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Pastor Timothy Durey takes us to Mark 16:1-8 and 1 Corinthians 15, discussing the historical and cultural circumstances at the time of the Resurrection, reminding us of the abundant and significant evidence corroborating the Resurrection, and emphasizing the all-in implications of Easter.
Culture
At the time of Christ’s death and resurrection:
- Greeks thought of resurrection as a purely spiritual event, that the imperfect body would be cast aside for the ethereal
- Jews believed the Messiah would come and simultaneously arise with all of His people – it would be a mass event
In our day, the Gospel is still divisive – why is that?
- “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.” – Thomas Arnold, professor of modern history at Oxford
- “Resurrection is an action of God. Jesus was raised into the meaning of God. It therefore cannot be a physical resuscitation occurring inside of human history.” – John Shelby Spong, former Episcopalian Bishop
Evidence
How can we be sure?
- The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are written historically – details of the time, place, and people around the events are provided
- The literal, physical resurrection of Jesus is confirmed by several hundred eyewitnesses
- From a legal sense, the amount of supporting witnesses giving non-contradicting accounts lends such credence that the event would have to be true
- From a psychological and cultural sense it would be impossible for a diverse group of hundreds of Jewish men and women – who saw Jesus at different times and places – to fabricate such a lie and remain consistent for any length of time, and fervently support it for the rest of their lives, even to the point of brutal martyrdom
- The attitudes of those who saw Him were radically changed: they zealously spread the Gospel throughout Judea and much of the Roman Empire and beyond, many of them suffering horrible deaths because they refused to recant
Implications
Why is it so important?
Without the resurrection, the faith of Christians is in vain
If Jesus did not raise from the dead:
- There is no resurrection for anyone at all
- The Scriptures are lying
- Our faith is empty
- We are still in our sins
- The dead are still dead
- Christians are most to be pitied
If the Resurrection is truth:
- “22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death…. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.” – 1 Corinthians 15:22-26, 42-43
- Scripture is true
- Jesus is interceding on behalf of His people
- Believers will rise with an immortal glorious body like Jesus
- The future Kingdom of God will come
- God reigns forever
- Jesus rules today to subdue His enemies
- Death is not the end, death itself ‘dies’