Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection (John 20: 1-10)

Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection (John 20: 1-10)

 

1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulchre.

5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

 

Intro)

1. It is not an exaggeration to say that the most unbelievable part of the Bible, not just to the people of the world but for believers as well, is the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Those who doubt the Bible deny his resurrection, saying that Jesus fainted on the cross and woke up, or that his disciples hid the body and lied.

But there is so much evidence of resurrection in the Bible that it must be received as the unquestionable truth. Today we will take a look at the evidence of resurrection and ascension provided in the Bible.

Body)

A) Resurrection or ascension is an event that has happened many times in the Old Testament and a fulfillment of prophecy.

In Genesis, Enoch proved ascension.

Genesis 5:21-24, “21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

Jesus’ ascension is not impossible because it had already happened to Enoch. He walked with God for 300 years before he ascended.

 

Elijah also ascended in 2 Kings 2:10-11, “10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

 

Elisha was a witness to Elijah’s ascension and became twice as capable as Elijah the prophet, causing many miracles.

Through Job, it was also proved that there would be resurrection.
Job 19:23-26 “23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! 24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! 25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:” Job said, "When I die, I will see Jesus, the Son of God."

Psalm 22:16-21, “16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.”

Psalm 22 is David's prediction of the Crucifixion. It was written as if he were a newspaper reporter who had been watching the incident in full. He even prophesied that he would pluck out Jesus' clothes. Verse 21 says, “21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.” This unicorn horn, which was saved from death, means resurrection.

B) Jesus had already proved resurrection many times in his lifetime.
In Matthew 16, Jesus Christ had already told his disciples that he would go up to Jerusalem and be put to death by the elders, the chief priests, and the secretaries. To this Peter replies, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” (Matthew 16:21-23)

Matthew 17:23, “23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceedingly sorry.”

Matthew 26:1-2, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.”

Matthew 26:32, “32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.”

Luke 9:22, “22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.”

John 12:32-34 “32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. 34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?”

 

While Jesus was alive and working, Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead even though it was four days after Lazarus’s death, and the corpse had started to smell and rot. This was to show that Jesus was capable of resurrection. (John 11:38-54)

The Jews mobilized Roman soldiers to guard the tomb of Christ because he had told them many times before he died that he would be crucified and resurrected.

C) Jesus showed himself to many people in the 40 days after his resurrection.
1) He was seen by Mary Magdalene and other women.
John 20:14-18, “14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.”

Mark 16:9, “9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.”

 
Matthew 28:9-10, “9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

2) In Luke 24:29-35, Jesus appeared before two of his disciples traveling to Emmaus.

He also appeared before two disciples in Jerusalem.

Luke 24:38-39, “38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

He appeared before many other disciples.

John 20:19, “19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

 

Mark 16:14, “14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”

John 20:27, “27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my

hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”

3) He was also seen by 500 people on a mountain of Olive.
1 Corinthians 15:5-9, “5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ”

4) He also showed himself to Paul, who was persecuting Christians.
Acts 9:3-5, “3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

 
D) The disciples' consistent lives and dedication prove Jesus' resurrection was real.
The disciples who witnessed the resurrection were 13 including Paul. They all consistently demonstrated the gospel of resurrection. If the resurrection of the Lord is a lie, would all 13 disciples have been able to live out their lives proclaiming its truth? All the apostles except John were martyred, and any one of them could have confessed to lying in order to live. But none of them faltered in spreading the gospel of Jesus’ resurrection. If the resurrection was fiction, why would the disciples give their lives to a lie? Why would they have been so dedicated to spreading the gospel?
E) The resurrection of Christ is a testament to the Lord’s Day (Sunday).
The Lord’s Day (or Sunday) also attests to the resurrection of Jesus. Saturday is the Sabbath, the original day of worship for the Jewish people. But after the resurrection of Jesus, Christians abandoned the old “law” and kept the day of the resurrection as the day of worship. The Lord's Day is a day to celebrate the Savior and resurrection. No Roman government or outside authority forced Christians to keep this day. Those who witnessed the resurrection decided to keep Sunday as the Lord’s Day on their own accord.

Georges Bernanos, the author of the book “Dialogues des Carmélites” said,
"Christians cannot avoid the great suffering of death. But we can suffer with peace of mind."

German theologian, Rudolf Karl Bultmann said, "Christian churches started not from the cross, but from the resurrection." Churches were founded on resurrection, and the contents of the 'Evidence of the Apostles' were all also about the resurrection of Christ. The reason why the Church is so powerful and spirited as it is today is because of the resurrection of Jesus.

Con)

The resurrection of Jesus was an achievement of prophecy, which means the fulfillment of God's promise to abolish death. Finally, to end today’s sermon, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, “21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Hallelujah!

 

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