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Introduction: ACTS 2:37Now when they heard this, they were
pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, "Brethren,
what shall we do?“ o
WHAT AN IMPORTANT QUESTION! o
BUT…LET’S TALK TODAY ABOUT POSSIBLY A MORE IMPORTANT
QUESTION… WAS
JESUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD? Discussion: o
Rom 1:4…who was declared the Son of God
with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to
the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord… o
1 Peter 3:21…And corresponding to that,
baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh,
but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ… o
1 Peter 1:3…Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused
us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead… o
Acts 17:31…because He has fixed a day in
which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man
whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by
raising Him from the dead. “ o
1 Corinthians 15:20 & 23…But
now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits
of those who are asleep… But each in his own order: Christ the
first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming. HOWEVER…IF JESUS WAS NOT RAISED,
THEN… o
HE IS NOT DECLARED THE SON OF GOD… o
BAPTISM CANNOT SAVE… o
WE ARE NOT BORN AGAIN & HAVE NO HOPE… o
A DAY OF JUDGMENT WILL NOT HAPPEN… o
CHRISTIANITY HAS NO VALIDITY! Matt 27:57-60…And
when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named
Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This
man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate
ordered it to be given over to him. And
Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and
laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock;
and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and
went away.
WHAT
WAS THE MOST PRECIOUS THING ON EARTH AT THIS TIME? IT
WAS HIS BODY! o
IT MUST BE PRESERVED… o EVIDENCE…ITS CONDITION PROTECTED… Matt 27:62-66…Now
on the next day, which is the one after the preparation, the chief
priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said,
"Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver
said, 'After three days I am to rise again.' "Therefore,
give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day,
lest the disciples come and steal Him away and say to the people,
'He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse
than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it as
secure as you know how." And
they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they
set a seal on the stone. Matt 28:1-8…Now
after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the
week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
And behold, a severe
earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from
heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And
his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as
snow; and the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead
men. And the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be
afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been
crucified. "He
is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the
place where He was lying. "And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen
from the dead; and behold, He is going before you into Galilee,
there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." And
they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and
ran to report it to His disciples. THE BODY IS GONE!
EXPLANATION? IS IT POSSIBLE THAT…JESUS HAD NOT DIED? THE EVIDENCE o
EVENTS OF THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION… o
THE NEXT DAY BEFORE PILATE… o
THE MOCKING…MT 27:26, 28, 31, 35… o
ON THE CROSS…”I THIRST”…PIERCING HIS SIDE CONCLUSIONS…
EVIDENCE…
BUT
LET’S SLOW DOWN… LUKE 24:36-43…And
while they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their
midst. But they were
startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a
spirit. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do
doubts arise in your hearts? "See
My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a
spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."
[And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and
His feet.] And while
they still could not believe it for joy and were marveling, He
said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and
He took it and ate it before them. LUKE 24:44-45…Now
He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to
you while I was still with you, that all things which are written
about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must
be fulfilled." Then
He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, o
THINK OF WHAT THIS MEANT TO HIS DISCIPLES! o
WHO ELSE COULD HAVE DONE THIS, BUT OUR LORD! YES…IT
IS JESUS!!! JOHN 20:24-5…But
Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when
Jesus came. The other
disciples therefore were saying to him, "We have seen the
Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I shall see in His
hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place
of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not
believe."
JOHN 20:26-9…And
after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with
them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their
midst, and said, "Peace be with you."
Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here your
finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it
into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing."
Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him,
"Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are
they who did not see, and yet believed." QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WITNESSES?
o
IF ONLY 1, MAYBE 2, BUT NOT HIS MANY FOLLOWERS.
o
DOING IT TO SAVE FACE… o
SEEKING FAME, ATTENTION… o
NO, THEY DIED FOR THEIR TESTIMONY… o
TAUGHT & PERSUADED MANY IN THAT DAY &… o
CONTINUE TO DO SO TODAY o
SONG 167…WE SAW THEE NOT! Conclusion: FINAL QUESTIONSo
HAVE YOU ASKED…WHAT MUST I DO? o HAVE YOU MADE THAT GREAT CONFESSIONS & OBEYED GOD?
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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