Matthew 28:6 - Jesus Is Risen ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Matthew 28:6 - Jesus Is Risen ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Mat 28:6a (KJV) He is not here: for he is risen,
This simply stated fact is the basis of the Christian faith.
[Ryrie SB]
Christianity is the only religion whose founder has an empty
tomb. [source unknown]
Central to Christian faith is the bodily resurrection of Jesus.
By recording over 10 resurrection appearances, the New Testament
leaves no doubt about this event.
1. to Mary Magdalene near the tomb (John 20:11-18);
2. to the women returning from the tomb (28:9, 10);
3. to Peter (Luke 24:34);
4. to the disciples on the road to Emmaus in the evening (Luke
24:13-32);
5. to all the disciples except Thomas, who was absent (Luke
24:36-43);
6. to the disciples, including Thomas, on Sunday night one week
later (John 20:26-31);
7. to seven disciples beside the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-25);
8. to more than 500 people possibly on an appointed mountain in
Galilee (28:16-20; possibly parallels 1 Cor. 15:6);
9. to James the half brother of Jesus and the other apostles (1
Cor. 15:7);
10. to the apostles at the ascension (Acts 1:3-11).
11. to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6; 22:1-10;
26:12-18; 1 Cor. 15:8) [Believer's and Nelson SB mod.]
All four Gospels give an account of Jesus' resurrection (vv.
1-10; Mark 16:1-18; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-29). Moreover the rest of
the New Testament speaks with a tremendous sense of confidence about
an empty tomb and the triumph of Christ over death.
And no wonder. If true, the resurrection is the most amazing
news the world has ever heard. It means there is a God after all. It
means that Jesus really is Gods Son. It means that Christ is
alive--today--and we can know Him and be touched by His life and power. It means
that we need not fear death the way we once did; we are not destined
to oblivion but to spend eternity with God. It also means that
knowing God is of the utmost importance right now,...
These are important implications, so the question of whether
Jesus actually rose from the dead is crucial. At least four lines of
evidence indicate that He did:
(1) Jesus really was dead. Every source we have indicates
that Jesus was publicly executed before large crowds. He was
certified as dead by both a centurion in charge of the execution--a
professional whose job it was to determine that death had taken place--and by
the regional governor, Pilate, who sent to have the matter checked.
(2) The tomb was found empty. Jesus' enemies would have been
the least likely to have stolen the body. Even if they had, they
would certainly have produced it later to refute the claims of the
disciples that Jesus was alive. What about Jesus' friends? Unlikely, since
the accounts show them to have been very demoralized after the
crucifixion. Nor would they have willingly suffered persecution and death for
what they knew to be a lie.
(3) Jesus appeared after His death to many witnesses. In a
garden, on a road, in an upstairs room, by a lake--over a period of forty
days.
(4) Countless people have encountered the living Jesus and
been changed by Him. The resurrection is not simply a matter of
intellectual curiosity or theological argument, but of personal experience.
From the first century to today there have been innumerable people
who have turned from being totally opposed or indifferent to
Christianity to being utterly convinced that it is true. What changed them?
They met the living Jesus. He has invited them to respond to Him in
faith and challenged them to live according to His way. Jesus is as
alive now as He was that first Easter morning. He still invites people
to know Him today. [Word In Life SB mod]
A variety of lines of evidence make it very clear that Jesus
did rise from the dead.
1. The Old Testament predicts Christ's resurrection: Ps.
16:10 says, "You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let
your Holy One see decay."
2. Jesus predicted the Resurrection: In Deut. 18 the OT
establishes a principle: prophets are authenticated as God's messengers when
the things they predict actually--and always--happen.... when prediction
and fulfillment are linked, there is no mistaking the hand of God.
True prophets never erred. Thus the fact that the Gospels record
frequent statements by Jesus that He would be killed by His enemies and
would rise again after the third day is significant. In fact, each
time Christ spoke of His death He also promised that He would rise
again. Thus the Resurrection is a foretold event, and a clear link
between prediction and fulfillment is established, giving added
credibility to the resurrection report.
3. The reaction of Jesus' enemies: Clearly, if the members of
the Sanhedrin who had arranged Christ's death could have disproved
the Resurrection, they surely would have. How? Simply produce the
body! If the Sanhedrin really thought the disciples had "stolen"
Christ's corpse, as the rumor they started suggests, they were fully
empowered to arrest the disciples and to force them to reveal where the
body lay. Yet there was no attempt to do anything of the sort! The
utter failure of the Jewish leaders to stifle the resurrection
report--In view of the eagerness of the Jewish leaders to squelch the Jesus
movement, we must take their failure to show the Resurrection to be a hoax
as strong evidence that it was not a hoax at all, but actually
happened.
4. The transformation of the disciples: One of the most
powerful reasons for accepting the Resurrection as a fact of history is
the reaction of Jesus' disciples to Christ's death and resurrection.
Jesus' death stunned His followers, dashed their hopes, and left them
in despair...Then, suddenly, we see a group of men who with great
enthusiasm and conviction announce that Christ is risen, and who dedicate
their lives to bringing this message to the world. If these men became
rich or famous by proclaiming Christ, as some who have invented
religions, we might question their motives. But instead of fame the
apostles of Jesus gave up hope of worldly wealth, suffered rejection and
persecution, and despite the most terrible hardships felt only delight in
their privilege of serving Jesus. It is simply unimaginable that this
could have taken place unless the disciple were totally convinced that
Jesus was truly the Son of God, and was truly risen from the dead.
5. The Gospels: There is unmistakable evidence that the
Gospels were written within a few decades of the events the authors
describe, well within the lifetimes of those who claim to have been
eyewitnesses. And well within the lifetimes of others, both friend and foe,
who would surely have known if the reports of Jesus' activities were
false! The notion that the story of Jesus and His resurrection could be
a fable is absurd on its face, for without a basis in fact, the
stories would have been immediately contradicted within Palestine, no
vital church would have been formed. [Victor Bible Background
Commentary mod]
Christ arose from the dead as the first fruits of those that
slept. He was the antitype of the wave sheaf, and His resurrection took
place on the very day when the wave sheaf was to be presented before
the Lord. For more than a thousand years this symbolic ceremony had
been performed. From the harvest fields the first heads of ripened
grain were gathered, and when the people went up to Jerusalem to the
Passover, the sheaf of first fruits was waved as a thank offering before
the Lord. Not until this was presented could the sickle be put to
the grain, and it be gathered into sheaves. The sheaf dedicated to
God represented the harvest. So Christ the first fruits represented
the great spiritual harvest to be gathered for the kingdom of God.
His resurrection is the type and pledge of the resurrection of all
the righteous dead....
During His ministry, Jesus had raised the dead to life.... But
these were not clothed with immortality. After they were raised, they
were still subject to death. But those who came forth from the grave
at Christ's resurrection were raised to everlasting life. They
ascended with Him as trophies of His victory over death and the grave.
These, said Christ, are no longer the captives of Satan; I have
redeemed them. I have brought them from the grave as the first fruits of
My power, to be with Me where I am, nevermore to see death or
experience sorrow....
To the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks
of it as if it were of little moment.... To the Christian, death is
but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness....
At the Saviour's resurrection a few graves were opened, but
at His second coming all the precious dead shall hear His voice,
and shall come forth to glorious, immortal life. {DA 785-7} [Remnant
SOP SB re Mat. 28:5, 6]
SPECIAL VIDEO CLIP ON THE RESURRECTION
[3 popular sites for the same video]
http://www.cbn.com/tv/1432091350001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yABivU-AKQ
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KLLLZWNX
LINKS TO SOME SPECIAL EASTER SONGS:
Hallelujah, Jesus is alive! By Keith Green.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q7s0VJG7ts
He's Alive by David Phelps & Gaither Vocal Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYoZY9AEras
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today by The Brookwood Praise Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XveIGmAUdkQ
I've Just Seen Jesus by Sandi Patti & Larnelle Harris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yLgtd_kkxw
Because He Lives by Gaithers
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0J910CNU
More Than Wonderful, Lyrics By Sandi Patti & Larnelle Harris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRTwUvZG5a0
How Great thou Art by Carrie Underwood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLLMzr3PFgk
