Jesus is Risen! and what that means for you and me

Goal

To understand, and be filled with joy
at the range of blessings that come to us
through the resurrection of Jesus!

Jesus is Risen! and what that means for you and me

1. The Truth that Surpasses all others in importance
2. Fruit: I am life! Come to me!
3. Fruit: Reasons and motivation for everything
4. Fruit: Union—You are joined to me

Basic Provable Facts

1. The Death of Jesus by Crucifixion
2. After Jesus’ Death, his Disciples had Experiences that they believed were appearances of the risen Jesus
3. An eminent scholar named Saul of Tarsus had an experience that he believed to be an appearance of the risen Jesus
4. Early Proclamations of the Resurrection
5. The Resurrection was the Central Proclamation of the Early Church

Virtually unanimous agreement on the death of Jesus

• The 3 best known “anti-Christian” Biblical scholars

1. Bart Ehrman, book: Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth (2012)

• Claims “skeptics who are NOT trained might doubt that Jesus died on the cross”
  ”It is as well established as any fact in the ancient world”
• Lists 11 independent sources for Jesus’ death by crucifixion

2. John Dominic Crossan
   • Claims the death of Jesus is as well-established as any fact
3. Marcus Borg
   • Claims the fact that Jesus died (as a political rebel) is well-established

Heart of the N.T. Gospel message
Romans 10:9

“...That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.”

1. Alexander the Great

• None of the major works on Alexander were written less than 300 years after his death (~323 B.C.)
• 2 main biographies of Alexander (400- 450 years after his death)
  • Arrian- The Anabasis of Alexander
  • Plutarch- Life of Alexander

What Christians have

• The Death of Jesus (Ground Zero) 30/33 A.D.
• Paul writes 1 Corinthians 54–55 A.D.

2. Major new book promoting Buddhism

• Starts with the admission: “Unlike Christians, we Buddhists don’t have
• The words of their Lord
• The words of those who heard from their Lord
• The words of those, who heard from those, who heard from their Lord”
• The first extended sources come 300–500 years after his death

3. Emperor Tiberius

• First sources come ~ 80+ years after his death, from:
• Tacitus, a Roman historian
• Suetonias
• The best written source is 180 years after

1 Cor 15, written 54–55 A.D.

1. Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand,
2. and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you — unless you believed in vain.
3. For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received — that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
4. and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,
5. and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

“I am the way” Not just my teachings!

• Jesus didn’t just say “My words are the way to life”
• He said “I am the life”
• Come to me and through me you will have fullness of hope, joy and life
• “I am the way, the truth and the life” John 14:6
• There is no other

Come to me

• Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mat 11:28
• …come to me that you may have life. John 5:40
• …whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37
• …Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. John 7:37

Jesus has really been raised.
therefore, his teachings are true!

• Why do you believe the Bible is God’s Word?
• Why should I love my enemies?
• Why should I live for the Kingdom?
• Why should I not worry about physical possessions?

Ethics & the Resurrection

• …If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die 1 Cor 15:32

1 Corinthians 15 & 16

52. …we will all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
58. …Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1. Now concerning the collection for the [ poor in Jerusalem]
3. …when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve to carry your gift with a letter to Jerusalem.

The Centrality of the Resurrection
by Richard Gaffin

• All we now have and will enjoy as Christians comes through our unity with the risen Lord Jesus
• A new hope & a new identity

Our Hope

1. John 14: 19- Jesus says, “Because I live, you will live also”
2. 1 Cor. 6:14 / 2 Cor. 4:14- Paul says God raised Jesus from the dead and will, therefore, raise his believers also
3. Phil 3:21- Paul says God will change our lowly bodies to be like Jesus’ glorious body
4. 1 John 3:2- John says we shall see Christ as he is and we shall be like him

1 Corinthians 15: 55–57

“O Death, where is your sting?
O Grave), where is your victory?’
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.”