The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is one of the most
important doctrines in all of Christianity. If He had died and not
risen, then we would not have a Savior. A dead Savior cannot save!
But as the Bible attests, He is not dead, but
alive.
(Luke
24:1-9)
“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they,
and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the
spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away
from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the
Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about
this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then,
as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to
them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here,
but is risen!’ Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in
Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of
sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ And
they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told
all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.”
NKJV
Thankfully God raised Him from the
Dead. (Acts
13:30-34)
“But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by
those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His
witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings – that
promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us
their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also
written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten
You.’ And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to
corruption. He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of
David.’ ”
NKJV In
this lesson, we will look at what His resurrection proved as well as
the results of that resurrection.
Body:
I.
What His Resurrection Proved
·
Jesus was the Son of God. Read
Romans 1:3-4
“concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed
of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God
with power according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection
from the dead.”
NKJV His
resurrection confirmed that He was who He said He was. Jesus had
said that if they destroyed His temple [body], He would raise it up.
(John
2:19-21)
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three
days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken
forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in
three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”
NKJV
·
Jesus’ claims were true. He fulfilled every promise He ever made. He
is the “Faithful and True Witness.” He is completely reliable and
totally trustworthy.
·
The Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled. On Pentecost, the apostle
Peter quotes
Psalm 16:8-11. “I
have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I
shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and by glory
rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my
soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of
joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
NKJV (Acts
2:25-28)
“For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my
face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my
flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in
Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have
made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in
Your presence.’ ”
NKJV
He states Jesus’ resurrection was the fulfillment of that
prophecy. (Acts
2:29-32)
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch
David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to
this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn
with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the
flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he,
foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ,
that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see
corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all
witnesses.”
NKJV Later
the apostle Paul stated Jesus’ resurrection was also the fulfillment
of Old Testament
prophecy. (Acts
13:32-39)
“And we declare to you glad tidings – that promise which was made to
the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that
He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:
‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’ And that He raised Him
from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken this:
‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ Therefore He also says
in another
Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’ For
David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God,
fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; But He
whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to
you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the
forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified
from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of
Moses.”
NKJV
·
God has the power to raise our bodies one
day. (Romans
8:11)
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in
you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in
you.”
(John
5:28-29)
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are
in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have
done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done
evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
NKJV This
is said to be God’s
will. (John
6:39-40) “This
is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And
this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son
and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him
up at the last day.”
NKJV
II.
What His Resurrection Produced
·
It made Jesus our High Priest. (Hebrews
6:19-20) “This
hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and
which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has
entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
NKJV Hebrews 7:23-28, "Also there were many priests, because
they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He
continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He
is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through
Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For
such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the
heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer
up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for
this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law
appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the
oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been
perfected forever. " NKJV
Because
of this, He continues to intercede for us. (Romans
8:34)
“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is
also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes
intercession for us.”
NKJV
·
We are given forgiveness of
sins.
(Acts
5:30-32) “The
God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a
tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior,
to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His
witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God
has given to those who obey Him.”
NKJV
This is brought about by repentance and baptism. (Acts
3:26)
“To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to
bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
(I
Peter 3:21-22) “There
is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of
the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward
God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into
heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and
powers having been made subject to Him.”
NKJV Also
read
I Corinthians 15:12-19.
“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead,
how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not
risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and
your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of
God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom
He did not raise up – if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the
dead do not rise, them Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not
risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also
those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most
pitiable.”
NKJV
·
There is a coming
Judgment. (Acts
10:40-42) “Him
God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all
the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who
ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He
commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He
who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.”
NKJV His
resurrection shows He will be the one who judges us one day. (Acts
17:31)
“because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in
righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given
assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
NKJV
Conclusion:
It is a great joy to be serving a living Savior.
Bobby
Stafford
March 27, 2016
Video
MS
Word
