August 2009 ~ Sathyaveda

The Significance of Jesus' Resurrection:

Ask Guide8:03 PM

Evidence, Salvation, Forgiveness, and Eternal Destinies
Why is the resurrection of Jesus fundamentally important to the Christian faith? What evidence does it give us about Christ as Lord, Son of God, Deity, and Savior from sin? What can we learn about our own resurrection from the dead, judgment, and eternal destiny? What does it teach about forgiveness of sins, the conditions of salvation, and the life of Christians? Why is Jesus resurrection important to you?
Introduction:

The resurrection was one of the most commonly mentioned themes in the preaching of the apostles.
It was preached as a major proof for Jesus' claims. But it was also used to teach many other important lessons.

If the resurrection was so important in the preaching of inspired men in the first century, surely it should be just as important in our preaching today.

The purpose of this study is to consider the significance of Jesus' resurrection.
We will consider how gospel preachers in the New Testament used Jesus' resurrection in their preaching. That should show us how we ought to use it in our preaching today.

Gospel preaching about the resurrection, teaches importance lessons about the following subjects:

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I. The Nature of Jesus

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Romans 1:4 - Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power, ... by the resurrection from the dead. The resurrection was preached to both Jews and Gentiles as a major proof of who Jesus is. Today we need similar evidence to strengthen the faith of believers and also to answer the challenges of atheists, humanists, and evolutionists.

Consider a few of the many examples where the resurrection used to confirm Jesus' claims.

Luke 24:44-46
Jesus claimed His resurrection fulfilled prophecy and proved Him to be the Christ predicted by Old Testament prophets.

The main purpose of Jesus' miracles was to confirm that His teaching was from God and His claims were true. When a man claimed to have a message given him directly by God, people needed some way to determine whether or not this claim was true. If that man could perform acts that are impossible by natural law, people would know God was really working through him and would believe his teaching.

In many ways, the resurrection of Jesus is the greatest miracle that ever occurred, and is the one best supported by eyewitness testimony. It proves Jesus' claims and teaching are true. Surely, God would never have raised Jesus if He were a false teacher and not who He claimed to be.

[Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:3f; Acts 14:3]

John 20:24-31
Here is an example of Jesus' appearances to eyewitnesses to prove He had arisen. These appearances persuaded people to confess Jesus to be "Lord and God." While we cannot personally see Him, yet the eyewitnesses wrote what they saw so we can believe Jesus is God's Son and can have eternal life.

The power of this claim can be seen when we realize that no other major religion even claims the founder of their faith arose from the dead. No such claims are made by Judaism for Moses, nor by Islam for Mohammed, nor by Buddhists for Buddha, etc. Why not? Because it would be so difficult to convince people it had been accomplished. But Jesus not only made the claim, He presents eyewitness testimony to convince honest people it is true.

The resurrection is a unique claim of the gospel of Jesus. [Acts 13:28-37; Matthew 12:39f]

Acts 2:23,24,29-32,36
After Jesus ascended to heaven, the apostles preached (as Peter did here) that the Jews had killed Jesus, but God raised Him and the apostles were eyewitnesses that He was alive again. This had even been prophesied in the Old Testament by David. This leads to the conclusion that Jesus is both Lord and Christ [1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 17:3]

Note the amazing fact that this was prophesied ahead of time, making it a double miracle. It requires miraculous power just to be able to predict future events and have them be fulfilled. But to prophesy a specific miraculous event, such as the resurrection, would be miraculous on both ends - both the act of prophesying and the event predicted would be miraculous.

But the resurrection was predicted, not just by Old Testament prophets, but by Jesus' Himself during His lifetime (John 2:18-22; Matthew 16:21). Note how unlikely it would be that an impostor would ever keep His following after making such a claim: he would be proved a fraud 3 days after his death.

It is very hard to take people seriously when they make predictions that they will arise from the dead at a certain time, because their predictions fail. Jesus not only made the claim, He provides multitudes of eyewitnesses that He made good His claim, and people were converted by the thousands when this claim was preached. [Matthew 17:23; 20:19; 27:63; 17:9; 26:32; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; 9:9,10; 14:28; Luke 9:23; 18:33; 24:4-7,44f.]

Imagine the power required to raise somebody from the dead. Then imagine the power required to predict ahead of time that you were going to do it. Jesus and Old Testament prophets predicted that the Christ would arise from the dead. Many eyewitnesses testify that Jesus did so, exactly when He said He would. What greater proof could anyone want that Jesus is the Son of God?

[Note also Acts 3:15; 5:30; 10:40; 13:33ff; 17:3; 17:18,31, etc.]

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II. The Destiny of Man

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Three future events are connected in Scripture to Jesus' resurrection:

A. The Resurrection of All People
1 Corinthians 6:14 - God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. The same God who promised to raise Jesus, has also promised to raise us. If we believe He kept the promise to raise Jesus by His power, then we must believe He will keep His promise to raise us up by that same power. [2 Corinthians 4:14]

1 Corinthians 15 - Vv 12-14 explain that Jesus' resurrection proves men can be raised by God's power. Vv 20-23,25,26 - Jesus' resurrection is the guarantee (firstfruits) demonstrating that He will raise us up. The first fruit to ripen, from orchard or garden, gives hope of more to come. So, Jesus' resurrection assures us there will be a harvest in which we will all be raised.

[1 Thessalonians 4:13-17]

B. The Judgment of All People
Acts 17:30,31 - The assurance that God will judge us is the fact that He raised up Jesus. In order for all to be judged, we must first come back from the dead. The fact God has already raised Jesus demonstrates His power to keep His promise to raise and then judge us.

If a man came promising to give you an new house, most of us would be skeptical. But if he could produce a number of people to whom he had already given a new house, we would be more likely to believe.

The same God who promised to raise Jesus and fulfilled that promise, has also promised to raise us and judge our lives through Jesus. If we accept the proof that Jesus was raised, then we must believe God's promise that He will judge us.

C. The Eternal Reward of the Righteous
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - If there is no resurrection of the dead, then our only reward for righteousness would have to come during this life. But if we believe Jesus died and rose again (v14), then we should also believe that, when He returns, the dead will be raised and we will be with Him forever.

1 Peter 1:3,4 - We are begotten to a living hope of an eternal inheritance by the resurrection of Jesus. If we die before Jesus comes again (as most men have), then to receive this reward, we must be raised. Jesus' resurrection proves that God will keep His promise to raise and reward us.

To Christians, Jesus' resurrection is important, not just because it proves to us who He is, but also because it is the basis for the hope of our own eternal reward.

[1 Corinthians 15:9]

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III. The Life of a Christian

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Besides teaching us about our eternal destiny, Jesus' resurrection can teach us important lessons about our daily life as Christians:

A. Obedience to God's Word
Acts 2:36 - Jesus' resurrection (vv 23-32) proves to us that He is Lord and Christ. Luke 6:46 - Your Lord is the one you must obey.

2 Corinthians 5:15 - Jesus died for all so we should no longer live for self but for Him who died and arose for us. By dying and rising, Jesus purchased us. He bought us with the price of His blood, so we belong to Him and ought to let Him control our lives.

Illustration: Suppose I agree to sell you my car, and you pay me the price we agree upon; but when you come to take it, I refuse to give you possession! I want you to pay for the car, but I still want to control it and use it for my purposes. Likewise, many people want Jesus to purchase them from sin - accept His payment price - but don't want to turn over control of their lives to Him.

Romans 6:4-13 - Baptism symbolizes, not just Jesus' death, but also His resurrection (vv 4,5). In baptism, we undergo a death (like Jesus died on the cross) in that the body of sin is put to death or separated from us (vv 6,7). But we also undergo a resurrection in that we should walk a new life, one set apart from sin.

Why were you baptized into Jesus' death? To get rid of sins. You need this because the wages of sin is death (v23). But if we see the value of getting rid of sin, then we should also see the value of staying away from it after we have gotten rid of it.

This is symbolized by Jesus' resurrection. Just as He was raised never to die again, so we should be forgiven never to serve sin again (vv 8-13).

The person who asks Jesus to forgive him of sin, is committing himself to dedicate his life to living apart from sin. True, if we sin again we can be forgiven again, but not if rationalize, justify, and excuse the sins and then continue to refuse to repent and change. To continue in sin is to fail to see the meaning of Jesus' resurrection.

[Romans 14:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19f]

B. Power in Our Lives
Ephesians 1:19,20 - We can have in our lives the power of God that raised up Jesus. We have considered how great the power must be to cause the resurrection. Imagine having that kind of power working in your life!

Ephesians 6:10-13 - Here is what this power can do in our lives. When Jesus was raised, He gained His greatest victory over Satan. Likewise, we can defeat Satan in his efforts to lead us into sin if we use the power God provides.

The resurrection of Jesus teaches great lessons to Christians. It not only proves we have great blessings ahead in eternity, it also proves the great responsibilities and great power we can have in our lives now.

[Romans 8:33-35; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Philippians 3:10]

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IV. Forgiveness of Sin

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A. What Does Jesus' Resurrection Have to Do with Our Salvation?
1 Corinthians 15:13-17
If Jesus was not raised, our faith is vain and we are yet in sin. We are saved by His life, because He had to be raised after He died or we could not be saved! [Acts 13:38,39; Hebrews 7:25]

Romans 4:24,25
Jesus was delivered up for our sins and raised for [because of - NKJV] our justification [i.e., because we needed it, cf. Hebrews 2:9]. His resurrection is as essential to our salvation as His death. What good would it be for Him to die, if He was not raised? Had He not been raised, Satan would be the victor. But by rising from the dead, Jesus won the final victory.

Romans 5:10
We are reconciled through Jesus' death and saved by His life.

Calvinists (including some brethren) say this means Jesus' sinless life is imputed to us: God gives us credit for the good deeds Jesus did. If we sin, they say God just sees Jesus' good deeds in us and overlooks our sins, even if we never repent or ask forgiveness. So they fellowship all who have been baptized, even though they teach and practice error.

Where does the passage say that Jesus' sinless character or deeds are credited to us, or people are counted sinless even when they don't repent? Such a doctrine contradicts many other passages. Jesus' sinless life is no more imputed to us than Adam's sin is imputed to us [Ezekiel 18:20].

The "life" by which we are saved refers to Jesus' resurrection. We are reconciled by His death and saved by His life. Note that the death came first, then came the life. The "life" that saves is Jesus' life after the death: i.e., His resurrection. This simply confirms what we already learned from other passages.

B. How Can We Receive This Salvation by His Resurrection?
Note how every condition of forgiveness and eternal life is tied by Scriptures to Jesus' resurrection.

Hearing and believing
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - To be saved, we must hear and believe the gospel, including the message of the resurrection.

Repentance
Acts 17:30,31 - All are commanded to repent because we will be judged. What is the proof that this is true? The assurance of this is the fact Jesus was raised.

Just as surely as Jesus was raised from the dead, just that surely all men must repent of their sins in order to be ready for judgment. Have you repented?

Faith and confession
Romans 10:9,10 - We must believe in the resurrection and confess Christ as Lord to be saved

Did you know that people cannot be saved who do not believe in Jesus' resurrection? Many people claim to be Christians - even prominent denominational preachers - who doubt or deny Jesus' resurrection. The gospel says that, to be saved, you must believe God has raised Him from the dead.

It is not enough to believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins. You must also believe that He arose from the dead!

Then you must confess Christ as your Lord: the one who has the right to control your life. But remember that His resurrection is what proves He is Lord (1:4)

Baptism
1 Peter 3:21 - In likeness to Noah's salvation, baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus. If you believe that Jesus' resurrection is essential to our salvation, that you must also understand that baptism is essential in order for you to be saved by the resurrection.

Colossians 2:12,13 - As in Romans 6:3-5, we are buried and raised with Christ in baptism. Forgiveness of sins gives us new life with Him. This new life refers to being "born again" to become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). This occurs in baptism, not before. If you believe that Jesus' resurrection is essential to the new birth, then you must also understand that baptism is essential in order for you to be born again.

Note also the implication that baptism must be an immersion, for we are buried and raised with Him. Sprinkling and pouring do not satisfy, because they do not properly symbolize Jesus' burial or His resurrection.

And remember that we have already emphasized that Jesus' resurrection teaches that baptism must be followed by a faithful life.

Conclusion Do you believe the evidence that Jesus was raised from the dead? If so, then you must accept the consequence that He is the Son of God. You must also believe that someday He will judge you and give you eternal life, if you obey the gospel and then live a faithful life. When people do not properly respond to the gospel, they demonstrate that they do not truly appreciate the meaning of Jesus' resurrection.

The Significance of Jesus' Resurrection:

Ask Guide8:03 PM

What Claims Did Jesus Make?

Ask Guide8:02 PM

Many people think of Jesus as a great religious teacher and even a prophet, but not the Divine Son of God. What did He really claim? Did He accept claims that He was the Christ, the Divine Son of God in the flesh, eternal, and our Savior? Did He believe people must believe in Him and obey Him to be saved and receive eternal life? Did He accept worship? Some people that believe these claims were first made for Him by His followers long after He died. Please consider this study of the claims of Jesus.

Introduction:

The purpose of this study is to examine the claims of Jesus.
We will look at claims that He personally made for Himself and claims that were made for Him by other people in His presence.

Some people say Jesus did not claim to be the Son of God, God in the flesh, eternal, the Savior of mankind, etc. Still others say they believe in Jesus as a great man or a prophet, but not as the Son of God, etc.

But if Jesus Himself did claim these things when they are not true, or if He knowingly permitted people to make such claims on His behalf, then He would not be a good man or a true teacher at all. He would be a fraud, a liar, and a false teacher.

The fact Jesus made such claims would not prove they are true. The evidence to substantiate His claims is another subject (see links below for studies about such evidences). But if He made superhuman claims, that of itself narrows our options. Either those claims are true or false. There would be no middle ground.

If these claims are not true of Jesus, then He not only should not have made them, but He should not have allowed others to make them.
He and His disciples warned against false teachers.

Matthew 7:15-20 - Beware of false teachers. Just as bad fruit proves that a tree is bad and should be cast out, so false teaching demonstrates the basic nature of the teacher.

Matthew 15:13,14 - If the blind leads the blind, both fall into the ditch. God will root up all such leaders.

If Jesus made religious claims that are not true and sought to exalt Himself improperly, then He would stand condemned by His own teaching. He could not possibly be a good man and a great teacher, but would be a false teacher to be entirely rejected.

[2 Cor. 11:13-15; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; Acts 20:28-30; 1 John 4:1; 2 Tim. 4:2-4; Titus 1:9-14; 2 John 9-11; Romans 16:17,18; Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Peter chap. 2]

Specifically, the Bible severely rebukes those who make or accept untrue claims of religious exaltation.

Matthew 23:5-11 - Jesus severely rebuked religious leaders who seek to be exalted religiously beyond their proper position.

Acts 10:25,26 - Cornelius fell down to worship Peter. Peter forbade it saying that he himself was just a man. [Rev. 22:8,9; 19:10; Rom. 1:25]

Acts 12:20-23 - Herod allowed people to call Him a god, not a man. He did not make the claim, but was slain for simply allowing others to make it on his behalf.

Acts 14:11-18 - When Paul and Barnabas healed a lame man, the idol worshipers called them gods and wanted to make sacrifice to them. They refused to accept such claims, saying that they were men and not gods.

If Jesus knowingly permitted others to make untrue claims that improperly exalted Him, and if He did not rebuke them, He would stand condemned even if He Himself did not make the claims. So we will examine claims He personally made and claims that He allowed others to make about Him.

The only way to learn what claims Jesus made is from the Bible.
A few secular historians of Jesus' day briefly mention Him, but only Bible writers give us eyewitness testimony of Jesus' life and teachings.

John 15:27 - He told His apostles that they would bear witness of Him, because they had been with Him from the beginning. [Acts 1:8]

Acts 1:21,22 - To be an apostle one had to be an eyewitness of Jesus' resurrection. [2:32; 10:39-41]

John 21:24 - John wrote his personal testimony and testified that it was true. [John 20:30,31]

1 John 1:1-3 - He bore witness about what he and others heard, saw with their eyes, and handled with their hands. This is the basis of our fellowship with God and Christ.

2 Peter 1:16-18 - Peter denies they had followed fables about Jesus. Rather they were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 - Paul declared the gospel he had preached, including the resurrection of Jesus. He lists various appearances, including the one he personally witnessed. Paul's testimony is also that of an eyewitness.

In 15:14,15 he said that, if Christ was not raised, then he and others were false witnesses.

The Bible writers themselves argued that their record - especially their record of the life and teaching of Christ - was based on eyewitness testimony. If their record is not accurate, they themselves acknowledge that it should be rejected as false testimony. [Luke 1:1-4]

Much evidence substantiates the historical accuracy of Bible writers, but again it is not our purpose to present this evidence. The point is that, if we do not accept the Bible record, then we know nothing about Jesus' claims. To reject aspects of the Bible record about Jesus, while still claiming to believe in Jesus, is nonsense. If we do not accept the Bible record as valid history, then we cannot possibly know what to believe about Jesus.

Jesus gave His approval to the teachings of His apostles, saying they would be inspired by the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:16; John 16:13). So we could study anything they taught about Him as having His approval. But we will restrict ourselves to what they claim He personally said or was said with His obvious knowledge.

As we study, ask yourself: Are these the claims of a mere man, even a great prophet? What if someone today were to make such claims? What Bible prophet would make such claims: Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, Paul?

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I. The Christ, the Son of God

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"Christ" is the New Testament word for the Messiah, the anointed ruler of God's people as predicted in the Old Testament. "Son of God" refers to Jesus' special relationship to the Father - a unique position no one else has - the only begotten Son (John 3:16). Did Jesus claim such positions?

Matthew 3:17 - At Jesus' baptism, the Father spoke from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Matthew 16:13-18 - Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus said that the Father Himself had revealed this to Peter, but He rejected as inadequate the claims that He was just a prophet. [John 6:69]

Matthew 17:5 - At the Transfiguration the Father again spoke from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This is why we should listen to Him.

John 4:25,26 - Jesus acknowledged to the Samaritan woman that He was the Messiah (Christ).

John 9:35-37 - He told a blind man He had healed that He was the Son of God.

Matthew 26:63-66 - During His trial in the presence of His enemies, Jesus acknowledged that He was the Christ, the Son of God.

In addition, He allowed various other disciples to make such claims for Him (John 11:27; Matt. 14:33; John 1:29,34,49).

Did any other true prophet ever make such claims? Did God ever give approval to any other man to make such claims? John the Baptist expressly denied such claims for himself (John 1:19-22; 3:28).

What kind of man would Jesus be to make and allow such claims, if they were not true? Yet He not only allowed others to make such claims for Him, He praised them for making them, He made them Himself, and the eyewitnesses say that God the Father audibly made such claims for Him.

[Cf. Matt. 8:29; 12:41,42; 22:41-46; John 12:13.]

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II. God in the Flesh

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A. Jesus Is Called "God."
John 1:1-3 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." All things were made through Him. The "Word" refers to Jesus (v17), the only begotten of the Father who became flesh and dwelt among us (v14). This claims that Jesus is a separate individual from the Father (He was with God), and yet He Himself possesses Deity (He was God).

This is what Bible writers repeatedly claimed for Him [Colossians 2:9; Philippians 2:5-8]. Remember that mere men were rebuked or even killed for allowing such terms to be used for themselves. Did Jesus allow people to use names of God in referring to Him?

John 20:28,29
After he saw proof of Jesus' resurrection, Thomas addressed Jesus as "my Lord and my God." Clearly Thomas is here calling Jesus "God."

If Jesus did not possess Deity, Thomas' statement would have been blasphemy, and Jesus should have rebuked Him. Instead, Jesus praised Thomas and pronounced a blessing on everyone who believes the same (v29)! Then John proceeded to claim that His record of Jesus' miracles gives us all reason to believe in Him (vv 30,31).

Hebrews 1:8
The Father said to Son, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever" (quoted from Psalm 45:6,7). Note that God the Father Himself here addressed Jesus as "God" (cf. v1-9).

On both of these occasions people personally addressed Jesus as "God." Both times He allowed and accepted such language, and in one case God the Father is the one who so addressed Him!

B. Jesus Is Called by Other Terms for God.
"The First and the Last, Alpha and Omega"
Various passages show that these are terms for Deity emphasizing God's eternal self-existence (Rev. 1:8; 21:6,7; Isaiah 44:6; 43:10; 41:4; 48:12). But note Jesus' use of these expressions:

Revelation 1:17 - "I am the First and the Last." Context (vv 10-20) shows that Jesus is speaking.

Revelation 2:8 - "These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life."

Revelation 22:13 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." Jesus is speaking, as shown by vv 12,16,20.

Hence, "First and Last," "Alpha and Omega," "Beginning and End" are terms for Deity, yet Jesus used them to refer to Himself.

"I Am"
Exodus 3:13-15 - When God called Moses to lead Israel from captivity, He said, "I AM WHO I AM." He told Moses to say that "I AM" had sent him. This expression also describes the eternal, self-existing, unchanging nature of God. (See also Deut. 32:39; Isa. 41:4; 43:10,13; 46:4; 48:12.)

John 8:58 - When questioned about how He could be old enough to have seen Abraham (vv 56,57), Jesus said, "...before Abraham was, I AM." His statement clearly claims eternal existence, just like God used "I am" in Ex. 3:14. The Jews recognized this significance and tried to stone Jesus (v59).

Hence, here is another unique name of God that Jesus used to refer to Himself. Again, what mere human would dare speak of himself in this way? Did Moses or Elijah or Paul? Such would have been blasphemy. Either Jesus' claims are true, or else He is not a good man at all!

[Cf. John 5:18; 10:30]

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III. The Savior of the World, the Way to Eternal Life

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Many other people made such claims on Jesus' behalf, but we will consider cases where it was claimed by Him or in His presence. (See John 4:42; Luke 2:11; Eph. 1:7; 5:23; Acts 5:31; Titus 1:3,4; 2:13,14; 2 Peter 1:1,11; 2:20; 3:18; Col. 1:13,14; Acts 4:12.)

A. Jesus Claimed that He Came to Save Mankind from Sin.
Mark 2:3-12; Luke 7:48,49 - Jesus claimed to have power to directly forgive sins. This is a work only God can do.

Matthew 20:28 - He came to give His life a ransom for many.

Matthew 26:28 - He shed His blood for many for remission of sins.

John 8:24 - People who do not believe in Him will die in their sins.

[Luke 24:47; John 1:29,36; 12:47]

B. He Claimed that Men Can Have Fellowship with God and Eternal Life Only through Him.
John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.

John 3:13-15 - Jesus claimed He came down from heaven so that whoever believes in Him can have eternal life. [6:40]

John 10:27-29 - My sheep hear my voice and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.

Jesus does not class Himself with sinful creatures in need of salvation. He is the Savior! He claimed He could forgive sins and would die to give people remission of sins and eternal life. What true prophet or angel ever claimed such power?

If Jesus is not who He claimed to be, how could these expressions be anything but blasphemy? His own claims compel us to believe either that He is Divine or else that He was a very evil man.

[John 6:35,40,51; 8:51; 9:5; 11:25; 15:5]

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IV. Supreme Authority and Judge

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A. Jesus Possesses Supreme Authority.
This is again claimed for Him repeatedly in the gospel, but we will note cases where He was personally involved in the claims. (See Phil. 3:20,21; 2:9-11; Col. 1:16; John 3:31; Rom. 9:5; 10:12; Acts 10:36; Eph. 1:21; Isa. 9:6.)

Matthew 28:18,20 - Jesus claimed to possess all authority in heaven and on earth; therefore, men should obey all His commands.

John 14:15 - He expects men to love Him, and this requires them to keep His commands. This is the kind of love that God requires (1 John 5:3).

Matthew 10:34-37 - We must love Him more than we love our closest family members, else we are not worthy of Him.

Revelation 19:16 - Jesus wears the name "King of kings and Lord of lords." He has authority above the highest of kings and rulers. [17:14]

Imagine what kind of person would make such claims, if He were merely a man! Would such a person be a good man and a great religious teacher?

[John 16:15; 17:10; Matt. 7:24-27; 5:21-48]

B. Jesus Will Judge All Men and Determine Their Eternal Destinies.
Again, this is a work only God could do (see Isa. 33:22; Psalm 50:6; 96:10,13; Rom. 2:3,5,16). Yet the gospel often claims that Jesus will do it. We will focus on passages where Jesus was present when the claim was made. (See 2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 17:31.)

John 5:22 - He said that the Father has given all judgment to Him.

Matthew 16:27 - He will come in glory with the angels and reward all men according to their works.

Matthew 25:31-46 - All nations will be gathered before Him, and He will send them into eternal punishment or eternal life.

Again, what true prophet or good man ever made such claims? If the claims are not true, what kind of man would Jesus be to make them?

[John 12:48]

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V. Worship and Glory (like God)

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As studied earlier, Jesus and other Bible teachers taught that only God deserves to receive worship. Men should not receive religious honor such as is reserved for God. (See Matt. 4:9,10; Acts 10:25,26; Rev. 22:8,9; 19:10; Rom. 1:25; Ex. 34:14; Isa. 42:8; 48:11; Rev. 9:20; 14:9-11; Ex. 20:3-6; Deut. 6:13-15 Matt. 23:8-12.)

Yet Jesus often allowed people to worship Him religiously and offer Him religious honor such as belongs only to God.

A. Worship
Matthew 14:33 - After Jesus had calmed the storm, the disciples worshipped Him saying He is the Son of God.

John 9:38 - After Jesus healed a blind man, the man said he believed and he worshipped Jesus.

Matthew 28:9,17 - After His resurrection, His disciples worshiped Him.

Luke 24:52 - After He had ascended back to heaven, they continued to worship Him.

So Jesus accepted worship as an act of religious honor. Jesus' own teachings would absolutely forbid this, if He was just a man, even if He was a great prophet.

[Matt. 8:2; 9:18; 15:25; Mark 5:6; Heb. 1:6; John 20:28,29]

B. Glory and Honor
John 5:23 - All men should honor the Son "just as" they honor the Father. To fail to so honor the Son is to fail to properly honor the Father.

John 17:5 - Jesus asked that, after He died, the Father would glorify Jesus with the glory He had with the Father before the world was. Jesus was glorified with the Father in eternity.

What prophet or truly great religious leader ever made such statements or received such glory with God's approval? Either Jesus is far greater than just a man or just a prophet, or else He is a fraud, a cheat, and a liar. He would not be a good man at all, let alone a great religious leader.

[John 16:15; 17:10]

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VI. Eternal Existence

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Once again, numerous Bible passages state that Jesus existed eternally in the past. He is not a created being - as are mere humans - but is eternal because He is Deity. But we will note passages where He was personally involved in those claims. (See John 1:1-3; Micah 5:2; Isa. 9:6; Psalm 102:24-27 cf. Heb. 1:8,10-12; Col. 1:16).

"The First and the Last, Alpha and Omega, the I Am" - We already listed passages where Jesus used these terms for Himself. But all these are names of God which imply eternal self-existence.

John 17:5,24 - Jesus had glory with the Father and the Father loved Him before the world began.

John 3:13; 6:38; 16:28 - He said He came down from the Father in Heaven and came into the world. [John 8:23]

Jesus is not a created being (as some claim). He is eternal. What mere man could rightly make such a claim?

Conclusion
Consider carefully all we have examined regarding Jesus' claims. Who else in the history of the world has ever made such claims and continued to receive a great following? The very nature of such claims compels us to reckon with such a person. We cannot be neutral or ignore Him. We must accept Him for exactly who He says He is, or else we must reject him as a liar or a lunatic or both. Surely he cannot be a good man and a great religious teacher, but just a human being.

But Jesus not only made these claims, He also offered evidence to substantiate them. He fulfilled prophecy, accurately predicted the future, did great miracles, and arose from the dead. That is a study of itself. (See Matt. 9:1-8; 17:1-5; 14:25-33; Luke 24:25-27,44-46; John 5:36,39; Matt. 16:21; 17:22,23; 20:17-29; 26:20-25,33-35; John 13:21-27; 5:28,29; 6:40,44; 10:24,25,37,38; 14:10,11.)

Evidence for Jesus' Resurrection

Ask Guide8:00 PM

The resurrection of Jesus is a fundamental proof of the gospel that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. Yet some claim that He never really died, or that the disciples stole the body, or some other theory. What are the facts? Are there witnesses to these events? If so, what is their testimony? Did Jesus really die on the cross? How was His body buried? Was He really raised from the dead? Please examine the evidence for yourself.
Introduction:

The gospel claims that, after Jesus died, He came back to life again on the third day. The apostles and New Testament Christians repeatedly preached this claim.

Specifically, the gospel claims that Jesus' resurrection gives evidence that He is who it claims Him to be.
The resurrection proves He is:

* The Christ, the Son of God - John 20:24-31; Romans 1:4
* Lord and Christ - Acts 2:32-36; 17:3; Romans 14:9; Ephesians 1:20-23
* One who forgives sins - Acts 13:30-39; Romans 4:25; Luke 24:46,47; 1 Thessalonians 1:10
* Judge of all mankind - Acts 17:30,31

The resurrection is in many ways the most basic and most substantiated of all Bible miracles. The primary purpose of miracles was to confirm a message or messenger to be from God (Mark 16:20; John 5:36; 20:30,31; Acts 2:22; 14:3; 2 Corinthians 12:11,12; Hebrews 2:3,4; 1 Kings 18:36-39; Exodus 4:1-9; 7:3-5; 14:30,31).

Jesus and His followers claimed that He is all the above things and that His resurrection proves these claims. If these claims are not true, why would God raise Him from the dead?

The resurrection is so fundamental to Jesus' claims that the apostles and first-century Christians preached it to everyone who lacked faith or had doubts, Jews or idol worshipers. We should also preach it to lead people to faith and to strengthen believers.

Yet many different theories exist regarding the events following Jesus' death.
In order to avoid accepting the resurrection, skeptics have offered several alterative explanations.

1. The theory that the disciples stole the body. This is what the soldiers who guarded His tomb were paid to say (Matt. 28:11-15).

2. The theory that Jesus did not really die but only "swooned" on the cross and then later recovered in the tomb.

3. The theory that the disciples had "hallucinations" and only imagined they saw Jesus alive after the crucifixion.

The purpose of this study is to examine the events surrounding Jesus' death to see what conclusion best fits the evidence.
We will consider the testimony of those who witnessed the events, much like the testimony of witnesses is examined in a courtroom.

The Bible acknowledges the testimony of witnesses as valid evidence in establishing the facts of a historic event: John 8:17; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; Deuteronomy 19:15.

Testimony needs to be examined in light of the number of witnesses, their honesty, rationality, and consistency, and their opportunity to observe the events closely and personally. Consider the evidence regarding Jesus' resurrection.

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I. Events Prior to Jesus' Death

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A. Old Testament Predictions of the Resurrection
Luke 24:46 - Jesus and His apostles repeatedly claimed that Old Testament prophets had predicted His resurrection (see also Luke 18:31-34; Acts 17:3; 26:22,23; 1 Cor. 15:4). What prophecies would this refer to?

Isaiah 53:7-10 - This passage is acknowledged to be a prediction of Christ (cf. Acts 8:29-35). He would be led as a lamb to the slaughter (v7), cut off from the living (v8), made an offering for sin (v10), die, and be buried (v9). But then He would prolong His days and see His seed (v10). How could this be unless He came back to life?

Psalms 16:9,10 is quoted and explained in Acts 13:29-39 (cf. 2:23-32). It predicts One who would not see corruption nor His soul remain in Hades (the realm of spirits of dead men). It cannot apply to David who spoke it, because he did see corruption. Rather, he spoke as a prophet referring to the resurrection of Christ (2:30,31). He did not corrupt, because He came back to life.

B. Jesus' Predictions of His Resurrection
Jesus Himself repeatedly predicted, not just His death, but also His resurrection. He began early in His ministry to make such predictions and continued right up to the end. See John 2:18-22; Matt. 16:21,22; 17:22,23; 26:31,32; Mark 9:9,10 (and parallel accounts).

Matthew 20:18,19 - Note the details: He would be betrayed to the Jewish leaders but would be killed by the Gentiles (Romans). They would scourge Him and crucify Him (a uniquely Roman execution), but He would rise again the third day. A general prediction of ones resurrection would be surprising, but such detail is amazing.

And note that the disciples repeatedly did not understand or believe His predictions (Matt. 16:22; Mark 9:10; Luke 18:34; John 20:9). Why would they later hallucinate or make up false claims of resurrection, when they themselves had repeatedly opposed predictions of it?

No pretender would make such predictions for himself, for he would know that three days after His death, everyone would know he was a fraud. If he made them and then kept his following after his death, this is substantial evidence that His claims may be true.

If convincing evidence exists for Jesus' resurrection, this is doubly amazing. Not only would it be a natural impossibility for one to arise from the dead, but it would be even more impossible that he and others could predict it years before it happened. This multiplies the force of the evidence, proving that such an event could only occur by the power of God.

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II. Events Surrounding Jesus' Death

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Note that these events were recorded by people who were personal eyewitnesses (apostles Matthew and John - see John 19:35; 21:24) or by people who, as historians, recorded what was personally told them by eyewitnesses (Luke and Mark - see Luke 1:1-4).

A. Evidence during Jesus' Trials
Note the evidence during Jesus' trials that He was innocent.

Jews
Mark 14:55-64 - The witnesses produced by Jewish leaders could not convict Jesus (their testimony did not agree), yet the Jews condemned Him for claiming to be the Son of God. But that assumes He is not the Son of God - it assumes the point to be proved! What if He is the Son of God? (Cf. Matt. 26:59-66; Luke 22:66-71; John 18:19-24.)

Judas
Matthew 27:3-5 - The one who betrayed Jesus acknowledged Him to be innocent.

Pilate
Jesus faced several trials before Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate repeatedly declared Jesus to be innocent, yet condemned Him to death because the Jews insisted - Luke 23:4,14,22. (Cf. Matt. 27:18-26; Mark 15:1-15; Luke 23:1-5,13-25; John 18:28-40; 19:4-16).

Herod
Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, a King among the Jews. He also found no guilt in Jesus - Luke 23:15 (cf. vv 6-12).

Centurion
The centurion in charge of Jesus' crucifixion concluded that He was a righteous man - Luke 23:47 (Matt. 27:54).

Jesus did not deserve to be punished, let alone to die. The rulers, His betrayer, and the centurion all declared Him innocent, and those who claimed He was guilty brought no proof.

For our purposes, the point is He was a righteous man. Any explanation of the events following His death must harmonize with His upright character. No theory can be correct if it makes Him out to be a deceiver or deliberate fraud.

B. The Crucifixion
Jesus suffered the following physical abuse:

He was scourged
This was a beating with a whip of many leather thongs, often with embedded bits of metal or glass. People often died just from such beatings. (Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1)

He was nailed to the cross
Spikes were driven through His hands and feet, nailing him to the cross. Then the cross was lifted up, suspending him where he remained for at least three hours. (Matt. 27:35-54; Mark 15:24-39; Luke 23:33-47; John 19:16-30; cf. John 20:20,24-29; Luke 24:40; Psalms 22:16)

He died
All the accounts specifically state that He died (i.e., His spirit departed, etc. - Matt. 27:50; Mark 15:37,39; Luke 23:46; John 19:30,33). Mark 15:44,45 - Pilate asked the centurion who had crucified Jesus, and he confirmed Jesus was dead.

His side was pierced with a spear
John 19:31-34 - Soldiers came to break his legs to hasten death, but they did not have to do so since He was already dead. So they pierced His side with a spear. This also confirms that He died on the cross.

All this was personally witnessed by multitudes of people, both friends and enemies - Luke 23:48,49; John 19:35.

The claim that Jesus did not die but merely swooned contradicts the clear testimony of the witnesses that He did die. The centurion and soldiers were professionals at such executions, and they all testified that He was dead.

But even if He did not die, consider His condition. He had been scourged, nailed to the cross for at least three hours, and then his side pierced with a spear. If He then spent three days without food and water, how would He awake and appear healthy enough to convince the skeptical disciples that He was raised from the dead? And would this harmonize with His upright character?

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III. Events Surrounding Jesus' Burial

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The body was prepared for burial.
John 19:38-42 - The body was prepared with 100 pounds of spices and wrapped in strips of linen. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did this, as witnessed by various women from Galilee, including Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Luke 23:50-56; cf. Matt. 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47).

If Jesus had not died but only swooned, surely during all this preparation people would have realized He was not dead. The fact they buried Him proves they too were convinced He was dead, not just swooned.

The body was laid in the tomb.
John 19:41 - This was a new tomb, in which no one else had been buried.

Matthew 27:60,61 - It was hewn from rock and had a large stone over the door. Again other people witnessed this. (Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53)

Note that Jesus' body could not have been confused with that of someone else - there were no other bodies. And when the tomb was found empty, there could be no doubt that His body was gone, since it was the only body there.

The tomb was sealed and secured by guards.
Matthew 27:62-66 - The Jews feared that, if the body left the tomb, the disciples would claim Jesus was resurrected. So they sealed the stone over the opening and placed a guard outside the tomb for the express purpose of making sure the body did not leave the tomb.

How could the disciples steal the body, as the Jews later claimed, when a guard was expressly placed there to stop them? Rolling away the huge stone and removing the body would surely awake the guards. The penalty for sleeping on guard duty was death (Acts 12:19; 16:27); so if this really happened, why would the guards admit it?

Or suppose Jesus had swooned, not died, then awoke three days later suffering from all His injuries and lack of food and water. How could He remove the grave clothes and leave the tomb? He could not dig out, since the tomb was stone. How could He roll away the rock (so large the women could not move it - Mark 16:3), evade or overpower the guards, and still appear strong and healthy to convince the skeptical disciples that He had been resurrected?

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IV. Events on the Third Day and Afterward

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A. Testimony of Angels
Matthew 28:1-8 - When the women came to the tomb, angels told them Jesus had been raised. (Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-7)

Besides the testimony of people, we have this testimony of angels that Jesus arose from the dead. This was miraculous of itself.

B. The Empty Tomb
One of the most important facts to be explained is the empty tomb. What happened to the body?

Mark 16:5-7 - The women entered the tomb and saw where the body had been laid. (Luke 24:3; John 20:11-13)

John 20:1-9 - Peter and John went into the tomb and saw it was empty (Luke 24:12). They saw the graveclothes and the headcloth, which had been folded. If Jesus had swooned and then awoke severely wounded, thirsty and hungry, seeking to evade the guards, why would He take time to fold the cloth before leaving?

Matthew 28:11-15 - The enemies explained the disappearance of the body by saying the disciples stole it while the guards slept (see earlier discussion).

If the guards were really asleep, how would they know what happened to the body? How did they know Jesus did not arise and walk out past them? Why should anyone accept the testimony of men regarding what happened while they slept?

But all this testimony, including that of Jesus' enemies, confirms that the tomb was empty!

If the appearances of Jesus were just hallucinations, the body would still be in the tomb. If the Jews still had the body of Jesus, why didn't they produce it and disprove the disciples' claims that He had arisen?

Any explanation for the events surrounding Jesus' death must account for the fact the tomb was empty and the body was missing!

C. The Appearances of Jesus
Acts 1:3 - Jesus presented Himself alive by many infallible proofs for a period of forty days. His appearances are the most important evidence to consider. Consider the evidence.

A list of the appearances
* Mary Magdalene - John 20:11-18; Mark 16:9-11 (note the other disciples did not believe her)

* Other women - Matthew 28:9,10 - They saw, touched, and heard Him.

* Two disciples on the road to Emmaus - Luke 24:13-35; Mark 16:12,13 - They saw and heard Him for a prolonged period. Again, the others did not believe them.

* Peter - Luke 24:34 (1 Cor. 15:5)

* All the apostles - He appeared to them on several occasions: Luke 24:36-43 - note that they saw, heard, and touched Him for prolonged periods; He ate in their presence. Again, they were skeptical and demanded proof. Mark 16:14-18; Matt. 28:16,17; John 20:19-23; 21:1-25; Acts 1:3-8; 10:39,41; 1 Cor. 15:5,7

* Thomas with the apostles - John 20:24-29 - He was skeptical till He saw, heard, and touched Jesus, including the wounds.

* Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-9; 22:4-15; 26:9-18; 1 Cor. 15:8,9 - He was an enemy and persecutor. At noon on an open highway, a light brighter than the noon sun appeared. Jesus spoke and identified Himself to be Jesus. Saul saw and heard Jesus to qualify him to be a witness of what he had seen and heard (i.e., an apostle - 22:14,15; 26:16). He was struck blind till Ananias came and restored his sight (9:8,9,18; 22:11-13).

* 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 - A summary list that adds James and an appearance to over 500 at one time, most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote.

* Jesus then ascended to heaven in the presence of the apostles - Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:50-53; Mark 16:19,20.

Then the apostles preached repeatedly that they were eyewitnesses of these events - Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33; 10:39-41; 13:30-32; 22:14,15; 26:16; 1 Cor. 15:3-8,15. All were persecuted and most gave their lives for this testimony, but none ever withdrew it, denied it, or retracted it.

Summary of the nature of the evidence
To evaluate the power of this evidence, consider:

* The number of appearances

* The number of witnesses

* The opportunity of the witnesses to observe Jesus: They saw, heard, and touched Him. They ate with Him. They spent long periods with Him. Some saw Him repeatedly.

* The consistency of the accounts - While some give details that others do not (as should be expected of honest witnesses), the accounts harmonize and support one another, instead of contradicting one another.

* The tone of the testimony - the witnesses were calm and rational, not excitable or irrational

* The skepticism of the witnesses - they were not gullible. They demanded evidence. They had not expected Jesus to die, let alone be raised. When he died, they gave up and had no hope for His resurrection. All of this contradicted their preconceived ideas.

* The nature of the witnesses - Some knew Him so well as to identify Him without mistake. One was an enemy who would never have claimed such an appearance without overwhelming proof.

* The honesty of the witnesses - All suffered persecution and most died for their testimony without retracting or compromising. Why do so, if they knew it was a lie?

* The records that have come to us were written by people who had personally witnessed these appearances (Matthew, John, Paul) or who had personally interviewed eyewitnesses (Luke, Mark). They were written while the witnesses were still alive and could be questioned (1 Cor. 15:6).

How can the alternative theories fit this evidence?

If the disciples stole the body, how could they make it appear alive to convince all these people they saw Jesus again? Why would they die for their lie? Why would they invent a story that was so completely contradictory to their expectations? They themselves did not believe the reports when they first heard of them.

Does the nature of the appearances fit an hallucination? Why would so many people see similar hallucinations, many of them at the same time? Does the tone of the testimony fit an hallucination? Do they sound gullible? Why would the skeptic Saul have such an hallucination?

Had Jesus merely swooned then awaken, how could He appear healthy enough to convince all these people He had been miraculously raised?

D. Other Confirming Miracles
The resurrection itself is not the only miracle to be considered in this study. Consider other miracles that accompanied either the resurrection itself or the preaching of the resurrection.

* Other people were raised and appeared to people when Jesus arose - Matt. 27:52,53

* The appearances of the angels who announced the resurrection - Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-7. These appearances themselves were miraculous, yet they accompanied Jesus' resurrection and announced it.

* The Day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-4,24,30-33 - The first time the apostles preached the resurrection, their message was confirmed when the Holy Spirit miraculously empowered them to speak many languages (tongues) they had never learned. They claimed that their ability to do this miracle proved Jesus had been raised (vv 32,33).

* The healing of the lame man - Acts 3:1-10,15; 4:10,14,16 - Peter and John instantaneously healed a man who had never walked in his forty years of life (4:22). Even their enemies had to admit the validity of this miracle. But the apostles used this miracle to confirm their testimony as witnesses of the resurrection.

* Appearances to Saul - When Jesus appeared, the light Saul saw was brighter than the noonday sun (Acts 26:13). Others saw the light and heard the voice but did not understand it (9:7: 22:9). Saul was struck blind till Ananias came and restored his sight (9:8,9,18; 22:11-13). These additional miracles confirmed to Saul and to others the reality of Jesus' appearance.

The purpose of miracles was to confirm a message/messenger to be from God (see introduction). Jesus and His apostles did many other miracles to confirm that their message was from God. The above miracles specifically confirmed the resurrection to be a miracle from God. Hence, miracles confirmed other miracles!

Conclusion
We have examined the evidence to be considered. We have shown how alternative theories contradict the testimony of the witnesses. The only conclusion that fits the evidence is that Jesus really did arise from the dead.

But each person must reach his own decision. To benefit from the resurrection, each person must:

* Hear the message about Jesus and His resurrection - Acts 13:37-39 (2:32,36-41).

* Believe in Jesus and the resurrection (and confess) - Romans 10:9,10; (Acts 2:32-39; 13:30-39; 1 Peter 1:21; Colossians 2:12).

* Repent of sins - Acts 2:32-39.

* Be baptized into Christ's death and resurrection - Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21 (Acts 2:32-39).

* Live a life of faithful obedience - 2 Corinthians 5:15; Colossians 3:1.

This response will lead to the promised inheritance of eternal life based on Jesus' resurrection - 1 Peter 1:3 (1 Cor. 15:12-23).

Evidences for God, Jesus, & the Bible

Ask Guide7:57 PM

What evidence or apologetics does the Christian religion offer as proof or reasons to believe that God exists, the Bible is God's inspired word, and Jesus Christ is the Divine Son of God? What are the origins of the Universe, earth, plants, animals, and people: Divine creation or evolution? Have Old Testament prophecies of nations, cities, and Christ been fulfilled? What about miracles and the resurrection as proofs for Jesus? What testimony was offered by Jesus Himself, God the Father, and John the Baptist? How does the evidence for Christianity compare to that of other world religions? Please consider this study of apologetics, evidences, and proofs of the Christian faith.
Introduction:
The Bible makes three fundamental claims:

1. The Bible claims that the God of the Bible exists and is the one true God.
Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Hebrews 11:6 - We must believe that God exists.

Deuteronomy 4:35,39; 6:4 - The God who claims to speak through the Bible is the one and only true God.

[See also Isaiah 43:10-13; 44:6-8,24; 45:5,6,14,18,21-23; 52:6; Matthew 4:10; 2 Samuel 7:22; 1 Chronicles 17:20; Exodus 20:3-6; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13-15; 32:39; Psalm 86:10; Zech. 14:9; Mark 12:29; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; James 2:19; 1 Timothy 2:5]

2. The Bible claims to be an inspired revelation of God's will.
2 Timothy 3:16,17 - The Scriptures are inspired by God to provide us with instruction in righteousness and every good work.

1 Corinthians 14:37 - Paul claimed that the things he wrote are commandments of the Lord.

[See also 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Ephesians 3:3-5; John 16:13; Matthew 10:19,20; Galatians 1:8-12; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Luke 10:16.]

3. The Bible claims that Jesus is God's Son.
John 20:26-31 - Jesus allowed Thomas to call him "my Lord and my God." To have eternal life, we must believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God.

John 4:42 - The Samaritans claimed Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.

Each person is responsible to consider whether or not these claims are true. This requires giving careful consideration to the evidence, such as is presented in this study. Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance.

If we conclude the claims are true, we are then responsible to learn to present the evidence to others - 1 Peter 3:15; Philippians 1:7,17.

It follows that all people, believers and unbelievers, need to carefully study the evidence for the claims of the Bible.

[See also John 1:1-3,14; 8:24; Luke 19:10; Matthew 16:15-18; 10:37; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:2,8,9; Philippians 2:5-8.]

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