"The Certain Foudation of Christ's Physical Resurrection!" 1 Cor. 15:1-11

Easter Dawn, The Resurrection of Our Lord                   31-March-2024
Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Sermon Theme: The Certain Foundation of Christ’s Physical Resurrection! I. The Holy Scriptures! (Vs.1-4). II. Historical Eyewitness Testimony! (Vs.5-8) III. Life Changing Grace! (Vs.9-11)
 
I.N.R.I. “Alleluia! The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Creation begins new again! The 8th day of creation dawns! The first day of the new creation! Seven hundred years before Easter Sunday the Holy Spirit revealed it’s victory feast to the prophet Isaiah. The Lord Himself would win the victory over Satan, sin, and death for fallen humanity. On the mount He would destroy the devil’s deceptive cocoon of lies which enslave and hold us captive. On the mount the Lord God Jesus forever defeated death - thirsting on the cross to swallow up death forever -drinking its cups last bitter dregs. By Himself alone, the God/Man Jesus shoulders the Law’s just rebuke for us fallen sinners. Rising triumphant from the grave speaking victory, “Peace!” “Receive the Holy Spirit!” “I forgive you all your sins!”
    Isaiah foresaw it, Jesus’ apostles, disciples, and the women who cared for them saw with their own eyes. John records his historical eyewitness account including Mary Magdalene’s report from Jesus’ grave as Sunday broke into the 8th day of creation. Seeing that the large stone that had sealed Jesus’ tomb had been violently thrown out of its groove and lay flat on the ground - she assumed the worse. Jesus enemies desecrated His grave to mock the dead Teacher -running to alert Peter and John. Peter and John run to the tomb investigating the crime scene. Entering the tomb - there is no sign of a violent stealing of Jesus’ body. His grave clothes are exactly as they had covered His corpse - neatly lie empty. The piece of cloth which was wrapped around His bloody head has been carefully folded, laid on a shelf by itself. Far from a crime scene - it looked more like a room in an inn, whose occupant got up, straightened the sheets, and neatly folded and laid his bed clothes aside, to go on his way.
    Peter and John were with Jesus in Gethsemane. They heard Him pray to His Father about the cup that He must drink. As Isaiah saw the God/Man swallow the cup of our sin, rebuke, and death down to its bitter dregs. Sipping the last John heard Him cry in triumph - “It Is Finished!” Death has been swallowed up by the Lord of Life. We die - one day our life will be taken from us. Jesus’ life isn’t taken from Him. He alone has the power to lay down His life and power to take it up again - according to the Father’s command. The historian Luke records eyewitness testimony of Jesus last words on the cross. Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.
      Today death is swallowed up - the grave must serve us only as a borrowed resting place for a little while. Woman, man, child why are you weeping? Jesus of Nazareth is risen! He appears in His body still bearing the marks of our salvation to Mary. At first she assumes He is the Gardener. Then He calls her by name, and she clings to her Teacher. Reconciliation is between God the Father and sinful mankind is found in the living flesh and blood of Jesus of Nazareth. The Creator in our flesh makes all things new today!
  Rejoice all mourners. Rejoice all crushed sinners. Rejoice - Jesus lives! The victory’s won FOR YOU! On the basis of our text and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit learn: The Certain Foundation of Christ’s Physical Resurrection! I. The Holy Scriptures! (Vs.1-4). II. Historical Eyewitness Testimony! (Vs.5-8) III. Life Changing Grace! (Vs.9-11)
I. Satan, the fallen creature angel, seeks to rob Christianity of its foundation - its sure and certain hope! “Has God indeed said...” deceptive words he hissed to our first parents. Words that the world still echo for the murderous father of lies. The world scoffs - “dead men don’t rise” but then it cryogenically freezes bodies in hope that science some day can resurrect their bodies and cure their illness. Satan the white devil lures many with a false spirituality - human physicality doesn’t matter - true life is to escape from its confines and to float in the shadows as a soul/spirit being. It is a lie at the heart of all false religions.
    Christianity teaches the Truth! Jesus prays to the Father, John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. The Christian’s sure and certain hope rests in God’s Written eternal Word. Listen! (Vs.1-2) Christianity is the historical faith. It is rooted in reality, begins with history. The Holy Bible begins with the advent of history as our Triune God creates all things in six 24 hour days by the power of His Word over six thousand years ago. The world mocks true history wanting to delete the Creator from His Creation with the man made myth of evolution, billions of years, and its religion of scientism. Satan lies that the Holy Bible is unscientific. Beware of the Lie seeking to steal from you God’s written historical records of prophets, kings, wisemen, evangelists, and apostles.     The Gospel isn’t a fairy tale - nor is it an non-descript good news for trying times. The Gospel is saving the saving reality of God’s rescue of lost mankind through the flesh and blood of the God/Man Jesus. It is a living active Word preached by the Holy Spirit through men called and sent within Christ’s Church. It is the power of God unto salvation - bringing us from unbelief to faith. God the Holy Spirit through it opens our hearts born anew to receive it and stand in The Faith. It alone saves knitting us into Christ Jesus trusting Him our Redeemer! Hold fast the Truth! Don’t let the Father of lies steal it from you! The world mock you away from it! Your fallen flesh to surrender it for its false desires!
    Hear the Truth! (Vs.3-4) Paul didn’t invent Christianity, as liars in the media promote. He delivered what he received. From whom? The historical written records of God’s people from Genesis to Malachi. From his youth Paul studied Scripture at Gamaliel’s feet in Jerusalem. Paul is the greatest Old Testament scholar. What hope is found for rebellious sinful captive mankind in the Old Testament? Our fallen parents heard the Gospel preached to them in Genesis 3:15. The Male Seed born of a woman alone would undo what Satan had done. He would crush Satan’s serpentine head - He would take the deadly venom into the heel of His body and lay down His life to reclaim us from the grave and death. Again the Lord preaches Jesus’ substitute sacrifice to Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah - later named Zion- the Temple Mount - with its ridge line named Golgotha. In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided - The Messiah - the Anointed - the Christ would lay down His life as the Substitute for sinners - He died for our sins meeting justice’s demand.
    He was buried! Truly dead. On the sixth day our Creator carefully formed Adam from the clay breathing him alive by His Holy Spirit - the Lord and Giver of Life. We are body and soul creatures. Jesus comes to reclaim, save, sanctify, and raise both our body and soul. He is laid in your tomb - sanctifying your grave - as a temporary resting place - until eternal Easter breaks with final coming to judge the living and the dead.
    Scripture teaches He was raise again to new life on the 3rd day. Already in Genesis 1, history records that on the third day the Lord God brought forth the dry land and filled it with verdant life. Search the Scriptures the third day surfaces as the day of hope and resurrection life - it testified of Jesus.  
    Despairing disciples fled Jerusalem to travel to Emmaus. A Stranger joins them on their journey wondering why they are despairing. They speak of Jesus’ death and all their hope gone. They had heard reports that Jesus had risen, but dead men don’t walk out of the grave. The historian Luke records, Luke 24:25-27 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! (26) Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" (27) And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” If only we had our risen Lord Jesus’ teaching to see Him clearly in the Old Testament! YOU DO! Read, mark, learn, inwardly digest the Gospels and Epistles - trace their teachings back to Genesis 1:1. Rejoice! The Truth - The Holy Scriptures - True History - True Reality- He lives!
II. Historical events are based on eyewitness testimony. Still some deny that Neal Armstrong stepped foot on the moon in July 20th, 1969 in the Apollo 11 mission. People deny the over 60 million unborn babies slaughter in the holocaust of our abortion industry. Eyewitness evidence of buying and selling murdered babies body parts is ignored and those who reported it are locked up. The Murder and Liar from the beginning - Satan is tolerant of everything but the Truth!
    Jesus lives! We have historical evidence of over 500 eyewitnesses! Listen! (Vs.5-8) Not once, not twice, but for 40 days He appeared in His flesh and blood body to His disciples. The medical doctor and historian Luke tells us He provided many infallible truths of His physical resurrection - His body still bearing the scars of our salvation! Jesus ate and drank with His disciples - not something a ghost can do - Luke adds,
Luke 24:44-48 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." (45) And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (46) Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, (47) and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And you are witnesses of these things.” Study the eyewitness evidence - it would stand even today in courts of law. Over 513 people don’t make up a story that costs them their wealth, status, position, and life - all testifying the truth - Jesus Lives!
III. Jesus lives! The 8th day has come - the day of grace - renewal - hope - new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.. Jesus’ physical resurrection changes everything - even the greatest hardened opponents! (Vs.9-11) Paul calls himself a fetus, a miscarriage, born out of due time - he had no hope of living in himself. He was a good man and knew the Old Testament - so he zealously persecuted the followers of the Risen Way! He rejoiced to see them stoned to death, arrested, imprisoned. Then the Risen Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. He persecuted Jesus by attacking the members of His body - Christians.
    Paul was blinded. Then Annias was sent by Jesus to baptize him. His eyes were opened and He preached the risen Lord Jesus - to all who would hear.
      Dear Christian! Jesus lives! You are baptized into His death and resurrection! New again! The grave destroyed! Hope restored! Tell all! Alleluia! Christ is risen! Amen.