OceanSide church of Christ

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FACTS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Recently, we started a series entitled:  “Facts about the Resurrection of Christ.”

1.      In our first lesson, we looked at the following points:

a.      The meaning of “resurrection

b.      The resurrection and the New Testament

c.      The prophecies about the resurrection

d.      Jesus’ predictions about the resurrection

e.      The resurrection happened

2.      We want to continue with the second lesson of this series this morning.

 

B.     Christianity either rises or falls upon the resurrection of Christ.

1.      If Jesus was not raised, then nothing really matters.  He was just a man.

2.      If Jesus was raised, everything about Him matters.

 

I.                AT CHRIST’S RESURRECTION UNUSUAL THINGS HAPPENED

 

A.    There was a “great” earthquake (Matt. 28:2).

 

And, behold, there was a great earthquake…

 

1.      Great

a.      Strong (3173):  big        :- exceedingly

b.      Thayer:  great…in intensity and degree

2.      Large earthquakes are usually felt by many people.  We are not told, but we wonder how many felt that earthquake on that first day of the week?

 

B.     The stone was rolled from the door of the sepulchre.

1.      In Matthew 27:60, the stone is described as “a great stone.”  Mark 16:4 reveals that is was “very great.”

2.      The stone was so large that the women knew they could not move it themselves (Mark 16:3).

 

And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

 

3.      When they came to the tomb, however, the stone was rolled away (Luke 24:2).

 

And the found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

 

4.      The one who had moved the stone was “the angel of the Lord” (Matt. 28:2).

 

And, behold, there was a great earthquake:  for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

 

C.     The soldiers were overcome with fear.

1.      Soldiers had been placed at the tomb because the Jews remembered that Jesus had said that He would rise in three days (Matt. 27:62-66).

2.      Soldiers were well-trained fighting men.  They took their responsibilities seriously.  They were under threat of severe punishment if they did not fulfill their duties.

3.      When the angel appeared to roll the stone away, the keepers became extremely afraid (Matt. 28:4).

 

And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

 

D.    Some of the dead were resurrected at the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matt. 26:52-53).

 

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appear unto many.

 

1.      Saints, not wicked

2.      Many, not a few

3.      Appeared to many

 

E.     The appearance of angels at the tomb

1.      Angels are spirit beings.  There are thousands upon thousands of them.  However, they are invisible unless they manifest themselves to man.

2.      The gospel accounts:

a.      Matthew’s gospel tells how the angel of the Lord rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre (Matt. 28:2).

b.      Mark’s gospel reveals that the women entered into the sepulchre, and “they saw a young man sitting down on the right side, clothed in a long white garment” (Mark 16:5).

c.      Luke reveals that “two men stood by them in shining garments (Luke 24:4).

d.      John tells us that when Mary stooped to look inside, she saw “two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain” (John 20:10).

 

F.     The appearances of Jesus

1.      Jesus made a total of 11 different appearances after His resurrection.

2.      The first was to Mary Magdalene

a.      Mark 16:9

 

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.

 

b.      A more detailed account is found in John 20:11-18.

 

II.              JESUS ROSE THE THIRD DAY

 

A.    Jesus said that He would only be in the grave three days.  He taught this is several different ways.

1.      When asked of a sign by the Pharisees (Matt. 12:38-40).

 

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

 

2.      He taught it directly to His disciples (Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19).

 

From that time forth began Jesus to shew to his disciples, how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

 

3.      Building the temple in three days (John 2:19).

 

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

 

B.     There are many who confirm that Jesus was raised on the third day.

1.      The angels at the tomb (Luke 24:7)

2.      The two on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:21)

3.      Peter at the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:40)

4.      Paul to the Corinthians (I Cor. 15:4).

 

C.     An interesting Old Testament type

1.      Isaac is considered a type or a shadow of Jesus Christ.

2.      The event:

a.      Abraham was told to sacrifice his son on one of the mountains of Moriah (Gen. 22:1-3).

b.      The moment God commanded this of Abraham, Isaac died figuratively.

c.      When God stayed Abraham’s hand, the Bible says that Abraham “received him in a figure” (Heb. 11:19).  In essence, he was raised from the dead.

 

Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

 

d.      How long was Isaac dead?  Three days (Gen. 22:4)

 

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

 

D.    Some like to argue that Jesus did not stay in the tomb for an entire 72 hours.

1.      The total amount of hours was 26 to 27.

a.      Two to three hours on Friday.

b.      Twenty-four on Saturday.

c.      Maybe an hour on Sunday.

2.      The answer:  When the Jews counted time, part of a day was counted as a whole day.

a.      Two illustrations

1)     The birth of a child late in the day.  The day the child was born was counted a whole day.

2)     The period of mourning for the Jews was seven days beginning at the burial.  If the burial took place late in the day, it was still counted as the first day.

b.      Jesus was in the tomb for three days.

1)     Friday – day one

2)     Saturday – day two

3)     Sunday – day three

 

III.            JESUS ROSE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

 

A.    All four gospel writers note that Jesus was raised on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1).

 

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre…

 

B.     NOTE:  Nowhere in the New Testament are we commanded to keep the Sabbath.

 

C.     The early church did not worship on the Sabbath.  They worshipped on “the first day of the week.”

1.      Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1-2

2.      It is upon this day that we also worship.  On this day, we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3.      Truly, the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10).

 

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…

 

a.      A day DISTINGUISHED from all others.

b.      A day DEVOTED especially to the Lord.

c.      A day DEFINED by the most important day in the history of Jesus, the day He was raised from the dead.

4.      NOTE:  It is better to honor His resurrection every first day of the week instead of just remembering it one Sunday per year.

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    We are gathered here today because of the Lord’s resurrection.

 

B.     We will remember His death and anticipate His return.  All of this, however is made possible because He rose from the dead.

 

C.     It is sad that so few put importance upon a day that should be marked as the most important day in all of human history, the day Jesus rose from dead!!!