3/31/13    DESIGN FOR LIFE

The Resurrection - DID IT REALLY HAPPEN?

    For another time, another year, we have talked about the whole story - from Christmas and the birth of Jesus - to His life and teachings - to His death, burial and resurrection.  While all of the details are important, I think it could be said that the resurrection is the most important, for, without that, the rest of the story loses its meaning.  Without the resurrection, all of the teachings and good that Jesus did are lost in the narrative.
    There is no doubt that the resurrection was a miracle.  Listen to the explanation of one doctor -- Doctor Explores the Medical Miracle of the Resurrection
    Thomas A. Miller, a surgeon and researcher, explores the miracle of Christ’s resurrection from a medical angle. Dr. Miller notes that the body contains trillions and maybe even 100 trillion cells. Each one of these cells carries out thousands of different chemical reactions. Thus a bodily resurrection would require “some phenomenal power to energize life into all these individual cells, but it would have to do so in such a way that specialized nerve cells could resume their unique function, heart cells perform theirs, blood cells and bone cells do theirs, and so on.”
Dr. Miller continues:
    Consider the heart as just one example. It beats on average 70 times a minute, 4,200 times an hour, 100,800 times a day … and 36,288,000 times a year …. And for that to happen, thousands of processes within each cell must act in a coordinated way to ensure that the blood entering the right side of the heart is effectively propelled into the lungs, where the red blood cells contained in it discharge carbon dioxide and pick up oxygen, following which it returns to the left side of the heart where it is propelled to the tissues of the rest of the body, so that they might receive precious oxygen they need to sustain their many functions. This all happens at least every second in such a smooth fashion that we are not even aware of it. And at the moment we die, all these processes came to a screeching halt.
    A bodily resurrection implies that thousands of processes in trillions of cells must be restarted with the unique intricacy and inter-coordination that existed before death. Dr. Miller notes that this would require not just incredible power but also unimaginable knowledge. He writes:
    Even the latest science has not unraveled the complete mystery of each of the cells of our bodies, and how they interact and “talk” with one another …. But for the resurrection of Jesus to occur, all of that information had to be known in its completeness and totality, and known some two thousand years ago.
Thomas A. Miller, MD, Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead? (Crossway, 2013), pp. 133-136
    Yes, we are talking about a miracle.  Some great questions:
□    Is there any evidence that this miracle happened?
□    Do we simply have to take it by blind faith because some religious premise tells us to?
□    Are we forbidden to ask questions?
□    Is it like trying to jump across the Grand Canyon?
    I want to read a lengthy passage of scripture.  Note the strong defense of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:1-19 NLT
1 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.  (V. 2 NIV By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.)
    3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.
6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.
    9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.
    12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.
18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
    If Christ has not been raised.  Back then, as today, people were denying Christ’s literal, physical resurrection.  Paul’s reaction was to declare that if Jesus had not raised from the dead, then there is no deliverance and freedom from sin.  There is no chance for a transformed life.  It is obvious that all who deny the resurrection are denying the foundation of the faith.  They are denying what Christianity is all about and are false witnesses who speak against God and his Word. Their faith is worthless.
To Be Pitied, V. 19
The Greek word means “miserable, pitiable”.  If those who say that our resurrection is a false hope are right, then our whole Christian life is based on a fraud, and even if we felt happy, that would be a miserable sort of happiness. The same word is used in Revelation 3:17 of the church of Laodicea.  They let pride and satisfaction in material things rob them of spiritual hunger and a true, intimate knowledge of God.  They did not feel miserable, but they were to be pitied.
Fire Bible note
    The evidence of the witness of the disciples and their willingness to die for the testimony of the resurrection.
Acts 4, Peter’s testimony before the religious leaders.
Acts 4:7-11 NKJV
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?"
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.
    No one is willing to die for what they know is a lie.  Their boldness came, in part, because of the full assurance they had that Jesus had resurrected from the dead.
    Let’s look at the situation of those who were following Jesus when He died.  Generally, they were depressed and discouraged.  They ran and hid.  Anything that was being accomplished by Jesus and His followers was stopped in its tracks.
    Soon, they were completely different.  They came together again and committed themselves to spreading the word of the resurrection.  They were very clear about spreading the message of the resurrection.  They declared that Jesus had died, was buried and then rose from the grave, back to life.
    This became a lifetime commitment to these early followers of Jesus.  They didn’t get rich and famous because of it.  It was a hard life, often lacking in resources and risking life and limb.  Many went to prison or were killed for their faith.
    The early believers knew the resurrection was a fact.  They had personally seen Him, touched, talked with and ate lunch with Him.  Nobody dies for what they know is a lie.
    Trusting Jesus is not some blind faith in some ancient ritual.  It is built on a solid foundation.  The Bible has an amazing track record, validated by thousands of years of evidence.  The thousands of ancient manuscripts prove the message has not changed.  Millions of changed lives witness to the fact that Jesus is real and does what He says He will do.
    Receive Him.  He can handle the tough questions.  He made you and can help you see the awesomeness of God.  Note:
Romans 11:33 NIV
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
God’s Invitation.
Romans 10:9-10, 13 NIV
9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”