THE BIBLICAL TESTIMONY CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

THE BIBLICAL TESTIMONY CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

Introduction: cf. "according to the Scriptures" -- 1 Cor. 15:4. This verse refers to the Old Testament mainly - cf. Luke 24:27, 44-46.
"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"
"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:"
"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:"

Testimony of Old Testament

Predicted in Old Testament Prophecy.

Psa. 16:10 - who? See Acts 2:25-31, 13:35-37 "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
Psa. 2:7 - what?  See Acts 13:33-37 "I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."
Isa. 53:10 - who? See Matt. 8:17 "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."
Psa. 22:22 (contrast the previous verses) "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee."

Foreshadowed by Old Testament types. Jonah (Matt. 12:40) "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Lev. 14:49-53 (no direct proof, but cf. Heb. 10:1). "And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water: And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times: And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet: But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean."
"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect."

Gen. 22 (Abraham and Isaac) cf. Heb. 11:19, Rom. 8:32, John 8:56.

Possibly inferred by the Old Testament doctrine of Messiah. cf. the general picture (Isa. 9:6-7). "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
also Psa. 72; esp. v. 15 - "He shall live" v. 17 - "Endure forever"

Possibly inferred from Old Testament eschatology. One thing becomes clear -- the righteous will be raised from dead.
Exodus 3:6   cf. Matt. 22:32 "Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God."
"I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
Job 19:25 "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:"
Isa. 26:19 "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead."
Daniel 12:1-2 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

New Testament Testimony to Resurrection of Christ.

Anticipated by the Lord Himself.

Direct Claims

John 2:18-22 "Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said."
John 10:18 "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"

Matt. 12:38-40 "Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Matt. 16:21 "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."
Matt. 17:9,23 "And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead." "And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry."
Matt. 20:19 "And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again."
Matt. 26:32 "But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee."

Mark 8:31 "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."
Mark 9:9-10, 31-32 "And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean." "For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him."
Mark 10:34 "And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again."
Mark 14:28 "But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee."

Luke 9:22 "Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day."
Luke 16:30-31 "And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."Luke 18:33,34 "And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken."

Certified by His Enemies

Matt. 27:63 "Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again."
Mark 15:29 "And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,"

Implied in His Eschatology

Matt. 25:31ff "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory...."
Matt. 26:64 "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
John 5:28-29 "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

Attested by the New Testament Writers

How Many? Who? Order?

(1)  Mark - 16:1-8
(2)  Matthew - 28
(3)  Luke - 24 (also Acts 1)
(4)  John - 20,21 (also Revelation)
(5)  Paul - all epistles
(6)  Peter - 1 Peter 1:3
(7)  James - 5:7, with 2:1
(8)  Jude - verse 14, with verse 4

Who were these Writers? 3 apostles - Matthew, John, Peter
1 noted Pharisee - Paul
1 physician - Luke
1 associate of Paul - Mark, a member of original Pentecost group, who presents Peter's viewpoint in Gospel of Mark (see 1 Peter 5:13 - "Mark my son").
2 brothers of the Lord - James and Jude

Inseparably Embodied in New Testament Theology

Matters of Christian belief salvation - Rom. 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Justification - Rom. 4:25 "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

Matters of Christian morality worldliness - 1 Cor. 15:32-34 "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die. e not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame."

Matters of Christian service steadfastness - 1 Cor. 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

Matters of Christian hope for deceased loved ones - 1 Thess. 4:13-14 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."

Matters of Christian Experience & Power - Phil. 3:10 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."