Eye Witnesses Of The Resurrection
By Charles Hamilton
What makes Christianity so unique is that our leader Jesus came back from the dead. As Christians we recognize that Jesus’ resurrection confirms [declares once and for all] that He is the Lord.
The resurrection of Jesus was heaven’s powerful declaration that He is the Son of God. Jesus is the only one in history who is still alive, after having been raised from the dead (over two thousand years ago).
This miraculous event confirms Jesus to be the Son of God. There is absolutely no one from history [past], who has been raised from the dead and is still alive today, except the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus – Declared The Son Of God
Romans 1:3-4 – The New Testament in Modern English (J.B. Phillips)
The gospel is centered in God’s Son, a descendant of David by human genealogy and patently [deliberately] marked out as the Son of God by the power of that Spirit of holiness which raised him to life again from the dead. (Emphasis mine)
Sadly, Jesus himself foretold that there would be people in the world who would not believe, even though one came back from the dead.
Luke 16:31 – Amplified Bible
He said to him, If they do not hear and listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded and convinced and believe [even] if someone should rise from the dead.
Not everyone will believe the truth [good news] but if you are reading this article you have an opportunity to believe.
Why should you believe?
Because God has provided for himself witnesses of the resurrection of His Son throughout scripture.
Eye Witnesses of His Resurrection
I Corinthians 15:1-8 – The New Testament in Modern English (J.B. Phillips)
Now, my brothers, I want to speak about the Gospel which I have previously preached to you, which you accepted, in which you are at present standing, and by which, if you remain faithful to the message I gave you, your salvation is being worked out – unless, of course, your faith had no meaning behind it at all.
For I passed on to you Corinthians first of all the message I had myself received – that Christ died for our sins, as the scriptures said he would; that he was buried and rose again on the third day, again as the scriptures foretold.
He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, and subsequently he was seen simultaneously by over five hundred Christians, of whom the majority are still alive, though some have since died.
He was then seen by James, then by all the messengers. And last of all, as if to one born abnormally late, he appeared to me!
Forever Settled In Heaven
In a court of law by the word of one or two witnesses a case is settled. Jesus was seen alive by over five hundred Christians after his resurrection. Therefore the matter should be forever settled in our minds as to the truth that Jesus was raised from the dead.
Since the resurrection is at the very heart of the gospel how can any Christian deny life after death?
I Corinthians 15:12-19 – The New Testament in Modern English (J.B. Phillips)
Now if the rising of Christ from the dead is the very heart of our message, how can some of you deny that there is any resurrection? For if there is no such thing as the resurrection of the dead, then Christ was never raised.
And if Christ was not raised then neither our preaching nor your faith has any meaning at all. Further it would mean that we are lying in our witness for God, for we have given our solemn testimony that he did raise up Christ – and that is utterly false if it should be true that the dead do not, in fact, rise again!
For if the dead do not rise neither did Christ rise, and if Christ did not rise your faith is futile and your sins have never been forgiven. Moreover those who have died believing in Christ are utterly dead and gone. Truly, if our hope in Christ were limited to this life only we should, of all mankind be the most to be pitied!
Christianity rests solely upon the truth of scripture that Christ did arise from the dead.
The last enemy of all to be destroyed is death itself.
I Corinthians 15:20-23 – The New Testament in Modern English (J.B. Phillips)
But the glorious fact is that Christ did rise from the dead: he has become the very first to rise of all who sleep the sleep of death.
As death entered the world through a man [Adam], so has rising from the dead come to us through a man [Jesus Christ]!
As members of a sinful race all men die; as members of the Christ of God all men shall be raised to life, each in his proper order, with Christ the very first and after him all who belong to him when he comes.
From Mortal to Immortality
The dead and the living will be fitted for immortality when Christ returns.
I Corinthians 15:51-54 – The New Testament in Modern English (J.B. Phillips)
Listen, and I will tell you a secret. We shall not all die, but suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, every one of us will be changed as the trumpet sounds! The trumpet will sound and the dead shall be raised beyond the reach of corruption, and we who are still alive shall suddenly be utterly changed.
For this perishable nature of ours must be wrapped in imperishability, these bodies which are mortal must be wrapped in immortality. So when the perishable is lost in the imperishable, the mortal lost in the immortal, this saying will come true: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ‘O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’
The Resurrection has brought us victory over death and hell through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Its time for us to believe it and declare it to a sick and dying world.
