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Jesus Christ - The Resurrection

The bodily resurrection of Christ is the cardinal doctrine of the Faith. If Jesus is not raised, not much else really matters. Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” I think that verse encapsulates the importance of this doctrine and the risk one who would deny it takes.

 What’s the importance of the resurrection?
(1) If it didn’t happen then Christianity is just another false religion, it has no validity (1 Cor. 15:17).(2) Since it did happen, it proves that God was satisfied with the Son’s sacrifice. His payment for sin was sufficient and complete.
(3) The sending of the Holy Spirit necessitated the resurrection (John 16:7).
(4) For the fulfillment of prophesy. David had long before prophesied the resurrection of the Son of God (Ps. 16:10) and according to Peter His resurrection fulfilled that prophecy. Jesus Himself had prophesied not only about His death but about His resurrection as well (Matt. 16:21; Mark 14:28).

What is the evidence of His resurrection?
(1) The empty tomb. There are only three options for the empty tomb: a) His body was stolen by His enemies. We know this is not true or they would have produced the body later to squash the resurrection claims of the apostles. b) His disciples stole the body. We know this isn’t true either because it would have been impossible for them to do this since Roman soldiers were standing guard at the tomb, a tomb that had been sealed with the Roman seal. c) He rose from the dead as the both Christ and the Scriptures had declared He would.
(2) How could He be removed from the linen He was wrapped in and the linen still retain the shape of His body and His headpiece be folded up and separate from the linen? (John 20:7, 8).
(3) His appearances (Matt. 28:1-10; Luke 24:13-35; 1 Cor. 15:5-8).
(4) His followers. How does one refute the fact that those who have trusted Him as their Lord and Savior from the days of Christ to the present, are people whose lives have been completely transformed? The fact of the resurrection makes all the difference. As an example, look at the difference between the Peter of Acts 2 and the Peter of John 19.
(5) The Church. The Church exists because of the certainty of the resurrection. It was through the preaching of the resurrection that the early church grew (Acts 2:24-32; 3:15; 4:2).

He rose with the same body He had before He died (though glorified), the crucifixion scars were visible to those to whom He appeared. He ate and talked with the disciples and even asked Thomas to touch Him so all doubt would be removed.

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