THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION
April 19 & 20, 2003

Matthew 28: 1-7

Introduction

• Resurrection: anastasis-"to stand again"
• The earliest written account of the resurrection is found in 1 Cor. 15:3-8
  To Peter
  To the twelve
  To more than 500
  To James
  To Paul
• The preaching of the resurrection was a central theme in the preaching of the early church
• Acts 25:19-Festus presenting the case of the Jews against Paul to King Agrippa.
  ...but they (the Jews) simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.

• Demythologizing Easter
  1. No Easter bunnies in the Bible
  2. No Easter Eggs
  3. No Easter parades
  4. Easter isn't about new hats and clothes

I. THE RESURRECTION IS A FACT OF HISTORY
A. The historical evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is overwhelming
B. It still comes down to a matter of faith
C. The Bible says it was evidenced by many convincing proofs
Acts 1:3
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

D. Jesus was seen and heard by over 500 people during the 40 days He remained on the earth
E. But it still boils down to a matter of faith

II. THE RESURRECTION IS A FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY
A. Foretold by the Prophets
Psalm 16:10
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

B. Foretold by Jesus Himself
Matthew 20:19
"…and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up."

C. The resurrection was necessary to fulfill Scripture
Luke 24:45-46
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,

III. THE RESURRECTION IS A COMPLETION OF THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN SALVATION
A. The whole of Jesus' life was a part of the redemptive process
1. His virgin birth
2. His sinless life
3. His death on the cross
4. His resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:12-17
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?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

5. His ascension into heaven to be seated at the Father's right hand
IV. THE RESURRECTION IS THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL
Philippians 3:10
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

A. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us
B. It is only through this power that we can live the Christian life
C. This power is available-The Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)
V. THE RESURRECTION IS THE PROMISE OF THINGS TO COME
A. The resurrection is a proof of life after death. Man was created to be an eternal being; the resurrection only proves that the physical body will once again live.
B. When Jesus' physical body died His Spirit and soul lived on.
1. He ascended into heaven to present the finished work of redemption to the Father
2. He descended into hell to set the captives free
3. Early on Sunday morning the Holy Spirit moved on His physical body and life returned and He came forth from the grave
C. This life is not all there is-we all have been created eternal beings
1. Through faith in Jesus we will live eternally in heaven-even if we die before He comes, there will be a resurrection of our physical bodies to eternal life
2. By rejecting Him we choose to live eternally in hell-there will also be a resurrection for those who aren't saved-a resurrection to eternal separation from God in a place prepared for the devil and his angels
Conclusion
1. The resurrection is a fact of history
2. Through the resurrection we are given the power to live the Christian life
3. Each of us has a choice-resurrection to life eternal or to eternal separation from God
4. We proclaim with the angel as he spoke to the Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as they stood before the empty tomb...

"He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." HALLELUJAH!!!

And now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

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