Matthew 28:6 - JESUS IS RISEN ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Matthew 28:6 (KJV) He is not here: for he is
risen,
INTRODUCTION
This simply stated fact is the basis of the
Christian faith. [Ryrie SB]
Christianity is the only religion whose
founder has an empty tomb. [CBN News 4/12/09]
Central to the 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).
[Believers and Nelson SB mod.]
COMMENTARY
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 Christs
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 Gods 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 Christs death could have disproved the
Resurrection, they surely would have. How? Simply produce
the body! If the Sanhedrin really thought the
disciples had stolen Christs 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 Christs death
and resurrection. Jesus death stunned His
followers, dashed their hopes, and left them in
despairThen, 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 Christs 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 Saviours 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}
"Why do you look for the living among the
dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how
he told you, while he was still with you in
Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the
hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third
day be raised again.' ". Then they remembered
his words. Luke 24:5b-8.
He's alive and I'm forgiven and my soul
has been set free. He's alive and I'm forgiven
and my joy I can't contain. He's alive and I'm
forgiven and my faith is here to stay. He's alive and
I'm forgiven and my love flows deep and wide.
Hes alive and Im forgiven, because He did
what He promised, He arose after three days. He's
alive! He's alive! He's alive!
What emotions did the friends and
disciples of Jesus feel when they realized He was
real? Certainly they were surprised by the joy of
knowing Jesus was back, even more larger than life.
Even though they had watched Him raise Lazarus
after four days of death, their faith had
forgotten. But now they were glad again, because God
raised up His son to life.
If you look for Jesus among the dead you
will not find Him. He has left the cold cemetery
and risen to be with the warm love of His
Father. Dead churches cannot claim the calming
presence of Christ, because they have forsaken the
faith required to recognize Him. Look for the Lord
among the living, those who live out their faith
with bold grace.
Remember the words of Jesus and your
faith will resound with reassurance. I am the
Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for
ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and
Hades (Revelation 1:18). You serve a risen Savior
who lives in your life by faith. Take Him at His
word, and joy will fill your innermost being as
you celebrate His appearing almost 2,000 years
later. Enjoy Jesus, and anticipate your Lords
second return. http://wisdomhunters.com
CLOSING THOUGHT
The Living Lord
What do Socrates, Bach, and Shakespeare
have in common? They are remembered as bigger
than life, but they are dead and in the grave and
can do nothing for you. Walk into the great
cathedrals whose spires pierce the sky, and you will
see paintings and sculptures memorializing
robust men who are still revered and kind women who
reached down to the lowly in compassion. But they,
too, lie silent in death; they can do nothing for
you.
But where is Jesus? Sadly, artists too
often have depicted Him as feeble, weak, and dead
- still hanging on the cross. This is not the
truth; for the One who is depicted hanging lifeless
and broken on the cross is instead full of the
breath of life, full of glory. He drank the cup of
sin for all by emptying His life's blood so that
He could fill us with the gift of eternal life
by His resurrection.
Christianity is the faith of the empty
tomb, a religion centered not on a dead leader but
on the living Lord.
Do you celebrate the fact that you
worship a living Lord? [Peace for Each Day by Billy
Graham]
ONE LINER
In His death and resurrection, our Lord
defeated the world (John 18:33), the flesh (Rom.
6:1-7), the devil (John 12:31), and death itself (I
Cor. 15:50-58). You need not be afraid of life or
death, time or eternity (Rev. 1:17-18). [Chapter by
Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
I am the risen One who shines upon you
always. You worship a living Deity, not some
idolatrous, man-made image. Your relationship with Me is
meant to be vibrant and challenging, as I invade
more and more areas of your life. Do not fear
change, for I am making you a new creation, with old
things passing away and new things continually on
the horizon. When you cling to old ways and
sameness, you resist My work within you. I want you to
embrace all that I am doing in your life, finding
your security in Me alone.
It is easy to make an idol of routine,
finding security within the boundaries you build
around your life. Although each day contains
twenty-four hours, every single one presents a unique
set of circumstances. Don't try to force-fit
today into yesterday's mold. Instead, ask Me to
open your eyes, so you can find all I have
prepared for you in this and each precious day of
Life. (Mat. 28:5-7; 2 Cor. 5:17) [Jesus Calling by
Sarah Young]
I Am the Risen One - your living God.
Celebrate the Joy of serving a Savior who is
exuberantly alive! Rejoice also in My promise to be with
you continually - throughout time and eternity.
These truths can sustain you through the greatest
trials or disappointments you will ever encounter.
So walk boldly along the path of Life with Me,
trusting confidently in the One who never lets go of
your hand.
Consider what I offer you: Myself,
forgiveness of all your sins, forever-pleasures in
heaven. This is all so extravagant and lavish that
you cannot comprehend it fully. That is why
worshiping Me is so important: It's a powerful way of
connecting with Me that transcends your understanding.
It also proclaims My Presence. There are
numerous ways of worshiping Me: singing hymns and
praise songs, studying and memorizing My Word,
praying individually and with others, glorying in
the wonders of My creation. Serving and loving
others with My Love can also be worship. Whatever
you do, do it all for the Glory of God - My
Glory! (Mat. 28:5, 6; Psa. 42:2; Col. 2:2, 3)
[Jesus Always by Sarah Young]
SPECIAL RESURRECTION PAINTING:
[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
SPECIAL RESURRECTION PRAISE SONGS:
He is Risen! - Hallelujah! By Keith Green.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCBNszXdlqk
He's Alive by David Phelps & Gaither Vocal
Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gGa1w_bnvM
I've Just Seen Jesus by Sandi Patti &
Larnelle Harris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yLgtd_kkxw
THANK YOU AND PRAISE YOU FOREVER MORE
PRECIOUS JESUS!!!
