The Infallible Proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Title: The Infallible Proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Speaker: Ptr. Reland Francisco
Scripture Focus: Acts 1:3

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very foundational doctrine of the New Testament. Mentioned more than 104 times in the New Testament, this momentous event distinguishes our faith from every other belief system in the world. Christianity is the only religion with a living originator. While the founders of other religions, like Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or secular ideologies like Communism, are dead and buried, Jesus Christ is a living Savior. The boast and glory of Christianity is the empty tomb. As the marker in Israel reminds us, “He is not here: for he is risen.” Death has no power over Him.

The Foundational Importance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

What if the Resurrection of Jesus Christ never happened? The Apostle Paul answers this directly in his letter to the Corinthian church. If Jesus did not rise from the grave, we are of all men most miserable. Our faith would be vain, and we would remain dead in our sins.

“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:16-19, KJV)

If He had not risen, we would be lost for all eternity. But we have good news; He is alive! Jesus Himself foretold this exact sequence of events while He was still ministering with His disciples.

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” (Matthew 16:21, KJV)

Because the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is true, Jesus is indeed the Son of God. It is the greatest of all miracles. While He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, raising Himself from the dead is the supreme miracle upon which all others stand.

Examining the Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

It is good and wise to examine our faith. We must not be ignorant but should carefully search the Scriptures and know the foundation of what we believe. Here are the undeniable proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1. The Empty Tomb and the Testimony of Angels

The empty tomb is the ultimate proof. When the women came early in the morning, they did not find the body. It is remarkably significant that God chose angels to be the first witnesses of the empty tomb. Why did He use angels? By their very nature, angels do not lie. Handing this testimony first to an angel removed any doubt or speculation that the disciples might have fabricated the story.

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:5-6, KJV)

The angel reminded them of what Jesus spake in Galilee:

“Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” (Luke 24:5-7, KJV)

2. Gatherings After the Resurrection

After the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, He appeared and talked with many individuals. He was seen by Mary, Peter, Cleopas, and Thomas. In legal terms, the abundance of witnesses is sufficient to convince anyone that Jesus is alive. He ate and drank with them, and shewed His wounds to His friends. These interactions proved He was physically present, not a spirit or illusion.

3. Seen by Over 500 Brethren

The Apostle Paul records that Jesus appeared to a massive crowd.

“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.” (1 Corinthians 15:6, KJV)

If hundreds of people saw Him at the same time, this removes any possibility of an isolated hallucination.

4. Appearances to Stephen and Paul

Even after His ascension, the Lord continued to reveal Himself. During his martyrdom, Stephen looked up and saw Him:

“And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56, KJV)

Later, on the road to Damascus, the Lord appeared to Saul (who became Paul), a man intent on destroying the church. Jesus asked, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest” (Acts 9:5, KJV). When you persecute the church, you are persecuting Christ Himself. This powerful encounter transformed Paul into one of the greatest apostles.

5. Forty Days of Infallible Proofs

The Book of Acts summarizes these testimonies beautifully, declaring that His appearances were backed by infallible proofs.

“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:” (Acts 1:3, KJV)

For forty days, Christ walked the earth, proving without a shadow of a doubt that He was alive.

Debunking Myths Regarding the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Throughout history, skeptics have tried to explain away the empty tomb. Let us look at how absurd these false theories are:

• The Fraud Theory: Some claim the whole story is a deliberate imposture. History and the Scriptures flatly deny this ridiculous theory.
• The Swoon Theory: This theory suggests Jesus merely fainted on the cross, the soldiers did not actually kill Him, and the cool tomb revived Him. This is utterly absurd given the brutality of Roman crucifixion.
• The Hallucination Theory: Skeptics argue the disciples wanted to see Him so badly that they imagined it. Yet, the Scriptures tell us the disciples were incredibly skeptical at first. Thomas refused to believe until he physically touched His wounds, and Jesus even rebuked them for their unbelief.
• The Ghost Theory: Some say they only saw His ghost. However, a ghost does not have flesh and bone, nor does it eat and drink as Jesus did with His disciples.
• The Myth Theory: Others claim it is just a legend passed down. But the Bible accounts are written by real eyewitnesses who saw many infallible proofs.

The true explanation is that Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave, exactly as He said He would. We can rest our faith on this truth.

“Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” (Acts 2:24, KJV)

Because the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is real, we too have the hope of a glorious resurrection body. Death has been defeated, and our Savior lives!

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