The Fact of the Resurrection

The Lord Jesus Christ was the virgin born Son of God.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1:24-25)

He was God in human flesh.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-3, 14)

He came into this world to save sinners.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

He died to pay the price of your redemption.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (I Peter 1:18-19)

He is today sitting at the right hand of God the Father.

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)

This gives you a sense of who He is. I do not want to take a great deal of time on these questions in this message. If you have further questions, I will be glad to answer them after the service. For now I would like for us to deal with the resurrection.

No one can read the New Testament without seeing the prominence given in it to the resurrection of Christ. It is a fact most essential. Why? But, first of all, let us ask a question not always considered in connection with the resurrection and yet very vital: How? By whose act, His own or God the Father’s, was Christ raised up? This at once leads to a second query: Why? For what purpose was Christ raised up?

I. HOW?

1. The Power.
   1. “This Jesus hath God raised up”, – not “could have” or “might have”.
   2. The Scriptures are emphatic that the deed was done by the Father.
      

      Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24)

      And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. (Acts 3:15)

      Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; (Acts 10:40)

      God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. (Acts 13:33-37)

      Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)

      But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:24-25)

      Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. (Romans 6:4,9)

      But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)

      That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)

      And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.                          (I Corinthians 6:14)

      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. (I Corinthians 15:15)

      Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. (II Corinthians 4:14)

      Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) (Galatians 1:1)

      Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:20)

      Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:12)

      And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
      (I Thessalonians 1:10)

      Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (Hebrews 13:20)

      Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
      (I Peter 1:21)

2. The Importance.
   1. Belief in this is essential to salvation.
      

      That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)

   2. No quibble provided for, in other words no getting around it.
3. The Event.
   1. The manner of burial.
      

      Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. (John 19:40)

   2. They used long strips of linen to wrap the body like a mummy with a separate cloth for the head.
      

      Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
      (John 20:6-7)

   3. The tomb was not opened to let Jesus out, but to let others see in.
      

      He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
      (Matthew 28:6)

   4. He was seen by over five hundred men at one time after His resurrection.
      

      Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
      (I Corinthians 15:6)

II. WHY?

1. God’s Witness to the Person of Christ.
   1. His Sonship declared.
      

      And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4)

   2. His claim vindicated – He died because of it.
      

      But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
      (Mark 14:61-64)

   3. Thus His Deity proved.
      

      Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24)

2. God’s witness to the Work of Christ.
   1. Adequate atonement made and accepted – how else could it have been known that the wrath of God was gone?
      

      And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
      (I Thessalonians 1:10)

   2. Certain salvation wrought – “faith and hope”.
      

      Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
      (I Peter 1:21)

   3. Complete redemption provided – body as well as spirit.
      

      But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  (I Corinthians 15:35-50)

III. WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

1. Belief in the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ brings salvation.
   

   That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)

2. Confession of the Lord of the Resurrection is the pronouncement of that faith.
   

   For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10)