The Good News of the gospel is that, after Jesus died and was buried, he resurrected from death three days later to save us and bring us back into eternal relationship with Him. In this special Easter sermon, Pastor Mark gives 21 reasons to believe in Jesus’ resurrection to help bolster your faith and encourage those who don’t yet know Jesus to start a relationship with Him.
THE KING IS ALIVE: 21 Reasons to Believe in Jesus’ Resurrection
- 2 years of bad news – fears of death & daily body count
- Death is undefeated
Good News? one who went through death & came back to prepare us to die then live
Jesus Christ – most significant person. Resurrection – most significant event.
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21 Reasons to believe in Jesus’ resurrection – PICK 1!
What is resurrection?
-NOT near-death experience: die, return to life, die again
1. Live (body/soul) 2. Die (body/soul separate period time) 3. Rise Forever (body/soul)
1. Jesus died by execution from the ancient Roman government.
- Arrested, beaten flogged, crucified, spear, tomb 3 days
2. Jesus’ resurrection was predicted in the Old Testament.
1000 B.C. Psalm 16:10 “…you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.”
3. Jesus predicted His resurrection in advance
Mark 10:33–34 “I, the Messiah, will be arrested and taken before the chief priests and the Jewish leaders, who will sentence me to die and hand me over to the Romans to be killed. They will mock me and spit on me and flog me with their whips and kill me; but after three days I will come back to life again.”
- Jesus said He was God & would prove it
4. Jesus’ tomb location was well-known
700 BC Isaiah 53:9 promised Jesus’ “grave” would be “with a rich man in his death.”
- (Matt. 27:57-60) Joseph Arimathea took Jesus’ body, prepared it, buried his tomb
5. Jesus’ tomb was guarded by the Roman government (Matthew 27:65-66)
- Governor Pilate ordered soldiers to secure, seal , guard tomb
6. Jesus’ empty tomb was first found by women (Luke 24:1-12)
- Sunday Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary mother of James, other women
7. Jesus’ disciples were transformed from cowards to courageous
- Thomas doubted then worshipped
- Peter denied then died.
8. After Jesus rose from death, He appeared to crowds upwards of 500 people over the course of 40 days (Acts 1:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8)
- Conversations, hugs, meals
9. Jesus’ followers remained loyal to Him
- Crucifixion – state sponsored terror
10. Jesus’ tomb was not enshrined
- 50 known tombs religious leaders enshrined same area, same time
- 4 major world religions founded by person
PHOTOS: I need a full screen shot with 4 quadrants and this in each w/a photo of the large burial shrines 1. Abraham – Hebron. 2. Buddha – India 3. Mohammed – Medina 4. Jesus – ?
11. Jesus’ followers worshiped Him as God
- 10 Comm – #1. 1 God #2. only worship
12. Jesus’ family worshiped Him as God (Acts 1:12-14)
- Mary
- James & Jude – disbelieved, then pastors, books Bible
13. Jesus’ followers changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday
- Creation – 1000’s yrs Saturday. “Sun. “Lords Day” – reset week
14. Jesus’ followers practiced communion and baptism
-Communion/Death – Good Friday -Baptism/Resurrection – Easter!!! (explain)
15. Jesus’ enemy, Paul, was converted
- Wrote NT = Jesus God & resurrected
16. Jesus’ resurrection was recorded shortly after it occurred
- Few years, eyewitnesses alive
17. Jesus’ resurrection is unique in history
Ancient Jewish Historian Josephus was born shortly after Jesus’ resurrection:
“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Christ. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.”
18. There was no concept of individual resurrection prior to Jesus
- Jews – all people together @ end history (Dan. 12:2)
- Greek – hated idea (candy & wrapper)
- Pagans – modified resurrection later
19. Jesus’ resurrection defies any potential alternative explanation
1. Body stole 2. Swooned 3. Group hallucination
Thomas Arnold, former professor Modern History Oxford, “No one fact in the history of mankind . . . is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort” than the fact that “Christ died and rose from the dead.”
20. Jesus’ church has stood the test of time
21. Jesus is alive and still changing lives to this day.
- We trust the recommendations of friends & family
- My testimony – Jesus made me NEW
- Your testimony?
- Another testimony (Jesus in your life before you saw Him)