The Resurrection of Jesus
Matthew 28:1-8
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is proof beyond any doubt that He is the Christ, the Son of The Living God. Here are six facts that prove the resurrection.
1. The resurrection was recorded by four different authors, yet each account harmonizes perfectly. See Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20.)
2. There were many eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrected body. He appeared to a variety of people—including a group of 500 at once! (See 1 Corinthians 15:3-9; Luke 24:13-35.)
3. The resurrection accounts include details that one would not have included in a fabricated story, like the fact that women were the first witnesses. In that day's culture, a woman's testimony was not considered valid evidence. (See Matthew 28:1-10; John 20:11-18.)
4. It was a fulfillment of prophecies made hundreds of years before the event (See Isaiah 53; Psalm 22:14-18; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 16:10.)
5. Jesus' half-brother, James, was converted from a skeptic to a disciple. (See Mark 3:21, 31; 1 Corinthians 15:7; James 1:1.)
6. It radically transformed the disciples. (Perhaps the strongest case for the resurrection) The disciples were all willing to die a martyr's death for the gospel. They had nothing to gain from fabricating the story. Even when facing death, they did not cease to preach the truth (See Mark 14:50; Acts 5:17-41; Philippians 3:4b-11.)
If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, you need to obey the gospel! I’d love to help you learn how to do that. If you’d like to have a Bible study or if you have questions. Please let me know!
I’d like to invite you to worship with us at Blue Springs Church of Christ this Sunday at 10am and 6pm! We are located at 6859 Sand Springs Road, Mount Vernon, KY 40456
- Eric Bullock, Evangelist
