He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Paul tells us, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Those are pretty tough words. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then we would have no reason to be a Christian. If Christ had not risen from the dead, we would still be sinners and eternally lost. If Christ had not risen from the dead, then why would we be here this morning? The heart of our Christian faith is this matter of Jesus’ resurrection. Did Jesus rise from the dead? How do we know? This morning we want to take the time to look at the evidence, to look at the claims and counter claims, the other explanations of the evidence so that we can know for sure, that we can have the confidence and security that in fact, Jesus did rise from the dead and as He rose from the dead, by His grace, through faith in Him, faith He has given to us, we know that we too will rise again to eternal life in heaven.
So, let us look at the evidence. As we look at the evidence for Jesus resurrection we want to make sure that we understand that evidence does not speak. If you have been in our Adult Bible Class on Sunday mornings, especially as we have looked at a lot of evidence for creation, over evolution, you might remember that we talked about this very issue, that evidence does not speak. Evidence does not speak, but it must be interpreted and it is interpreted according to one’s presupposition or world view. In other words, we interpret what we see either from the starting point that there is no God or as Christians, we believe the Bible’s interpretation is the best and truest and so we look at all the evidence beginning with God.
The main evidence we want to look at this morning is the evidence of an empty tomb. Dr. Paul Maier in his book, In the Fullness of Time, states, “. . . an empty tomb does not prove a resurrection, although a resurrection would require an empty tomb. Its occupancy, indeed, would effectively disprove it.” So, we have the evidence of an empty tomb and this evidence cannot and is not denied by anyone. It is the explanation of this evidence that we will want to examine. How can there be an empty tomb?
There are basically two explanations concerning the evidence of an empty tomb. The first explanation is the Jewish claim which is that the body was stolen. Matthew details this explanation when the guards admitted that the tomb was empty and this explanation is still propagated even today. So, one explanation of the empty tomb is that the body was stolen. This claim cannot be substantiated, however as we look at the evidence and as we seek to explain the evidence what cannot be overlooked is that this explanation is still a claim of a body not in the tomb.
According to Roman law, grave violations were strictly prohibited with strict penalties. If someone did steal the body of Jesus, there would be a hefty price to pay. Thus, if the body were stolen, there would most certainly be a search party, questions would be asked, and an explanation would have been forthcoming. Yet, as we look at the evidence we see that no one was accused or convicted of the crime of robbing the grave, thus this negates the explanation that the body was stolen.
The best explanation of the evidence is what happened in and around Jerusalem over the next seven weeks or forty days, that are the best proof of the resurrection. It was reported over and over by many and various people that Jesus was seen to be alive. It was reported by Jesus’ own disciples, to Peter, to James, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to the disciples without Thomas and to the disciples with Thomas, by various women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Salome, and so forth, and even by over 500 witnesses mentioned by Paul in first Corinthians. All these witnesses saw Jesus alive. Even Thomas placed his fingers in Jesus’ hands and side. They watched as Jesus ate.
Yet, there is more evidence that Jesus rose. The Christian movement is probably the greatest evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. What was formerly important, one’s Jewish roots, became unimportant as the fulfillment of the work of the Messiah was complete and fulfilled. For those of Jesus’ own people, for those whose birth connected them to the covenant of the line of the fulfillment of the Messiah, for the believing Jews their birth heritage was no longer important instead what was important was to be known as a Christians. And thus, contrary to what secular history might tell you, this was not the birth of the Christian religion, but rather the birth of Judaism. The Christian religion goes back to the Garden of Eden and God’s promise to send a Messiah, a Savior. Jesus’ birth as the Messiah, as the Savior, was the fulfillment of the promise in Eden and so those who refused and rejected Jesus truly began their own religion, Judaism.
What does this mean? Today we celebrate an empty tomb. We celebrate the best explanation for the empty tomb is that Jesus rose from the dead. We celebrate the witnesses who saw Jesus alive. We celebrate the disciples who bore witness, even to death of the resurrection of Jesus. We celebrate the change in the world, especially in the church, that is that because of the fulfillment of the promise of a Savior given in the Garden of Eden, was fulfilled, one’s physical line of descent was no longer important, as Jesus Himself said, God can raise children of Abraham from stones. We are indeed God’s children, children of Abraham, children of the promise, not by birth, but by God’s grace, through faith, given to us.
Because of Jesus’ resurrection, because we know that we have forgiveness of sins, of all our sins, so then we confess our sins. We are bold to confess that we are conceived and born in sin, that every inclination of our heart is evil all the time, that we sin in thought, word and deed, that we sin sins of omission, not doing what we should be doing and sins of commission, doing what we should not be doing. We confess our sins because we know that our sins have been forgiven and to fail to confess is to refuse the forgiveness that Jesus earned for us. Actually, this is what separates us Lutherans from so many other denominations, our understanding of justification, sanctification and true Christian spirituality as it is called today. We are not spiritual because we have to do something for God. We are not made right before God because of what we do or do not do. Rather, we are spiritual, we are justified because of what God has done, does and continues to do for us and in us. Thus, we rejoice that we live lives as sinner/saints, sinful yet forgiven.
And so we rejoice in Jesus’ life, for us. The fullness of the Gospel is that Jesus lived for us. Remember God’s command is that we are perfect as He is perfect. Because we cannot be perfect, Jesus came to live in perfection for us, and He did. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, so He was conceived in perfection and He lived perfectly, obeying all God’s Laws; ceremonial, moral and civil. He fulfilled all God’s promises perfectly.
After living perfectly, Jesus took our sins upon Himself, our sins and the sins of all people, of all places, of all times. Thus, we mourn Jesus taking our sins and suffering. We mourn that Jesus had to suffer the eternal spiritual death penalty, hell, for us, in our place.
And we mourn Jesus’ death. Death was never and still is not a part of God’s plan. Death is a result of sin. Because we are conceived and born in sin, because we actually sin ourselves, the result is that dying we will die. Yet, Jesus died for us. He paid the eternal punishment so that although we may suffer the temporal consequences of our sins, we may die a physical death, we will never have to die an eternal spiritual death.
Then, we rejoice in His great love and substitution for us. We rejoice that God created us to love us. We rejoice that He does love us and that He has shown His love for us in this, no greater love can someone have than they would lay down their life for another, and that is what Jesus did for us. And He continues to love us and show His love for us in His constant forgiving us for our sin.
This morning and most greatly, then, we rejoice in His resurrection. Again, as Paul says, if He had not risen our faith would be in vain and we would, of all people, be most pitied. But, as we look at the evidence, as we explain the evidence, especially, as we start with God’s explanation of the evidence in His own Word, we know that His Word is faithful and true in all aspects and so we know that Jesus has risen from the dead, and that He lives and reigns to all eternity.
Finally, we rejoice in and await fulfillment to return to take us to be with Himself, either at His return or our going to Him and we have confidence in our eternal salvation. Our lives on this earth are short and often difficult, yet we know that even at a hundred years, our life on this earth is nothing. We understand, then, the importance of maintaining our faith, of looking forward to and being ready for our passing on from this world or our Lord’s return, knowing neither the day nor the hour.
What a great God we have. What a God of love we have. What a gift giving God we have. How can we not rejoice and celebrate. He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
So, let us look at the evidence. As we look at the evidence for Jesus resurrection we want to make sure that we understand that evidence does not speak. If you have been in our Adult Bible Class on Sunday mornings, especially as we have looked at a lot of evidence for creation, over evolution, you might remember that we talked about this very issue, that evidence does not speak. Evidence does not speak, but it must be interpreted and it is interpreted according to one’s presupposition or world view. In other words, we interpret what we see either from the starting point that there is no God or as Christians, we believe the Bible’s interpretation is the best and truest and so we look at all the evidence beginning with God.
The main evidence we want to look at this morning is the evidence of an empty tomb. Dr. Paul Maier in his book, In the Fullness of Time, states, “. . . an empty tomb does not prove a resurrection, although a resurrection would require an empty tomb. Its occupancy, indeed, would effectively disprove it.” So, we have the evidence of an empty tomb and this evidence cannot and is not denied by anyone. It is the explanation of this evidence that we will want to examine. How can there be an empty tomb?
There are basically two explanations concerning the evidence of an empty tomb. The first explanation is the Jewish claim which is that the body was stolen. Matthew details this explanation when the guards admitted that the tomb was empty and this explanation is still propagated even today. So, one explanation of the empty tomb is that the body was stolen. This claim cannot be substantiated, however as we look at the evidence and as we seek to explain the evidence what cannot be overlooked is that this explanation is still a claim of a body not in the tomb.
According to Roman law, grave violations were strictly prohibited with strict penalties. If someone did steal the body of Jesus, there would be a hefty price to pay. Thus, if the body were stolen, there would most certainly be a search party, questions would be asked, and an explanation would have been forthcoming. Yet, as we look at the evidence we see that no one was accused or convicted of the crime of robbing the grave, thus this negates the explanation that the body was stolen.
The best explanation of the evidence is what happened in and around Jerusalem over the next seven weeks or forty days, that are the best proof of the resurrection. It was reported over and over by many and various people that Jesus was seen to be alive. It was reported by Jesus’ own disciples, to Peter, to James, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to the disciples without Thomas and to the disciples with Thomas, by various women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Salome, and so forth, and even by over 500 witnesses mentioned by Paul in first Corinthians. All these witnesses saw Jesus alive. Even Thomas placed his fingers in Jesus’ hands and side. They watched as Jesus ate.
Yet, there is more evidence that Jesus rose. The Christian movement is probably the greatest evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. What was formerly important, one’s Jewish roots, became unimportant as the fulfillment of the work of the Messiah was complete and fulfilled. For those of Jesus’ own people, for those whose birth connected them to the covenant of the line of the fulfillment of the Messiah, for the believing Jews their birth heritage was no longer important instead what was important was to be known as a Christians. And thus, contrary to what secular history might tell you, this was not the birth of the Christian religion, but rather the birth of Judaism. The Christian religion goes back to the Garden of Eden and God’s promise to send a Messiah, a Savior. Jesus’ birth as the Messiah, as the Savior, was the fulfillment of the promise in Eden and so those who refused and rejected Jesus truly began their own religion, Judaism.
What does this mean? Today we celebrate an empty tomb. We celebrate the best explanation for the empty tomb is that Jesus rose from the dead. We celebrate the witnesses who saw Jesus alive. We celebrate the disciples who bore witness, even to death of the resurrection of Jesus. We celebrate the change in the world, especially in the church, that is that because of the fulfillment of the promise of a Savior given in the Garden of Eden, was fulfilled, one’s physical line of descent was no longer important, as Jesus Himself said, God can raise children of Abraham from stones. We are indeed God’s children, children of Abraham, children of the promise, not by birth, but by God’s grace, through faith, given to us.
Because of Jesus’ resurrection, because we know that we have forgiveness of sins, of all our sins, so then we confess our sins. We are bold to confess that we are conceived and born in sin, that every inclination of our heart is evil all the time, that we sin in thought, word and deed, that we sin sins of omission, not doing what we should be doing and sins of commission, doing what we should not be doing. We confess our sins because we know that our sins have been forgiven and to fail to confess is to refuse the forgiveness that Jesus earned for us. Actually, this is what separates us Lutherans from so many other denominations, our understanding of justification, sanctification and true Christian spirituality as it is called today. We are not spiritual because we have to do something for God. We are not made right before God because of what we do or do not do. Rather, we are spiritual, we are justified because of what God has done, does and continues to do for us and in us. Thus, we rejoice that we live lives as sinner/saints, sinful yet forgiven.
And so we rejoice in Jesus’ life, for us. The fullness of the Gospel is that Jesus lived for us. Remember God’s command is that we are perfect as He is perfect. Because we cannot be perfect, Jesus came to live in perfection for us, and He did. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, so He was conceived in perfection and He lived perfectly, obeying all God’s Laws; ceremonial, moral and civil. He fulfilled all God’s promises perfectly.
After living perfectly, Jesus took our sins upon Himself, our sins and the sins of all people, of all places, of all times. Thus, we mourn Jesus taking our sins and suffering. We mourn that Jesus had to suffer the eternal spiritual death penalty, hell, for us, in our place.
And we mourn Jesus’ death. Death was never and still is not a part of God’s plan. Death is a result of sin. Because we are conceived and born in sin, because we actually sin ourselves, the result is that dying we will die. Yet, Jesus died for us. He paid the eternal punishment so that although we may suffer the temporal consequences of our sins, we may die a physical death, we will never have to die an eternal spiritual death.
Then, we rejoice in His great love and substitution for us. We rejoice that God created us to love us. We rejoice that He does love us and that He has shown His love for us in this, no greater love can someone have than they would lay down their life for another, and that is what Jesus did for us. And He continues to love us and show His love for us in His constant forgiving us for our sin.
This morning and most greatly, then, we rejoice in His resurrection. Again, as Paul says, if He had not risen our faith would be in vain and we would, of all people, be most pitied. But, as we look at the evidence, as we explain the evidence, especially, as we start with God’s explanation of the evidence in His own Word, we know that His Word is faithful and true in all aspects and so we know that Jesus has risen from the dead, and that He lives and reigns to all eternity.
Finally, we rejoice in and await fulfillment to return to take us to be with Himself, either at His return or our going to Him and we have confidence in our eternal salvation. Our lives on this earth are short and often difficult, yet we know that even at a hundred years, our life on this earth is nothing. We understand, then, the importance of maintaining our faith, of looking forward to and being ready for our passing on from this world or our Lord’s return, knowing neither the day nor the hour.
What a great God we have. What a God of love we have. What a gift giving God we have. How can we not rejoice and celebrate. He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
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