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.