He Lives! 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

-
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Read it again. Take pause. Now believe it.

Thankfully, recent polls seem to show that an extreme majority of Americans actually believe Jesus was resurrected from death. Just last year, the Tulsa World reported that a 2010 Rasmussen Reports survey found that 78 percent of Americans believe Christ was raised from the dead, 10 percent don't believe it and 11 percent aren't sure. And a 2009 Harris poll put belief in the Resurrection at 70 percent.

But those numbers were down 10 points since 2003.

How sad. Paul reminds us here in Corinthians the importance of the resurrection. If you don't believe it, Paul implores you to come back to your senses, and to stop living in sin (1 Cor 15:34). If you don't believe it, your faith is futile, Paul reminds us (1 Cor 15:17). If Jesus call a rotting, stinking Lazarus (John 11) out of the tomb, if he could raise a man's daughter without even seeing her first (Matt 9:24), why couldn't he raise himself. He was God after all!

That's largely Paul's point.

Don't doubt the resurrection! Don't doubt the resurrection of the dead to come! Jesus raised himself from the dead! The perishable has become imperishable. Jesus is alive!

If you want evidence, check this out:

  • Jesus' resurrection was prophesied 700 years before his birth (Isaiah 53:8-12)
  • Jesus foretold his resurrection (Matt 12:38-40), Mark 8:31, John 2:18-22)
  • Jesus died (John 19:34-35)
  • Jesus was buried in a tomb that was easy to find (Isaiah 53:9, Matt 27:57-60)
  • Jesus appeared physically, not just spiritually (Matt 28:9, John 20:17-28, Luke 24:43, Acts 1:3, 1 Cor 15:5).
  • Jesus' resurrected body was the same as his pre-resurrected body (Luke 24:31)
  • Jesus' resurrection was recorded as Scripture shortly after it occurred (Mark 14:53-63)
  • Jesus' resurrection was celebrated in early church creeds (1 Cor. 15:3-4)
  • Jesus' resurrection convinced his family to worship him as God (John 7:5, Acts 12:17)
  • Jesus' resurrection was confirmed by his enemies (Phil 3:4-6)
  • And ... non-Christians, including Josephus, Suetonius and Pliny the Younger, recorded the historical facts.

Just believe.

Popular posts from this blog

Upon this rock ...

-
I don't need to comment on this post. I just need to share it. Upon this rock... which one? Matthew 16:18 is a problem for Lutherans and Roman Catholics.  Rome points to Peter and the Petrine office of the papacy.  Jesus is pointing to a man, rather a succession of men, whose primacy is, in their view, undisputed.  Lutherans insist that Peter may have been the voice but it is the confession that is the rock.  This faith is the rock upon which the Church is built -- not a man but the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Lutherans insist that this is affirmed in Jesus' own admonition that Peter did not confess this on his own but as the Father revealed it to Him.  Now surely this is a rather simplistic way of putting it and there are nuances on both sides that I have overlooked to put this into a brief paragraph. But allow me this for the moment.
Read more

It's not man's word: 1 Thessalonians 2:13

-
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. I have Christian friends who don't believe the Word of God. Do you believe? Think about that for a minute. Do you believe in God? Do you really believe the Word is from God? Do you believe the Word was God? Do you believe the Word was with God? (John 1:1-5). And that the Word became flesh? (John 1:14) Some people who call themselves Christians, don't believe. If they don't receive the word of God, if they say it is from men, that it is a human word, not the Word of God, then how can they call themselves Christian? It seems to me that is one of the points Paul is driving home in 1 Thessalonians 2:13. It is important because, what do we have without the Word of God? What we have are heresies taught by false prophets and greedy teachers. "We ar...
Read more

Voices

-
My wife doesn't write often enough. But years ago, she wrote this, which I found while looking through one of my old websites. I hope you enjoy it. Voices I never really listened to what I had to say If I had taken my own advice my life might've gone another way. I took on all the problems of those who couldn't cope I gave them all the answers I returned to them their hope. Though never did I realize that the words were meant for me I thought my problems were too big for all the world to see. But then one night I had a dream His face is what I saw He said to me “This is the way here's how to have it all.” “Listen to yourself” He said “The answers are within Within your soul I'll talk to you Truth shall you hear and happiness shall you win.” The moral of this poem is as simple as it is true The only one who has the answers is God listening, experiencing, acting they are all up to you. So listen to the Voice inisde when it says “Child, I love you” It's God ...
Read more