He Is Risen!

Most of us have heard the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Crucifixion was a public way of putting someone to death slowly, and with great pain. It is a great wonder what the Lord did for us on the cross, but if it stopped there, Jesus would have been only another good man who died at the hands of wicked people. We would then be serving a dead Jesus who could not save, and would be “of all men the most pitiable.” (1 Co 15:19) This brings us to the question, is the resurrection really true? Let’s take a look at the Scriptural evidence to see.

After His death, Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross, wrapped in spices and linen, and laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.  They laid His body there, because it was the preparation for the Sabbath and this garden tomb was nearby.  The day following, Matthew tells us that the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.” (Mat 27:63-64) So, Pilate agreed to give them a guard, and told them to make it as secure as they knew how.  They secured the tomb with a large stone, which would have been rolled down an inclined channel, lodging it into place.  It would have taken several men to roll it away from the outside, but it could not have been rolled away from the inside by a half dead Jesus who merely swooned on the cross and revived again after three days in the tomb.  Next, the tomb was secured with a seal, a rope overlapping the width of the stone, with a glob of wax on either side of the stone to secure the rope.  The seal carried the legal authority of Rome, and the Roman soldiers would have been there to witness it, since they were responsible for what was inside.  To break this seal would have placed their careers (and possibly their lives) in jeopardy.  Third, the tomb was secured by a guard, typically four fully armed Roman soldiers who, again, would likely be executed if anything happened to what they were guarding.  Two guards would watch while the other two rested.  The chief priests and Pharisees sought to prevent any false reports of Jesus’ resurrection, but in actuality they made the miracle of the resurrection more astounding and even irrefutable.  If there were false reports of Jesus’ resurrection, they would only need to demand the disciples show them the living body as proof, so this suggests the chief priests and Pharisees were afraid that Jesus actually would do what He said He would do.  And why not?  They had seen Him raise Lazarus to life just a short time earlier.  If he could raise Lazarus to life, why couldn’t He raise Himself to life again.  He previously said of His life, No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (Jn 10:18) That’s a powerful God that can raise Himself from the dead.

On the first day of the week, as the women came to finish the preparation of Jesus’ body, there was a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it.  These angels must be an awesome sight, for in many instances in the Scriptures when they are seen by men, the common response was that they were terrified.  This was for good reason: if we remember after David had numbered the children of Israel, an angel of the Lord killed 70,000 men, and David was able to see the angel with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.  Upon this, he and the elders fell on their faces (1 Chronicles 21:16).  When the Syrians threatened to attack Jerusalem in the days of King Hezekiah, an angel of the Lord killed 185 thousand of their soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19:35).  The angel who rolled away the stone had no drawn sord, but Matthew tells us his countenance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  This band of well trained and fully armed Roman soldiers were so afraid that they trembled and became as dead men.  As powerful as these angels are, they were created by an all-powerful God who is much stronger, much more powerful than they.  Even the devil was created by none other than Jesus Himself.  The stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out, for as we will see, He was able to enter into a room in which all the doors were locked.  It was rolled away so that others could look in and see He was not there.

There are some challenges in reconciling the resurrection accounts of the four Gospels, but a careful study reveals there are no contradictions in their accounts.  For a more detailed explanation of this, see the following articles at GotQuestions.org and Answers in Genesis.  As John records, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early Sunday morning before it was daylight, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.  She then ran and came to Peter and John, and said, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”  She said “we,” inferring that there were other women with her at the tomb, to which the other Gospel writers agree.  When Peter and John heard this, they both ran to the tomb.  John refers to himself in the third person, but he makes a point to tell us that he outran Peter to the tomb (maybe a bit of competition going on there).  When John got there, he stooped down and saw the linen clothes lying there, but he did not go in.  When Peter got there, he went in the tomb and also saw the linen clothes lying there.  The mixture of ointments, aloes, and spices would have dried and hardened the linen clothes into something like a mummy or cocoon.  This is interesting, because the structure of the Greek indicates that the clothes were still lying in a circular form as if the body of Jesus was still in them, and that it had just evaporated out of them.  The napkin that was around His head was folded and set in a place by itself.  John then went in after Peter, and when he saw the clothes, he believed.  They did not yet know the Scripture that said that Jesus must rise from the dead.  We do not know what Scriptures John was referring to, but there are passages that refer to both Jesus’ death and resurrection (Isaiah 53:8-10, Psalm 22:14-15, 25-27, and Psalm 16:9-11).  After this, they went away to their own homes.

Mary Magdalene, still outside the tomb weeping, stooped down to look in, and when she did, she saw two angels dressed in white sitting on either end of where Jesus’ body had been laid.  They asked her why she was weeping, and she responded that they had taken her Lord and she did not know where they had laid Him.  After she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus, but she did not recognize Him.  He asked her the same question the angels did and who she was seeking?  She supposed He was the gardener, and said that if he had moved her Lord to tell her, and she would carry Him away.  Then Jesus said to her, “Mary” in that familiar way she was accustomed to, and she turned and said, “Rabboni” (teacher)!  At this point it is likely that she hung onto Jesus, not wanting to let Him go, but He told her not to cling to Him, for He had not yet ascended to His Father.  He told her to go tell His disciples that He was ascending to His Father and their Father, and to His God and their God.  There are a couple of things to take note of here: First, the fact that Mary clung to Jesus proves He had a physical body.  Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, but claim that it was just His spirit.  However, if that were true, Mary would have had nothing to cling to.  He did have a glorified body that was not restricted by our three dimensions, but it was a physical body.  Second, the first witness of His bodily resurrection was a woman.  If the disciples were trying to fabricate the story of the resurrection, they would not have chosen a woman to be their first witness, for women were not considered reliable witnesses in those days.  So, Mary went and told the disciples of Jesus’ words.

So far, we know that John has believed and that Jesus had appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34, but we are not told of the rest of the disciples.  The same day at evening, the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, and Jesus appeared in the midst of them, saying, “Peace be with you.”  He did not chide them for being fearful or express His disappointment that they left Him at His hour of trial, but proclaimed peace to them.  Luke tells us they were terrified and frightened, supposing they had seen a spirit, but Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” (Luke 24:38-39) Then He showed them His hands, feet, and side.  Many have claimed to have seen angels, but if I had my pick, I’d rather see the Man with the nail prints in His hands.  They were still not quite sure what to think, so Jesus asked them for some food.  They gave Him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, and He ate it in front of them.  This is yet more proof of His bodily resurrection, for a spirit cannot eat food.  When they saw this, they were glad that they had seen the Lord.  Again, He said, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you,” commissioning them to go out and share what they had seen and heard.  Then He breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  This word that John used for breathed is the same Greek word in the Septuagint that is used in Genesis when God breathed the breath of life into man, and he became a living soul.  It is the only time this word is used in the New Testament.  Just as God breathed life into Adam and he became a living soul, so Jesus was giving them the Holy Spirit.  They had seen the risen Lord, they believed on Him, and they were born again.  Now if we remember in chapter 14 of John, Jesus said of the Holy Spirit that He dwelt with them, and would be in them (14:17).  At this point the Holy Spirit indwelt them.  However, Luke tells us that Jesus also said the Holy Spirit would come upon them to empower them to be His witnesses. He said, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

Next Jesus tells them that whoever’s sins they forgive, they are forgiven, and whoever’s sins they retain, they are retained or not forgiven.  Now if we were only to look at this verse, one might walk away with the impression that He was giving the disciples power to forgive or not forgive sins, but this is why it is important to balance Scripture with Scripture.  In the Gospel of John alone, we have seen repeatedly that the only condition for salvation is belief/faith in Jesus Christ alone.  However, based off a person’s profession of faith in Jesus or rejection of Him, we can say whether or not their sins are forgiven.  If you have believed On Jesus, you are forgiven, and if you reject Him, you are not.  It is as simple as that.

Thomas was not present at this gathering when Jesus showed up, but the disciples told him about it.  Thomas responded that unless he saw the nail prints, could place his finger in them, and his hand in Jesus’ side, he would not believe.  So, eight days later, they were all gathered together behind locked doors (Thomas being with them), and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them.  He used the same greeting, “Peace to you!”  He then told Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”  Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus told him that he believed because he saw Him, but those who believe on Him without seeing are blessed.  It can be easy to be like Thomas, for in our human nature our hearts can become hard due to sin.  However, God has given us all the evidence we need to believe through His creation and written word, and those who accept Him off their testimony and the testimony of the Holy Spirit truly are blessed.

Lastly, John tells us the reason for writing his Gospel: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”  The resurrection was not made-up folks.  Jesus was seen by the women at the tomb, He was seen by His disciples, and He was seen by over 500 people at once, of whom the greater part were still alive at the time the Apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Co 15:6).  With the exception of John, every disciple was martyred for their faith, and not one of them confessed to making up the story of the resurrection.  Surely when facing death, one of them would have caved under the pressure.  And when you have over 500 witnesses, this eliminates any possibility of hallucination.  God’s desire is that you would read His word, and believe the testimony it bears of His Son.  He desires that you would believe on His Son, and that you would have life in His name.  Jesus is alive, and He wants to give you this same resurrection life.  It is not His desire to condemn you for your past sins and failures, but He wants to offer you peace, the peace that comes from believing on Him.  Remember, your sin debt has been paid in full; it is only up to you to receive it by faith.  Will you do that reader?  Come to Him, call on His name, and He in will no wise cast you out.  Call on the name of Jesus, and then place your complete trust and confidence that He will forgive and save you from your sins and the punishment of Hell.  He will not do it because you or I deserve it, but because He is faithful and always does what He says He will do.  You will then be indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and you will be born again.  If you are a believer, seek the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to be a bold witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and go and tell others of what Jesus has done for you. 

What Must We Do for Revival? - The Lord's Response to Us

It is then after we have humbled ourselves, prayerfully sought the Lord, and repented from our sins that the Lord says He will respond to us.  He says He will hear from Heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.  By humbling ourselves we have placed ourselves in a position to where He can exalt us in due time. (1Peter 5:6) If we have sought Him, He will be found of us. (1Chronicles 28:9) As I previously stated, if we have confessed our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us.  Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) It is then that He can remove His chastening hand from upon us, and bring healing to us and our nation.

So, this raises the question, will we have a revival in our nation again? Based off what I have covered so far, I believe it is entirely possible if we as the Church will do our part. I see nothing in Scripture that states how big or small a revival will be, so I believe we need to earnestly seek it and leave the results up to the Lord. If we think about it, why wouldn’t the Lord bring a revival if the Church humbles itself, prays and seeks the Lord, and repents from its sins? It is part of his nature. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) This nation has experienced three significant revivals, and I see no reason why another is not possible. However, history has shown true revivals are often born out of severe hardship and tribulation.

Many see a conflict between this belief and the apostasy spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2, but if we examine this passage, I do not believe there is a true conflict. David Guzek writes, “The idea of a great end-times apostasy also does not contradict the idea of a great end-times revival. Some Christians doubt the idea of great revival in the last days, or even welcome apostasy believing it signals the end. But just as the Book of Revelation describes great rejection of Jesus during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 9:20-21 and 17:2-6) and great acceptance of Him ( Revelation 7:9-14), the two can stand side-by-side.” When we examine 2 Thes 2, it describes the willing departure from the Gospel and biblical truth, and the article “the” indicates that it is the final rebellion. This is in connection with the restraining force of the Holy Spirit working through the Church being removed, and the man of sin being revealed. This then is clearly referring to the time of the tribulation. However, as we have already seen, even during the tribulation there will be a wide-spread acceptance of Jesus Christ, along with a wide-spread rejection of Him.

Will a revival make America great again? Well, that’s a different story. Even a major revival does not necessarily mean America returning to greatness. In my opinion, it is not likely for a few reasons: first, if the rapture is as close as it seems to be, there is not a lot of time to turn this ship around, and at that point, the whole world will go under the judgment of God. Second, according to biblical prophecy, the U.S. is not a major player in the end times. So, although we could see a rise from our current state, ultimately it will not last. Somehow, we are no longer a world superpower, so something happens to bring us down from that pedestal. Third, we have crossed the lines spiritually and morally that other nations have crossed in history, and they either ceased to exist or were greatly diminished. Truthfully though, we really do not know what will happen to the United states, at least in the short-term. I love this country, and I consider it a blessing and privilege to have been born and raised here; however, a revival is not about the United States. It’s about souls being won for Jesus Christ and believers becoming true disciples of Him. If America rises to greatness again before the Lord’s return, great! But if it does not, we’re still called to go into all nations. So, let’s be about His business until He does return.

 

“Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:12-15

 

“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls…” - Jeremiah 6:16 

What Must We do for Revival? - If My People Repent

Lastly, the Lord says we need to turn from our wicked ways. Turn is another way of saying repent, and unfortunately, this is not a popular word today, even amongst many believers. When we begin talking about repentance and calls to holiness within the Church, this is when we start stepping on people’s toes. It is so easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others, rather than measuring our own lives up with the Word of God.  James says that the Word of God is like a mirror. (James 1:22-24) God’s Word gives us an accurate reflection of how our lives are measuring up to His standard.  When we prayerfully take an honest look at the Scriptures and at God’s standard of righteousness, we will then see how short we fall of that standard.  If we were to just look at the Ten Commandments, this is enough to show us how unworthy we truly are.  If we have told a lie, we have born false witness.  If we have used God’s name as a curse word, we are guilty of blasphemy.  If we have hated a brother or sister, Jesus states that we are guilty of murder.  If we have lusted in our hearts, Jesus says we are guilty of adultery.  These are only four of the Ten Commandments, but James says if we have broken the Law in one point, we are guilty of breaking the entire thing. (James 2:10) The apostle Paul said in Romans, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) The apostle John wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1John 1:8) There is not one of us, believer or nonbeliever that can say we are without sin.  As believers we are a new creation in Christ and are no longer under the sentence of the Law; however, we still have to deal with the sin nature.  There is a sanctification process that takes place in our lives that does not stop until we reach Heaven.  We should always be like David in asking the Lord to search our hearts (Psalms 139:23-24).  As we ask the Lord to search us, He will reveal those things that are unpleasing in His sight.

All those whom the Lord used mightily throughout history had a real sense of unworthiness, and simply had to trust in the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ.  When Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord he said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5) Job, a man whom the Bible refers to as being perfect and upright, said the following after the Lord spoke to Him out of the whirlwind, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6) Jonathan Edwards, a man the Lord used powerfully during the first great awakening in the American colonies stated, "I am nothing, and can do nothing: I desire your prayers that I may be more sensible of it, and that God would grant me his presence and assistance, and again grant me success.” It is when we have come to an end of ourselves and trusting in our own righteousness that the Lord can truly use us for His glory and in His service.

The point in the Lord revealing our sin to us is not to condemn us, but to cleanse us of it and remove it from our lives.  The Scriptures say, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13) Also, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9) So then, repentance is not a bad thing, but a good thing. It is what opens the flood gates of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and restores our fellowship with the Lord. It is simply the reality of the Christian life. Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev 3:19)

There have been times in the past that it seemed as if there would be a revival, but it did not last because the message of repentance was missing.  For example, Churches filled shortly after 9/11 as people began to seek the Lord, but it quickly faded because the message of repentance was not being preached. A.W. Tozer said the following in his day: “Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work.” Repentance is a crucial ingredient in revival, for without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Really, if we leave out any one of these ingredients for revival, it doesn’t work. We need humility, prayer, the word of God, and repentance in order to see revival. 

What Must We Do for Revival? - A Return to the Word of God

As I previously stated, prayer is how we speak to the Lord and seek His face, and the Scriptures are the primary means by which the Holy Spirit speaks back to us. If we neglect to read the Word, we are missing out on what the Lord wants to communicate to us. Paul told Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15) And, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) Every revival we have seen throughout history has always been characterized by a renewal of a hunger for the Word of God. During the First and Second Great Awakenings, people would come from all over to hear men like George Whitefield, Francis Asbury, and Charles Finney preach the word of God. The same thing happened during the Jesus Movement and the beginning of Calvary Chapel. We can see examples of this in the Word as well: in times of revival in ancient Israel they returned to reading the Law (Nehemiah 8), and in the Church the Apostles devoted themselves to the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:2-4). It is over time that people and denominations begin to question the accuracy and authority of the Scriptures, and liberal theology begins to take over. You can see this in our own country: Most of the liberal Churches today were once solid Bible preaching Churches who gave into the pressure to become culturally relevant. As they have done so, they have lost their witness, and have become just another social organization. We need to return to the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, and not cave into the pressure to be politically correct. We need to stop picking and choosing which passages we accept and which ones we do not, and take the whole counsel of God’s Word as valid for us today, regardless of what others are saying around us. This does not mean we will agree on every point of doctrine, but that we should agree on the fundamentals that are plainly taught in the Scriptures. If we want to see revival in our nation, we need to be men and women of the Word. 

What Must We Do for Revival? - If My People Pray

 

Third, the Lord says His people need to pray and seek His face.  One of the major trends we see in Church today is that there is a huge emphasis on worship.  However, that is not the way it is emphasized in the Scriptures.  This is not to diminish worship in any way, for worship is an important part of the Christian walk.  While prayer certainly includes worship, it is much more than that.  This can be an easy trap to fall into, for prayer is probably one of the most difficult of the Christian disciplines.  It’s much easier to sing worship songs and have a feel-good experience, but prayer takes work and perseverance. Paul instructed Timothy, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1Timothy 2:8) He told the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Perhaps one of the most challenging things about prayer is that we do not know how to pray.  This was a struggle for the disciples as well, for they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.  Jesus responded to them with what we know today as the Lord’s Prayer.  “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.  Give us day by day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” (Luke 11:2-4) Jesus was laying out a pattern or model of prayer for them to follow.  We pray to the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ.  We see praise (hallowed be Thy name), supplication (give us this day our daily bread), and asking forgiveness for sins. Again, this is a basic model to follow, and as we step out in faith the Lord will lead us. The Lord has never asked that our prayers be eloquent, but that we should just pray to Him from our hearts.

Prayer has been instrumental in past revivals. Consider the following quotes: “The coming revival must begin with a great revival of prayer. It is in the closet, with the door shut, that the sound of abundance of rain will first be heard. An increase of secret prayer with ministers will be the sure harbinger of blessing.” – Andrew Murray “There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.” - A.T. Pierson And, “All revival begins, and continues, in the prayer meeting. Some have also called prayer the "great fruit of revival." In times of revival, thousands may be found on their knees for hours, lifting up their heartfelt cries, with thanksgiving, to heaven.” - Henry Blackaby The Scriptures say that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). If we want to see revival in our lives and in our nation, we need to be men and women of prayer.