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How Do We Know Jesus Rose?

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

How do we know that Jesus actually rose from the dead? Aside from what the Bible says in I Peter 3:18, and elsewhere, what evidence do we have for Jesus’ resurrection?

Dr. R. Albert Mohler writes, “Christianity is founded upon certain nonnegotiable truths, and those truths, once known, are translated into beliefs. The beliefs that anchor our faith are those to which we are most passionately and personally committed, and these are our convictions. We do not believe in belief any more than we have faith in faith. We believe the gospel, and we have faith in Christ. Our beliefs have substance and our faith has an object.”

The resurrection is the foundation stone of the biblical theology of the church. It is the primary message the church must communicate to lost sinners. It is also the primary message the church must continue to communicate to the redeemed.

I refer you to two of three significant texts concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Both are taken from a message preached by the Apostle Peter.

  • Acts 2:22-24 – Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (Acts 2:22-24, ESV)
  • Acts 2:29-36 – Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:29-36, ESV)

The very first presentation of the gospel by the Apostle Peter centered upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To deny the resurrection of Christ is to deny the very gospel of Christ. Both truths are linked together.

More to come!

Soli deo Gloria!

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How Do We Know Jesus Died? (Part 5).

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

How do we know that Jesus actually died on the cross? Aside from what the Bible says in I Peter 3:18, and elsewhere, what evidence do we have for Jesus’ death? Or to put it another way, what are the alternative arguments for Jesus “not” dying on the cross and are they at all plausible?

First of all, there is the Swoon Theory. Second is the Stolen Body Theory. Third is the Hallucination Theory. Fourth is the Wrong Tomb Theory. Finally, there is the Body was Moved Theory. Perhaps, as some speculate, Jewish or Roman authorities moved the body. This is refuted by…

  • The Lack of Reasoning behind it. Having place guards at the tomb to insure no one would tamper with the body of Jesus, what would be the reason for moving the body? Certainly, it could be argued that the Jewish and/or Roman authorities did so to prevent the disciples from doing the very thing they suspected they would do; steal the body of Jesus. Therefore, by moving the body they would hide Christ’s body and therefore prevent the disciples from achieving their intended goal. But this leads us to a second point, which is…
  • The Apostles Preaching. In the face of such boldness on the part of the disciples, as documented in the Book of Acts, why wouldn’t the authorities simply produce the body of Jesus if it indeed had only been moved? The Jewish leaders were enraged at Peter and John in Acts 4 &5 but did nothing to neither prevent the message of the gospel nor suppress it. They also did nothing to produce the body of Jesus if indeed it had only been moved by the religious leaders.

I submit that it is beyond a reasonable doubt that Jesus Christ did in fact die on the cross. This is especially important for us today in light of Islam’s flagrant rejection of the crucifixion of Jesus.

Joined to the reality of Jesus’s death is also the reality of His resurrection. What evidences to we have concerning the resurrection of Christ? We will begin to examine these next time.

Soli deo Gloria!

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How Do We Know Jesus Died? (Part 4).

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

How do we know that Jesus actually died on the cross? Aside from what the Bible says in I Peter 3:18, and elsewhere, what evidence do we have for Jesus’ death? Or to put it another way, what are the alternative arguments for Jesus “not” dying on the cross and are they at all plausible?

First of all, there is the Swoon Theory. Second is the Stolen Body Theory. Third is the Hallucination Theory. Fourth is the Wrong Tomb Theory. This perspective states that the reason there wasn’t a body in the tomb is because everyone went to the wrong tomb. This is refuted by …

  • The women who took such special care to note where Jesus’ body had been laid (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55).
  • Peter and John also knew exactly where the tomb was even though they arrived separately (John 20:2-8).
  • The Roman Guards. How could they have been mistaken when such specific plans and procedures had been carefully thought out by the chief priests to guard the tomb so Jesus’ body would not be stolen? (Matthew 27:62-66; Matthew 28:1-4, 11).
  • Why were the guards bribed to lie about the empty tomb if they had been at the wrong tomb? (Matthew 28:12-15).
  • If it was the wrong tomb then why didn’t the chief priests, the Sanhedrin, the Roman Soldiers, Joseph of Arimathea, or even Pilate himself go to the right tomb and produce the body? The conclusion is simple. They were at the right tomb and it was empty because Jesus had risen from the dead.

More to come!

Soli deo Gloria!

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How Do We Know Jesus Died? (Part 3).

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

How do we know that Jesus actually died on the cross? Aside from what the Bible says in I Peter 3:18, and elsewhere, what evidence do we have for Jesus’ death? Or to put it another way, what are the alternative arguments for Jesus “not” dying on the cross and are they at all plausible?

First of all, there is the Swoon Theory. Second is the Stolen Body Theory. Third is the Hallucination Theory. This theory states that the disciples so wanted to believe that Jesus rose from the dead that they hallucinated and actually believed He had risen. This is refuted …

  • By Jesus’ Appearances. Too many people saw Christ after His death for his resurrection to be anything else than what it was. I Corinthians 15:1-8. When He appeared to the disciples they thought He was a ghost. He finally had to tell them to touch and handle Him. He even asked them for some fish. Luke 24:36-43.
  • The Skepticism of the Disciples. The disciples didn’t believe at first that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were skeptical (Mark 16:9-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-25). Thomas flat out refused to believe it was true unless he placed his hands in Jesus’ wounds. They thought words of His resurrection were “idle tales.”
  • The Behavior by the Women. If Mary, and the other women, were so convinced that He would rise then why did they go to the tomb on first day of week to anoint His body? They obviously weren’t expecting Him to be alive (John 20:1-10). In fact, Mary didn’t even recognize Jesus, but thought He was a gardener (John 20:11-18).

More to come! Soli deo Gloria!

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How Do We Know Jesus Died? (Part 2).

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

How do we know that Jesus actually died on the cross? Aside from what the Bible says in I Peter 3:18, and elsewhere, what evidence do we have for Jesus’ death? Or to put it another way, what are the alternative arguments for Jesus “not” dying on the cross and are they at all plausible?

First of all, there is the Swoon Theory. Second is the Stolen Body Theory. This theory argues that Christ didn’t rise from the dead but rather that His disciples stole the body and pretended to everyone that Christ had risen. This is refuted …

  • By the Actions of the Chief Priests. When the chief priests heard that the tomb of Jesus was empty and His body gone, they bribed the soldiers to say that Jesus’ disciples had stolen the body. This would protect the soldiers from punishment. However, why would the chief priest bribe the soldiers to say that Jesus’ disciples had stolen Christ’s body if the disciples had indeed stolen the body of the Lord? See Matthew 28:11-15.
  • The Presence of the Roman Guards. In Matthew 27:57-65 we see that the chief priests and the Pharisees came to Pilate and requested that the tomb be made secure so that the disciples couldn’t steal His body. They even had guards posted. They anticipated such a theft taking place.
  • The Sealing of the Tomb. Again in Matthew 27:65- 66 we see that the utmost caution was made to ensure that the tomb couldn’t be breached. Is it possible that the disciples got pass the guards, unsealed the tomb and took the body of Jesus without being detected?
  • The Fear of the Disciples. In Mark 14:50 along with Matthew 26:56 we see the disciples having fled in fear following the arrest of Jesus. With the exception of John (John 19:25-27) and maybe Peter (I Peter 2:21-25) none of the disciples were present at the crucifixion. In John 20:19 we see the disciples huddled in the upper room with the doors shut and locked for fear of the Jews. The disciples believed that as Jesus’ enemies had executed Him, they would soon be next. Is it plausible that these fearful men would seek out Jesus’ body and try to steal it?
  • The Orderly Condition of the Grave Clothes. In Luke 24:1-12 along with John 20:3-7 we see the burial clothes Jesus wore lying in the tomb. The handkerchief that had been wrapped around His head was not lying with the linen clothes but folded together in a place by itself. Does it make sense that had the disciples stolen the body they would have taken the time to neatly fold the strips of Jesus’ burial linen before they left the tomb?
  • The Preaching of the Gospel. If the disciples had stolen the body they would have known that the resurrection story was a lie. Why then would they preach a lie and in some cases die for a lie, knowing it was a lie? See Acts 4:8-12. While it makes sense to suffer persecution for something you believe is true, even if it is not, it makes no sense to be persecuted for something you know not to be true. The only logical explanation is that the disciples were willing to suffer and die for the gospel because they knew that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.

More to come!

Soli deo Gloria!

 

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How Do We Know Jesus Died?

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

How do we know that Jesus actually died on the cross? Aside from what the Bible says in I Peter 3:18, and elsewhere, what evidence do we have for Jesus’ death? Or to put it another way, what are the alternative arguments for Jesus “not” dying on the cross and are they at all plausible?

First of all, there is the Swoon Theory. This point of view teaches that Jesus didn’t die but simply fainted. The cool air of the tomb later revived him. He then lived many years thereafter and died a natural death. This is refuted …

  • By the soldiers. In John 19:31-37, the soldiers broke the legs of both of the criminals crucified on either side of Jesus for the purpose of hastening their death. This was so their bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath. However, when they got to Jesus they saw that He was already dead so they did not break His legs. They also stabbed Him in the side just to make sure that He was indeed deceased.
  • By Joseph of Arimathea. All four gospels (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-55; John 19:38-42) record Joseph of Arimathea, along with Nicodemas and other women, carefully anointing Jesus’ body for burial, binding it in strips of linen with spices and laying His body in a new tomb. Surely they would have noticed if He was still breathing.
  • By Nicodemas. (See previous point).
  • By Pilate. Mark 14:42-47 reports that Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus had already died after only being on the cross for six hours. Sometimes death by crucifixion could take up to six days. Therefore, Pilate had the centurion in charge of the execution verify that Jesus was indeed dead. The centurion did so.
  • By Jesus. If Jesus had simply fainted, and later regained consciousness, this would mean that Jesus would have been a part of a fragrant lie by pretending to have risen from the grave when He would have known that He had not. He would therefore neither be good, nor a moral teacher who should be followed but rather a liar to be rejected.

As the late Paul Little explains, “It is impossible that One who had just come forth from the grave half dead, who crept about weak and ill, who stood in need of medical treatment, of bandaging, strengthening, and tender care and who at last succumbed to such great suffering on the cross could ever have given the disciples the impression that He was the conqueror over death and the grave; that He was the Prince of Life.”

More to come!

Soli deo Gloria!

 

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Born to Die.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

In Jesus Christ, we see the person responsible for substitutionary atonement. We also see in this verse the purpose of substitutionary atonement: “that He (Jesus Christ) might bring us to God.”

The subject throughout this one verse remains Jesus Christ. Not only is He the only One who provides substitutionary atonement on the sinner’s behalf, He does so with a particular purpose in mind which is to reconcile sinners to God the Father.

Peter introduces a purpose clause in the latter part of this verse with the phrase “that he might bring.” To bring (προσάγω; prosago) means that Jesus was totally committed to the goal of saving sinners and bringing them into the presence of God. As our leader, Jesus leads us to the Father.

Jesus is able to do so not only because He died on the cross for sins, but also because He credits His righteousness on our behalf. We receive this righteousness, or justification, by faith. Romans 3:21-26 says, But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Jesus’ substitutionary atonement for sinners has open the way of salvation. Charles Wesley explained it this way in the following, beloved Christmas carol.

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With th’angelic hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

Verse 2

Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail th’incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus our Emmanuel
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

Verse 3

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace
Hail the Sun of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

Verse 4

Come Desire of nations come
Fix in us Thy humble home
Rise the woman’s conqu’ring seed
Bruise in us the serpent’s head
Adam’s likeness now efface
Stamp Thine image in its place
Second Adam from above
Reinstate us in Thy love
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.

Merry Christmas!

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How Marvelous, How Wonderful.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

In Jesus Christ, we see the person responsible for substitutionary atonement. Jesus the Messiah is the only one who is identified as one who suffered once for sins. Peter also identifies Jesus Christ as the only righteous one who died and rose again for the unrighteous.

The word righteous (δίκαιος; dikaios) means upright and just. Jesus was always in perfect harmony with God the Father’s will. He met the standard of what God requires. Jesus could do so because He is Emmanuel, God with us.

This righteous and just one died for the unrighteous (ἄδικος; adikos). To be unrighteous means to not be upright or just. It literally means to be crooked. Therefore, this is why we may call a criminal who has broken the law a “crook.”

This reminds us of 1 Peter 2:19 in that the sinlessness of Christ is the one perfect offering for sin. This is what gives Jesus Christ’s blood value. He had no sin himself. Lost sinners today still fail to understand this truth.

Hymn writer Charles Hutchinson Gabriel described Jesus’ atonement as follows. Let us also stand in amazement of God’s love for you and me.

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me
A sinner condemned unclean

Chorus

How marvelous how wonderful
And my song shall ever be
How marvelous how wonderful
Is my Savior’s love for me

Verse 2

He took my sins and my sorrows
He made them His very own
(And) He bore the burden to Calvary
And suffered and died alone

Verse 3

And with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see
It will be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me

Merry Christmas!

 

 

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Once for Sins.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

In Jesus Christ, we see the person responsible for substitutionary atonement. Jesus the Messiah is the only one who is identified as one who suffered once for sins. The word suffered (πάσχω; pascho) means to experience pain. Certainly, Jesus experienced excruciating physical pain and suffering while on the cross. But so did the two thieves crucified with Him. What made Jesus’ death on a cross different?

Peter gives us the answer this way: “Christ also suffered once for sins.” The phrase “once for sins” gives us the insight to the distinct difference in Jesus’ death. Jesus did not die because of sins He committed, but rather died on behalf of sinners like you and me.

The word “once” (ἅπαξ; hapax) means once and for all or once and never again. Jesus did not have to continually die again and again on behalf of sinners. One time was enough. The word once means one for all kinds of people and not once upon a time.  “For sins” (περί ἁμαρτία; peri hamartia) means that Jesus died, and only died, on behalf of or with regard to those who have done wrong: sinners.

Romans 6:10 says, “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”

Hebrews 10:8-10 says, “8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Peter wants persecuted believers to understand that the example of Christ should stir us to patient endurance. The death He died was for our sins, not his (I Peter 1:18). Jesus was, and remains, the sinner’s sin offering (Lev. 5:7; 6:30).

May we be strong in Christ remembering that the life we live, we live for Christ and the death we die should honor Christ. Have a blessed day!

Soli deo Gloria!

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The Great Exchange.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (I Peter 3:18).

No matter the degree of suffering we may encounter as believers in Christ, it pales in comparison to the suffering Jesus Christ experienced on the cross. In paralleling what he has already said in I Peter 2:24, the apostle returns to the core truth of the gospel: the substitutionary atonement provided by Jesus Christ.

I Peter 3:18 is in harmony with several other passages of Scripture not written by Peter, but which also teach substitutionary atonement.

  • Romans 4:24-25: It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
  • Galatians 3:13: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—
  • Hebrews 9:24-28: For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

Peter also illustrates the truths he gave in 3:13–17. Christ provides the perfect example. He suffered for doing what was right in the eyes of God (2:14). His sinless and righteous life caused the unjust anger of evil men. However, He did not fear them but kept trusting Himself to God. Jesus Christ died in the sinner’s place, keeping a clear conscience (cf. 2:23). As a result, God gave Him tremendous blessing and reward in His own resurrection and subsequent exultation.

While our suffering for Christ cannot equal what Christ accomplished in His suffering on the cross for sinners, we can be so identified with Him, and therefore bring Him glory, when we suffer for His name. Take time at this moment to thank God for the opportunities to suffer for the gospel.

Soli deo Gloria!