The person of Jesus was literally raised from the dead on Easter Sunday having died on a Roman cross (the means of capital punishment at the time) on Good Friday.
When they came to the place they called the Skull. There they crucified Him along with the criminals – one on His right, the other on His left.
Acts 2:23 'This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose & foreknowledge & you with the help of wicked men put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.'
He was buried
Luke 23:50-53 'Joseph a member of the Sanhedrin, a good & upright man who had not consented to their decision & action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea & was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for the body of Jesus.
Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth & placed it ion a tomb cut in the rock one in which no one had yet been laid.'John 19:41-42'At the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden & in the garden a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation & since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there'
Jesus was resurrected.
Matthew 28:5-6 'The angel said to the women, ”Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, He is risen, just as He said. Come & see the place where He lay.'
'But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.
Acts 2:36 'Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord & Christ.'
Jesus alive kept the message of Jesus alive. Without His resurrection His death would have been meaningless.
1 Corinthians 15:17 'If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile you are still in your sins.'
(We too would not be raised in the future) 'Our preaching is useless & so is your faith....If the dead are not raised then Christ has not been raised.' 1 Corinthians 15:14-16
Jesus soul & body was raised so will ours be raised to a resurrection body.
Luke stated that Jesus was objectively raised from the dead.
'After His suffering He showed Himself to these men & gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days & spoke about the kingdom of God' Acts 1:3
Luke 24:1 'On the first day of the week very early in the morning the women took the spices they had prepared & went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus'
Luke 24:22-23 'In addition some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but did not find His body. They came & told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.'
John 20:2 'She came running to Simon Peter & the other disciple. The one Jesus loved, and said, ”They have taken the Lord out of the tomb & we do not know where they have laid Him.”'
Simon Peter went into the tomb. He saw strips of linen lying there as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.
Testimony of the angels:
Matthew 28:5-6 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here He has risen just as He said.'
Mark 16:5-6 'As they entered the tomb they saw a young man dressed in a white robe. Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen, He is not here.'
Matthew 28:8 'So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy & ran to tell his disciples'
Mark 16:8 'Trembling & bewildered the women went out & fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.'
Jesus Himself testified to the reality of the resurrection.
Matthew 17:9 As they were coming down from the Mt of Transfiguration Jesus instructed them “Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.'
Luke 24:39 'Look at My hands & feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me & see. A ghost does not have flesh & bones as you see I have.'
John 20:26-29 'To Thomas Jesus said, Put your finger here, see My hands. Reach out your hand & put it into My side. Stop doubting & believe, Thomas said, “My Lord and My God. Jesus replied Because you have seen you believe. Blessed are those that have not seen and believe.'
Jesus Resurrection Body was Transformed Physical & Spiritual Body
Matthew 28:9 'Jesus said, ”Greetings. They came to him clasped His feet & worshipped Him'
They did not find His body. Him they did not see. John 20:15 'Sir if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him & I will get Him.' (Still thinking of His body)
Luke 24:42-43 'They gave Jesus a piece of broiled fish, he took it & ate it in their presence.'
'He was not seen by all the people, but by people whom God had already chosen. By us who ate & drank with Him after He rose from the dead.' Acts 10:41
Peter said, 'God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord & Christ' Acts 2:36
1 Corinthians 15:4-8 'Jesus was buried, was raised the third day according to the Scriptures & appeared to Peter, to the twelve after that to more than 500 brothers at the same time. Then appeared to James then to all the apostles & last of all to me.'
Acts 17:31 'He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all man by raising Him from the dead'
1 Corinthians 15:45 Jesus the “Last Adam” , a life giving spirit. Jesus & our bodies will be raised a spiritual body Transformed both physical & spiritual.
John 20:19 Though the disciples met behind locked doors, Jesus turned up in the room & stood among them. He broke bread with two in the house at Emmaus then disappeared.
Jesus resurrection is the first fruits (first effects of the resurrection) of the dead followed by us.
Jesus is the first to be raised from the dead who would never die again.
Revelation 1:18 'I am the Living One. I was dead & behold I am alive for ever & I hold the keys of death and Hades.'
Jesus resurrection shows the permanence of bodily life in heaven, Bodies are visible & recognisable. Moses & Elijah.
When Jesus returns, the souls departed will be reunited to resurrected bodies 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
We will be the same persons, transformed with some likeness 1 John 3:2.
Memories retained. Recognise one another.
The Resurrection of Jesus is believed & understood only through the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:7-8 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.'
John 16:7 'It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away the Counsellor will not come to you but if I go I will send Him to you.'
All the reasons for the death & resurrection of Jesus became clear to the disciples. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of the resurrection to us. It is to be believed by faith & not by sight.
By faith we know Jesus as the God-Man. Why He died . Why He was raised. Made His death have meaning. The resurrection has meaning because His death dealt with our sins.
Jesus is alive & will one day return . A day of great rejoicing or of great sorrow.
Easter without the cross & its shame is meaningless but the resurrection reveals that Jesus is alive vindicated by God who He is & what He did.
Romans 1:4 'Who through the Spirit of Holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God'
Romans 4:25 'He was delivered over to death for our sins & raised to life for our justification.'
