Posts Tagged ‘resurrection’

8 Truths About the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

April 6, 2026

I’m going to share a summary of my Resurrection Sunday sermon here. The title of the message is “8 Truths About the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.” There are infinite truths regarding the resurrection of Christ, so this is by no means an exhaustive list. These are in no particular order.

1. The Resurrection Proves that Jesus is the Son of God.

Rom 1:3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, Rom 1:4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (NKJV)

In this passage Paul declares the humanity and the deity of Christ. Concerning His humanity, Christ was born a descendant of Abraham and King David. Concerning His deity, Paul appeals to the resurrection as the objective proof. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he made mention of one post-resurrection appearance of Christ that involved over 500 witnesses.

1Co 15:6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. (NKJV)

This evidence alone would stand up in any legitimate court of law! In that same passage Paul describes his own post-resurrection encounter with Jesus Christ. We must not gloss over the fact that Paul was at one time the greatest enemy of the Church! What caused him to stop the persecuting and become a preacher? It was the resurrection that made all the difference! Christ’s resurrection vindicated Him as the Son of God. His sacrifice on Calvary was accepted as payment in full for our sins!

2. The Resurrection Proves that Jesus Christ Can Be Trusted

On numerous occasions, the Lord was asked for a sign to validate His Messianic credentials. On one such occasion, He uttered these words:

John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (NKJV)

He was speaking of His own body. They did not understand the reference and thought He was referring to Herod’s Temple. In John’s Gospel, the Lord revealed Himself as the “Good Shepherd.” He is that Good Shepherd because He was willing to lay His life down for the sheep. Listen carefully to His words:

Joh 10:17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. Joh 10:18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (NKJV)

The Cross was not a tragedy of unforeseen circumstances. It was a tremendous accomplishment instead! Every moment of Jesus’ earthly life (including the details of His death and burial) was under His Divine direction. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord predicted no less than three times what was going to happen to Him.

Mat 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (NKJV)

Mat 17:23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up. And they were exceedingly sorrowful. (NKJV)

Mat 20:19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again. (NKJV)

3. The Resurrection Proves that Bible Prophecy Can Be Trusted

We often think of David as merely a king. The Apostle Peter declared that King David was also a prophet (Acts 2:30). On the Day of Pentecost Peter quoted two prophecies from David as proof of Christ’s resurrection. Interestingly, they are both from the book of Psalms. They are listed below.

Psa 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (NKJV)

Psa 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord,”Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (NKJV)

Additionally, the Lord appealed to the narrative of Jonah as a type of His own resurrection. He also affirms that the story of Jonah is not merely an allegory for children’s church (Matt 12:40).

4. The Resurrection Proves That the Believer’s Future Resurrection is Guaranteed

Paul wrote to the bereaved in Thessalonica. Some were concerned that their deceased loved ones might miss out on the rapture/resurrection. He offered them these words of comfort:

1Th 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (NKJV)

Paul is so certain of the resurrection of believers that he uses the word “sleep” as a euphemism for the believer’s physical death!

To the Corinthians, Paul uses the analogy of the Feast of Firstfruits:

1Co 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (NKJV)

This reference hearkens back to Leviticus 23 and the feasts of the Lord. In His death on Calvary, Christ became our Passover. His sinless sacrifice fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread (see I Cor 5:7 to see how Paul applies the concepts). In chapter 15 of First Corinthians Paul appeals to the Feast of Firstfruits. This was always on the first day of the week (Sunday). This is why we find all the Gospel writers telling us that Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week. The application for believers is obvious. The concept of firstfruits anticipates a great harvest at a later time. Christ is the First to rise from the dead, and now our resurrection is guaranteed!

5. The Resurrection Proves that Jesus Christ Will One Day Judge the World!

In the Gospels, we read that the future Judgment Day has been appointed to the Son. There are those who embrace the idea that there are many paths to God. Those who believe this will be in for a terrible surprise when they discover it is Jesus Christ who will be their ultimate Judge.

Joh 5:21  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 
Joh 5:22  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 
Joh 5:23  that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 
Joh 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 
Joh 5:25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 
Joh 5:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 
Joh 5:27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. (NKJV)

Those who say that Jesus never claimed to be God have clearly never read the scriptures. This one passage alone reveals strong statements of Christ’s deity. The Son gives life to whom He will. The Father has committed all judgment to the Son! The Son is to be honored just as the Father! The Son will give the decree for every man to come out of his/her grave for judgment! The resurrection proves that God the Father has vindicated the statements of Jesus Christ. We discover this in Paul’s sermon in Athens.

Act 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)

6. The Resurrection Proves that Jesus Christ is a Permanent High Priest

In the Law of Moses there were certain criteria for becoming a priest. It wasn’t something you could go to school for and get a degree. You had to be a male from the tribe of Levi. Under the Old Testament paradigm, the priesthood rested within the tribe of Levi (Num 3:5-10), and the monarchy within the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:10). The New Testament reveals that there has now been a change in the priesthood. This was predicted (ironically, again by King David) back in the book of Psalms.

Psa 110:4 The LORD has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” (NKJV)

David predicted that the Messiah would be a King and a Priest (something that was forbidden under the Law of Moses). Furthermore, this priesthood would not be according to the order of Aaron (Levi). Instead, this Priest would be after the order of Melchizedek. The book of Genesis offers no genealogical information regarding Melchizedek, who was both a king and a priest. The writer of Hebrews picks up on this theme and offers tremendous exposition. For the sake of time, we will look at only one verse.

Heb 7:25 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. (NKJV)

The Bible tells us that Christ came from the tribe of Judah (not Levi). This lets us know that the Law of Moses is now obsolete (Heb 8:13). Furthermore, Christ’s priesthood is superior because He is alive forevermore! The Levitical priests were not able to serve forever because they were mere mortals! The resurrection gives Christ an eternal priesthood! This is great news for those of us who need grace and mercy each and every day!

7. The Resurrection Proves There is Power for the Christian Life

There are three tenses of salvation for the believer. The first stage is justification. This is when the sinner is “declared righteous” by placing their trust in the finished work of Christ. In that sense he/she has “been saved.” The final stage is glorification. None of us has achieved that status (though I’ve met a few who were under that impression). Justification delivers us from the penalty of sin. Glorification delivers us from the presence of sin (oh how I look forward to that day!). The “middle tense” of our salvation is what we call sanctification. That includes delivering us from the power of sin.

Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (NKJV)

This doesn’t mean that any of us are incapable of sinning. It does mean that we have power to resist temptation when it comes. Paul would later say that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in every believer!

Rom 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. (NKJV)

8. The Resurrection Proves That the Believer Has a Glorious Future

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, your best days are ahead of you…not behind you! As we get older, we realize that we can’t do some of the things we used to be able to do. Some have discovered that the “golden years” aren’t so golden after all! It’s easy to become discouraged when health fails and we think of the regrets of the past. With rose-colored glasses we fondly recall “the good ole’ days.” The Bible sets forth a much different perspective. Notice what Peter says:

1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1Pe 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 1Pe 1:5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (NKJV)

The Apostle Peter described our hope as a “living” hope. All the world can offer is a fading hope. The resurrection of Christ gives us that living hope. We no longer need to fear the sting of death. We don’t have to worry about losing everything the moment we draw our last breath. We have an inheritance and a wonderful future yet to be revealed! As we close, it’s important to remember the biblical concept of hope is much stronger than the earthly concept. The hope we typically speak of is more like “cautious optimism.” The biblical definition of hope has much more to do with confident assurance! I will leave you with words I often share with our local congregation. If you’re a believer in Christ…the best is yet to come!

All of this is true because of the resurrection of Christ. He is risen…He is risen indeed!

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The “Three Days and Three Nights” Conundrum

April 3, 2026

As we come to the end of Passion Week, we are reminded of the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross. So solemn was the occasion that the Father allowed all of Creation to experience darkness for three hours.

Mat 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. (KJV)

It seems fitting that the Creation should not be allowed to look at the Creator as He bore the sins of the entire world during that time. We know that He was there in our place, experiencing the wrath of God for sins He had never committed (2 Cor 5:21). Over time, this day has been commemorated as “Good Friday” by many. Others maintain that it was impossible for Christ to die on Friday and rise on Sunday. This logic stems from one of Jesus Christ’s statements regarding his death, burial, and resurrection.

Mat 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (NKJV)

To be fair, a wooden/literal interpretation of this verse seems to indicate 72 full hours in the tomb for Christ. However, there are many scriptures that are clear that Christ arose on the third day (not the fourth!). For the sake of brevity (and consistency), let’s limit them to the Gospel of Matthew. We shall list a few of them below:

Mat 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (NKJV)

Mat 17:23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up. And they were exceedingly sorrowful. (NKJV)

Mat 20:19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again. (NKJV)

It is clear that the Lord Jesus predicted that He would rise on the third day. Even His enemies interpreted His words in a similar fashion. Let’s look at what they had to say:

Mat 27:62  On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 
Mat 27:63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 
Mat 27:64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So, the last deception will be worse than the first.” (NKJV)

It is noteworthy that neither Jesus nor His enemies anticipated a resurrection from the dead on the fourth day, which a 72-hour period of entombment would require. So, how do we reconcile the seemingly contradictory statement regarding Jonah and the great fish? To those that hold to a wooden literal interpretation of Matthew 12:40, they are forced to move the crucifixion to either Wednesday or Thursday. We just discussed the problem with a Wednesday crucifixion. That puts the resurrection on the fourth day. Others are dogmatic that Thursday is the day of the crucifixion. Many among those, view “Good Friday” as nothing more than another extra-biblical tradition included by the Catholic church.

The church fathers held to a Friday crucifixion and all four gospels agree on Sunday as Resurrection Day. The idea of a Thursday crucifixion is a relatively modern concept. Here is a quote from the late John MacArthur regarding the passage in question (Matt 12:40):

“Three days and three nights” meant “three days” emphatically, and by Jewish reckoning would express aptly a period of time that included three days—in whole or part. Thus, if Christ was crucified on a Friday and if His resurrection occurred on the first day of the week (Sunday), by Hebrew reckoning this period corresponds to “three days and three nights.”
All sorts of elaborate schemes have been devised to suggest that Christ might have died on a Wednesday or Thursday, just to accommodate a modern, extremely literal understanding of these words. But the original meaning does not require this wooden interpretation.”

It is inconceivable that Matthew would have given contradictory information within his own account of the Gospel. This is especially the case when you consider his primary audience was Jewish. Matthew’s goal is to demonstrate to his people (the Jews) that Jesus is indeed the King they had long been looking for. With that in mind, we should consider the possibility that the phrase “three days and three nights” might have a shade of meaning other than the wooden literal interpretation. Let’s look at a passage in the book of Esther.

The evil ruler Haman had forced the King Ahasuerus to make a decree that all of the Jews in the Persian empire should be annihilated. This decree was made known unto Esther. Upon learning of all this, she gave specific instructions to Mordecai.

Est 4:16 Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so, I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (NKJV)

Esther’s plea was that fasting was to be done for essentially “three days and three nights.” In the next chapter we read:

Est 5:1 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house. (NKJV)

This understanding is consistent with the quote earlier by Dr. MacArthur. The expression does not demand a twenty-four-hour period. It is also helpful to understand the Jewish reckoning of days and nights. Have you ever noticed the peculiar expression in the early Genesis Creation account that reads, “the evening and the morning were the (first/second/third/etc.) day”? “Good Friday” as it is called, actually began at sundown on Thursday. The Lord died on Friday, but technically the previous night is included. That would be day and night one. Sundown Friday began day two, which includes Friday night and Saturday during the day. Day three starts at sundown on Saturday and goes into Sunday. Understanding this information resolves potential conflicts.

(Answers in Genesis has a helpful article and chart here: https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/resurrection/three-days-and-nights/ )

This article is not intended to produce controversy and strife. The Bible warns against judgmental and divisive attitudes about the observance of holy days and festivals. Let’s look at a few of the reminders from the New Testament:

Rom 14:5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 
Rom 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. (NKJV)

Col 2:16  So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 
Col 2:17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. (NLT)

So, whether we choose to observe “Good Friday” or not, we should all be mindful of our Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. The Cross was not the end of the story…Sunday’s coming!

(If you would like to explore this topic more in depth, I would highly recommend Dr. Harold Hoehner’s masterpiece, “Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ” https://a.co/d/04j2P1JL . He concludes that Jesus Christ died on Friday April 3, A.D. 33)

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God’s “Good News”

April 20, 2025

For my Resurrection Sunday sermon, I preached from the opening greeting of Paul’s letter to the Romans. The first seven verses of Romans comprise one long sentence. We will look at a few individually.

Rom 1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 

Paul says three things about himself. It’s interesting that he first refers to himself as a servant (doulos in the Greek which means a bondservant or slave). The Romans would readily understand this term because there were millions of slaves in the Roman empire. It was not something to be desired. The Jews might possibly think of Abraham, Moses, or David who were all called “servants” of the LORD. In any event, Paul saw himself as one indebted to Another who had paid a great price for his soul.

Next, he identified himself as an apostle. There were at least two qualifications for an apostle. An apostle had to have seen the risen Lord (I Cor 9:1). An apostle had to be directly called by the Lord to be an apostle (Acts 9:15, I Cor 15:8). Evidently, the apostles were endowed with the ability to do miraculous signs as well (2 Cor 12:12).

Finally, Paul identifies as one who is separated unto the gospel of God. Paul understood separation. As a Pharisee (the term literally means “separate”) he had been separated unto Judaism and the traditions of the elders. His life was consumed with it. He spent his younger years furiously persecuting the Church (Gal 1:13,14). But, one day he met the risen Lord. When he did, he was no longer separated as a Pharisee, he was separated unto the gospel!

Notice Paul refers to it as the “gospel of God.” The Greek word for gospel is euaggelion (pronounced yoo-ang-ghel’-ee-on). Outside of biblical usage, it was used to announce the victory of a sovereign or the arrival of a new king. The word literally means “good news.” But this is not any ordinary news… it’s God’s Good News!

Rom 1:2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 

The next thing Paul discloses, is that the Gospel is not “new news”, it was all over the Old Testament scriptures. Psalm 2:7 and Proverbs 30:4 revealed that God has a Son. The coming of a redeemer was first disclosed in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:15). God told Abraham that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen 12:3). David predicted that the Messiah would be crucified (Psa 22) and that the Messiah would rise from the dead (Psa 16:10). Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would suffer, die, be buried in a rich man’s tomb, and rise again! (Isa 52-53)

Rom 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Paul says that this “Good News” is all concerning, or about God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord! All of the Old Testament scriptures pointed to Jesus. Christ revealed this to His apostles after the resurrection (Luke 24:27). All of the types and shadows, the blood sacrifices, the feasts, they all pointed to the finished work of Christ.

Paul then speaks of Christ’s humanity. He was fully God and fully man. He was a descendant of King David. The New Testament opens with Jesus Christ’s connection to David (Matt 1:1) and it ends with the same (Rev 22:16). God had promised David that one of his descendants would be an Eternal Son who would reign forever (2 Sam 7:12-13). In His humanity, Jesus came in meekness and was crucified and buried. When He comes again to rule and reign, it will be much different!

Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Notice that Paul said Christ was “declared” to be the Son of God. He didn’t “become” the Son of God at the resurrection, but He was declared as such with power. Jesus had already revealed that no man had the power to take His life from Him.

John 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 
John 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 

John records an event at the first Passover of Jesus’ ministry. In Jerusalem He cleansed the Temple, which had become a corrupt place of merchandise. The religious leaders were indignant and demanded that Jesus provide a sign to show His authority to do such things. He made a curious statement.

John 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 

As is typical in the Gospel of John, the people misunderstood spiritual things and confused them with natural. They thought He was talking about Herod’s Temple. But He was talking about His own body! So, when He rose from the grave that was a powerful declaration of His Deity. Evidently, the chief priests and Pharisees finally figured it out and took the issue seriously. This we read at the end of Matthew’s Gospel:

Mat 27:62  Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 
Mat 27:63  Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 

They requested the tomb be made secure, sealed, and guarded with Roman soldiers. Even that wasn’t enough to stop the Son of God from coming out of that tomb victorious! Over 500 people saw Jesus in a resurrected body (I Cor 15:6). That kind of eyewitness testimony would stand in any legitimate court of law! All the religious leaders had to do was produce a corpse. That would have stopped the movement immediately, and Jesus of Nazareth would have vanished into history as an imposter. Instead, His followers would turn the world upside down…before most of them died a martyr’s death. His “Good News” would go into all the world as it is today. Have you received and believed God’s Good News? I’ll leave you with the words of the apostle.

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 
1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 
1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 
1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

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