The Gospel Five

Five Fundamental Truths About Jesus

4. The Resurrection

Christianity is not about being nice and sweet and kind to everyone you meet. The Gospel makes bold statements: The Son of God was made flesh by being miraculously conceived by the Spirit and born of a Virgin; Jesus of Nazareth was a man approved of God by miracles and signs and wonders; Jesus is the promised Christ, the Messiah, and he was crucified, died, and was buried.

Is this the end of the history of Jesus? A bright beginning and a tragic ending? Nope!

Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun. 3 They said among themselves, “Who will roll the stone away from the door of the tomb for us?”

4 But when they looked, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. For it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white robe. And they were frightened.

6 He said to them, “Do not be frightened. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, as He told you.”

Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried; but on the third day he rose from the dead!

When the Bible says he was raised from the dead it does not mean he lives on in our memories, “What a great man he was!” Nor does it mean he died but his spirit lives on. It declares that he was dead but he came back to life. Literally, physically, bodily. That same body that washed the feet of the disciples, that was nailed to the cross, that was laid in the tomb, was raised the third day. This is how we know he paid our sin debt, that he defeated death – he was raised from the grave and lives forever!!

This the message we find the Apostles preaching in the book of Acts. We could look throughout the book, but the first sermon will be sufficient:

Acts 2:22-33
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:  
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:  
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.  
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:  
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:  
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.  
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.  
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;  
31 He seeing this before spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.  
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted...

Loosed the pains of death ... neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption ... the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption. Jesus died, was buried, and the third day was raised from the dead, literally, physically, bodily!

As Jesus himself said in Revelation 1:17-18 

Fear not; I am the first and the last: and the one who lives, and was dead, and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and I have the keys of hell and of death.