Jesus’ friends had tried to steal His body, the stone and the soldiers would likewise have prevented them.

Jesus’ enemies would never have taken the body since its absence from the tomb would only serve to encourage belief in His resurrection.

/Only His resurrection can account for the empty tomb!/

3.     /The resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the appearance of Jesus Christ to His disciples./

List all the individuals or groups who actually saw the risen Christ, according to 1 Corinthians 15:4–8.

/(Peter, the twelve, 500 followers of Jesus, James, all the apostles, Paul.)/

If Christ had not risen from the dead, what could we then conclude about all these witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:15)?(They would all have been false witnesses.)

What else would be true if Christ had not risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:17)?

/(Your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.)/

When Christ appeared to His followers, what things did He do to prove He was not a hallucination (Luke 24:36–43)?

/(He asked them to touch Him and see that He had flesh and bones, and He ate a piece of broiled fish.)/