Rev. David Holwick N
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
April 15, 1990
1 Corinthians 15
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I. The dilemma of death.
A. Job 14:14 - "If a man die, shall he live again?"
1) Plato's answer:
"I hope so, but no man can know."
B. Tombs of great philosophers and religious leaders are occupied.
1) Archaeologists were asked if ancient crucifixion victim was
Jesus Christ.
2) One of them replied at the news-conference:
"Of course not. Jesus rose from the dead;
his body is gone."
C. Christians claim that Jesus' tomb is empty.
II. Centrality of Resurrection.
A. Apostle Paul rested his whole case on it. 1 Cor 15:14
"If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless
and so is your faith."
B. Foes also focus on it.
1) (Frank Morison and "Who Moved the Stone?")
A remarkable attack was contemplated in the 1930's by a young
British lawyer named Frank Morison.
He was convinced that the Resurrection was a mere fairy tale.
Sensing that it was the central point of the Christian faith,
he decided to do the world a favor by once and for all
exposing it as a fraud and superstition.
As a lawyer, he began to rigidly sift the evidence and admitted
nothing as evidence which did not meet the criteria for a
law court today.
However, while Morison was doing his research, a remarkable thing
happened.
The case was not nearly as easy as he had supposed.
Frank Morison found that the evidence for the Resurrection was so
overwhelming he was forced to accept it.
He became a believer.
The book he ended up writing is called "Who Moved the Stone?".
It sets forth the evidence for the resurrection of Christ,
and its first chapter is called,
"The Book that Refused to be Written."
#1155
C. Significance of resurrection:
1) Most sensational event in history if true.
2) Christianity is a museum piece if false.
a) Martyrs are then fools.
III. Facts to be considered.
A. Existence of Christian church.
B. Sunday as Christian day of worship.
C. Bible's predictions of resurrection of Messiah.
D. MAIN TWO FACTS of Resurrection of Jesus.
1) Empty tomb.
2) Appearances of risen Christ.
VI. The empty tomb. 1 Cor 15:4
A. Body stolen. Matthew 27:64
1) Guards testified about what happened while they slept.
a) Such testimony has never been allowed.
b) Roman soldiers should have faced the death penalty.
c) Must have been bribed, as Bible says.
2) Disciples would then be liars.
a) Why would they die for it?
Paul Little: #1156
"Men will die for what they believe to be true,
though it may actually be false.
They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie.
If a man ever tells the truth, it is on his deathbed."
B. Authorities moved the body.
1) Why post guards?
2) They could have refuted resurrection by parading body.
a) Obviously they did not know where it was.
C. Women went to wrong tomb. (They imagined it was empty.)
1) Same weaknesses as #2.
a) The enemies could have produced the right tomb, and body.
D. Swoon theory.
1) (Modern theory) Jesus did not really die.
a) Victorians feared this so much they put up grave flags
with the lanyard in the casket. #1171
2) Requires greater miracle - survival of crucifixion.
Suppose he survived in tomb 3 days without food or water.
Suppose he freed himself from the grave clothes,
without in any way disturbing them,
and then went to the huge stone which sealed the tomb.
He would have had to move it with hands that had been pierced
by spikes.
He would then have to overcome the armed Roman guards and walk
14 miles to the town of Emmaus and back.
This was to loosen up his feet after the spikes had pierced
them, to get in shaped for his walk all the way to Galilee,
where he climbed a mountain.
Such a belief is more fantastic than the simple fact of the
Resurrection itself.
#1157
E. Jesus was really raised from the dead.
1) The tomb was empty because Jesus was not there.
V. Appearances of Jesus after his death. 1 Cor 15:5
A. Hallucinations.
1) Variations of theory:
a) Magic mushrooms at Last Supper?
b) Wishful thinking.
1> Note that impressionable women were first to see him.
A> A woman's testimony not valid in court.
B> The disciples themselves did not believe them.
2) Weaknesses of hallucination theory:
a) Different types of people involved.
1> Hallucinations are very individualistic.
A> Some people are susceptible, some are not.
2> Large groups involved - 500+ at once. 1 Cor 15:6
b) Detailed events are described.
1> Mass hallucinations are vague, unfocused.
2> Resurrection appearances occurred over an extended
period of time.
c) The disciples were not expecting it.
1> They had to be persuaded against their wills.
2> Even the testimony of other disciples did not
convince them.
A> Mary came with burial spices.
B> Thomas had to see physical Jesus.
B. Evolved from a confused story.
1) Popular with liberal scholars like Bultmann.
a) Disciples had an "experience", but nothing happened
in reality.
b) Inspiring language, but Resurrection is no more
historical than Santa Claus.
2) Difficulties.
a) The NT treats it as a real event, not a story.
b) Accounts of Resurrection occur at different levels in NT.
1> It is obvious that several of the accounts are
independent.
2> Different angles are given, but same basic facts.
c) Paul refers to 500 eyewitnesses who could be consulted.
VI. Most convincing proof - evidence we can see in people's lives today.
A. Millions testify that Jesus is alive to them in a personal way.
1) In resurrection, Jesus' body was changed.
2) In salvation, our lives are changed.
a) We can have a new beginning.
3) In future our bodies will also be changed.
a) Jesus was a sneak preview of what is in store for us.
B. The fearful disciples were changed into courageous men.
1) What has resurrection meant to you?
2) Invitation of Revelation 3:20.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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