If Christ IS Risen...

In my previous post, I honestly examined the circumstances awful to Christians if Christ were indeed still held within the garden tomb. I openly and honestly admitted that if Christ had not risen from the dead, then my preaching is vain, useless, and false; the apostles who penned the New Testament were liars; the Old Testament prophets who prophesied the resurrection were deceivers; our faith is vain; we have no salvation; and we are for ever lost in our sins.

Now, it is time for the atheist, agnostic, skeptic, and worshipper of some other god to perform the same reckoning. I am asking you, dear unbeliever, will you be honest enough to examine with me the awful condition in which you find yourself, if Christ indeed rose from the dead? Let us look at a few facts that are completely and positively true if Christ indeed rose from the dead.

If Christ is risen as He said, then

He Is the Son of God

Romans 1:3, 4 – “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Paul states here that Christ proved to be the Son of God BY THE RESURRECTION from the dead. A good number of so-called “theologians” today claim Christ to be less than the Son of God. Some regard Him as a great teacher, but I declare unto you that Jesus Christ is far more than that, and His resurrection proves it! But this is not all! If Christ indeed has risen as He said, then

He is God Almighty!

He is not only the Son of God; He IS God! Before He was born in the flesh, He existed equally with the Father.

Philippians 2:6 – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”

Many religious leaders agree that Christ WAS God before His birth, but some of them teach that at His birth, Christ ceased to be God. NOT SO! While Jesus Christ lived in on this earth in the flesh, He was God Almighty wrapped in flesh!

I Timothy 3:16 – “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Matthew 1:22, 23 – “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

The name of this baby who was born of the virgin Mary was “Emmanuel.” This name does not mean, “God above us;” or “God after us;” or even “God within us.” Christ’s name when He was born in the flesh was “Emmanuel,” meaning “God WITH US.” When Jesus Christ was with us in the flesh, God Almighty was with us!

Now that He has ascended to the Father, he ever lives to make intercession for us! He inhabits a throne at His Father’s right hand. He will possess that the throne on the right hand of His Father for ever. He will sit upon that throne judging, ruling, and reigning as God. While it is true that every Christian will reign upon thrones in the Millennium, we will not do so because we are gods. Christ sits on His Father’s throne, however, because He is God.

Hebrews 1:8 – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

In the above verse, the Father refers to the Son as GOD, and as being God FOR EVER!

Allow me to take this a little further. If Christ indeed is risen from the dead as the apostles claimed, then

He is Far Superior to All Others

Christ is not only the Son of God; He is not only God Almighty in His very person; but this status places Him far above ALL principality and power. He is above all. His position is far superior to Allah, Buddha, Confucius, Dagon, Diana, and every other so-called “god.” His words are far superior to the words of other “teachers,” including Plato, Socrates, Muhammad, and all others.

If Christ is dead, then I readily and publicly admitted that Christians are in trouble. But if He is indeed alive, the claim for which the apostles suffered and died, then He is far above all others, and you WILL ABSOLUTELY bow before Him, confessing to Him that He is Lord! Look with me at the following:

John 3:31 – “He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.”

Philippians 2:6-11 – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

A minister brought it to my attention once that the above passage does not say, “Every knee SHALL bow, and every tongue SHALL confess;” it says rather, that, “Every knee SHOULD bow, and every tongue SHOULD confess.” Therefore, this man concluded that although every knee SHOULD bow, and every tongue SHOULD confess, it does not mean that everyone SHALL bow and confess.

However, the scriptures teach differently. Yes, the above passage does state that every knee SHOULD bow, and every tongue SHOULD confess. But notice:

Romans 14:11 – “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee SHALL bow to me, and every tongue SHALL confess to God.”

What a day it will be at the Last Judgment! Madeline Murray O’Hare will bow her knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all! Bob Ingersoll, Voltaire, Karl Marx, Adolf Hitler, and other grossly wicked individuals will confess Christ as Lord! They will confess Him as publicly at the Judgment as they denied Him on the earth! Since Christ rose from the dead, He is far superior to all others. He is second to none. He takes no back seat; He plays only the lead! Since Christ rose from the dead, then

His Words are Absolute Truth, Making Him the Only Way to God’s Heaven

Jesus’ words are absolute truth. Had He not risen, His words would be false, for He told the disciples that He would rise again. If He did not do so, He lied.

But dear reader, if He indeed rose from the dead, He is not a liar. Every word He stated was absolute, positive, unalterable fact. And look what He said:

John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

Jesus is not A ROAD to heaven; He is the only route to that place. All other routes lead to hell. You’ll place all your faith in Jesus Christ, or you’ll be lost eternally. You’ll believe the Bible or be damned. If you are trusting anything other than Christ for salvation, you are hopelessly lost until you place all of your faith in Jesus Christ.

The good news is this: He died to pay the penalty for your sins. He rose again to give you that great salvation! No other god, prophet, teacher, philosopher, professor, or anyone else can save! Only Jesus; the preeminent, superior, unsurpassed, unrivaled, unparallel, undefeated, matchless, incomparable Son of the living God can save you! Notice:

Acts 4:12 – “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

You’ll come by Jesus Christ, or you will not come! Trust Him today to save you completely!

Resurrection Power!

Having examined the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I will at this time discuss its supreme importance. There is neither a doctrine nor a teaching within the Christian church as paramount as the teaching of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the foundation of the Christian faith. By destroying the teaching of the resurrection of Christ, one can destroy the gospel altogether.

The Preaching of the Cross

I am serious about the truth of Christ’s resurrection. I am a fool to the world, but God said it would be this way. Notice:

I Corinthians 1:18 – “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Two truths are herein brought out.

ITS FOOLISHNESS TO THEM THAT PERISH

First, the apostle exposes the perception of the preaching of the cross by unbelievers. He tells us that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that perish. Every Christian needs to listen carefully. Our message to this world is the cross of Jesus Christ. When Paul refers to “the cross,” he is not making reference to the two cross beams that comprise the structure of Christ’s execution. When Paul speaks of “the cross,” he is not even speaking of merely Christ’s death. The message of “the cross” is not merely a message of death. The message of “the cross” is the gospel message, which is defined in I Corinthians 15:1, 3, 4 – “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” The message of the cross is the gospel message; that is, the message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what the apostle means by “the cross.” Yes, we preach Christ crucified, but we do not stop there. We preach Christ crucified, Christ buried, and Christ risen again. We preach that He died for the putting away of our sins; He was buried for the putting behind of our past; and He arose for the putting forth of our new, victorious life in Jesus Christ. Make no mistake about it – this message is foolishness to the lost. Our message to this world is ignorant foolishness to them. They laugh the gospel to scorn. They completely discredit the Bible as a collection of fairy tales. They despise the truth, they are most intolerant to the man who brings this message.

ITS POWER TO THEM THAT ARE SAVED

After showing the world’s perception of the preaching of the cross, Paul shows the Christian’s view of such a message – “…but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” The world may laugh in disbelief of the resurrection, but when the pure gospel is preached, it goes forth with power and undeniable evidence of its truth. The vilest among sinners hate this truth. I have witnessed men in deep sin be completely converted to the risen Saviour. My eyes have beheld drunkards cease their intake of alcohol immediately and altogether as a result of being introduced to the risen, living Christ. I have heard men offer prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, and instant physical healing was granted. A dead Saviour has no power. But the risen Saviour has power! Many an atheist has died in complete and utter torment! Many infidels are miserable, and rightly so! They have absolutely nothing for which to live. They eat and drink today, for tomorrow they die. But no Christian who has walked in fellowship with the Prince of Peace has ever crossed the chilly valley of death in such torment. There is no explanation for the saint of God dying in calmness and peace other than the fact that the risen Lord walks the vale beside the dying saint! I have obtained wisdom in situations at the spur of the moment. From where did I gain this wisdom? From attorneys? No way! From physicians? Not a chance! Such wisdom comes from Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who was dead and is alive for ever more!

What Will We Do with the Resurrection?

Seeing that the resurrection of Christ is to the world foolishness, what should we Christians do with such a doctrine? Some Christians are disregarding it. They completely ignore its truth to appease the skeptic. Other Christians are trying to make it appealing to the world. Hear me well. The preaching of the cross – the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ – WILL NEVER be appealing to the world. They will never approve of our message, as long as they are in their lost condition. I will not deny the resurrection. I will not disregard the resurrection. But neither will I doctor it up so that the world likes it.

So, what are we to do with the fact of the resurrection? Listen to what Paul did with it:

I Corinthians 1:23-25 – “But WE PREACH Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

WE PREACH Christ crucified! The world doesn’t approve of it, but we’re not asking them! What will do with this sublime truth – we will declare it to this lost and dying generation. They will mock, but their message of humanism has never set anyone free from anything. They will scorn, but their message of so-called tolerance has no power to change anyone. The world preaches that man must simply continue in his lost state. They proclaim that they are born with gross perversion and that there is no need for deliverance from these sins. But when you and I preach the gospel and it is grasped in faith, the cross delivers the soul from sin. Let the world mock my message. Let the scholars from the world’s universities snarl at my words. But the message I preach has power to give freedom to man in bondage of sin.

He is Risen as He Said!

Matthew 28:6 - "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

Two British men, Lyttleton and West, set out to disprove Christianity once and for all.  Having met to discuss their plans, they decided what each should do to fulfil their task.  Lyttleton agreed to study the conversion of Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus; West decided to study the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  They would study these topics for a year, then meet again to discuss their findings.  They would then show once and for all the hoax of Saul's so-called conversion, and the fraud of Christ's apparent resurrection. 

A year came and went.  The two met again as planned.  Lyttleton revealed his findings - the conversion of Saul of Tarsus had to be real, and Lyttleton himself had converted to Christianity.  Then, West showed his conclusion - that the resurrection of Jesus Christ must have occurred as it is written in the Holy Bible, and he too had become a Christian.

The Fact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

This subject is similar to other Bible doctrines in the sense that one's opinion regarding its actuality does not alter the fact of its occurrence.  I am not debating the fact of Christ's resurrection; I am declaring the fact of His resurrection.  Your feelings concerning the matter are completley irrelevant.  I am not conducting a poll.  I am not hosting a debate.  I am declaring what the Bible, the Word of God, says concerning the matter.  And, what the Bible declares is the final authority on every issue.

The Prophets Foretold Christ's Resurrection

Psalm 16:10 - "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

Peter quoted this passage in Acts 2:27-31 - "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption."

Note this - the prophets foretold the birth of Christ - and every detail was fulfilled to perfection.  The Old Testament prophets foretold the death of Christ, and every detail occurred exactly as it was written.  And the prophets were not wrong in declaring that Christ would rise from the dead.  And that is exactly what Jesus Christ did.  He died, was buried with the rich, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Jesus Himself Foretold His Resurrection

In the opening illustration of this post - the story of Lyttleton and West, although they were unsuccessful in disproving Christianity (which no one has been able to do), they were at least on the right track.  They knew that if they were to bring Christianity to a screeching halt, they would have to prove that Jesus Christ is still dead, and no one has proven such a claim!  True Christians have witnessed the power of a resurrected Saviour numerous times, but never has anyone been able to prove that Jesus Christ did not come out of the tomb that third and glorious morning after His death!

If the resurrection of Christ could be proven to be a hoax, then Christianity would certainly topple!  Christ Himself told us before He died that He would rise again.  If He indeed did so, then He is Lord, and every reader will bow before Him, either in this world, or in the world to come!  If He did not come out of the tomb, then He is not Lord; rather, He would be a liar.  But the Bible declares boldly, "Let God be true, but every man a liar."  And look what Jesus said:

Matthew 16:21 - "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."

Mark 8:31 - "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."

Jesus foretold His own death and resurrection - if He did not rise, then that would make Him a liar - but He is risen as He said!

The Apostles Preached the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Throughout the book of Acts, it is clear that the apostles' message was that of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!  They were brought before rulers because they preached that Jesus Christ not only died and was buried, but that He rose from the dead. 

The skeptic does not believe that Christ rose from the dead because they do not believe the Bible over "science," they say (Then they'll turn right around and believe in evolution, which has neither been observed nor proven; or in manmade global warming, the hoax of the millennium).  I would ask the skeptic, "Do you believe in secular history?"  Surely, they're not so dense as to refuse secular history.  Secular history contains within it the fact that there was a man who existed named Jesus Christ.  It would entertain the reader to know that there are atheists who deny that Jesus Christ ever existed.  It is good to know that, when we deal with atheists, we are not dealing with intelligent life.  All you need is a calendar to show you that Jesus Christ existed.  This year is called "2011."  That is, "2011 A.D."  "A.D." stands for "anno domini," which means, "in the year of our Lord."  Those who hate the thought of Christ's existence are trying to change those letters to "C.E." - "Common Era;" and "B.C. (Before Christ)" to "B.C.E." - "Before the Common Era."  Those sorry idiots can try to erase Jesus Christ out of secular history, but they'll never get it done.  He existed.

Jesus Christ not only existed, but He lived and died.  And, He not only died - He rose from the grave.  The eleven apostles who walked with Christ while He walked upon the earth (there were originally twelve, but Judas hanged himself before Christ died, you'll remember) witnessed Christ's resurrection, claimed to have seen Him after He rose from the dead, and physically suffered for that fact.

Peter was crucified upside-down.  The Bible does not say that; secular history says that.  Do you know why he was crucified upside-down?  Because he would not deny the Christ who he claimed to have seen after He rose from the dead!  Paul the Apostle fought against Christianity, until He saw the resurrected Saviour on the road to Damascus.  Secular history tells us that Paul ran to the chopping block to have his head severed from his body - still affirming that he had witnessed the resurrected Lord!  John was boiled in oil, but wouldn't die (according to secular history; not the Bible).  John was then sent to the Isle of Patmos to die in exile.  But he was later freed and became the only apostle to die a peaceful death.  But he did suffer, according to history.  Matthew was killed with the sword.  Mark was dragged to death by horses.  James the Less was clubbed to death; James the Greater was beheaded.  Bartholomew was whipped to death.  ALL THE APOSTLES suffered for their faith in the resurrected Saviour!  Again, not according to the Bible; according to history.  Dear reader, you may claim that one man who dies for a hoax is a lunatic - but when every apostle who saw Christ after His resurrection suffered physically for the fact - it then becomes clear to any honest person that there is only one reasonable explanation - Christ rose from the dead, and the apostles who claimed to have seen Him suffered for that fact!  

In the next couple posts, I intend to reveal two main points - 1) How that Christians are in trouble if Christ had not risen from the dead; and 2) How atheists, skeptics, agnostics, and those who reject Christ are in trouble if Christ did indeed rise from the dead.