The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ

APRIL 17, 2022 STUDY NOTES THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES THE THEME OF THE BOOK OF ACTS INTRODUCTION It is Easter Sunday, and the theme of the message should be the resurrection of Jesus Christ Our current study is the book of Acts, we can stay with our study for the message today The book of Acts begins with the importance of the fact of the resurrection of Christ The Apostles met to replace Judas who had betrayed Jesus and committed suicide The candidate must be able to speak from his own personal experience concerning Jesus He must be a witness of the resurrection, Act 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. Throughout the book of Acts, we find that the resurrection of Christ is the foundation of Christianity If Jesus is not alive there is no gospel message to preach, the crucifixion of Jesus is meaningless If Jesus had not come forth from the grave the book of Acts would not have been written The disciples of Jesus would not have been gathered-together in Jerusalem, there would be no NT church We can study the life of Jesus upon the earth, His teaching and miracles are meaningful because He lives Unless Jesus is alive, the preaching of His death is useless, He is the Savior because He died and is alive That is why we find that the theme of the book of Acts is the resurrection of Jesus Christ PETER’S FIRST SERMON (Acts 2:14-36) In one verse, Peter confirmed the incarnation, the life of Jesus on the earth (Acts 2:22) In one verse, Peter confirmed the death of Jesus, He was crucified, He died on the cross (Acts 2:23) Then for the next nine verses, Peter confirms the fact that Jesus is alive (Acts 2:24-32) It was impossible for death to be victorious over Jesus, Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. Death could not hold Jesus because of God’s promise, God’s purpose, and God’s power, Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. Rom 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Which is the very reason Peter stands before them to preach Jesus, Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Then Peter proclaims the results of the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:33-36) something they must know, Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (The same Jesus that died on the cross is Lord and Christ) PETER’S SECOND SERMON (Acts 3:11-26) A crowd gathered in the Temple of Jerusalem as they witnessed the healed lame man walking and leaping Peter knew that the miracle of healing had provided an opportunity for him to preach to the people Peter knew that there stood before him a “Divine Appointment” and he did not fail, he preached Jesus He begins his sermon with “you men of Israel,” pointing out who they were, God’s chosen nation They should have known what was happening that day, God was glorifying His Son Jesus, Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. The Jews refused to accept the truth of Jesus, Peter preached the truth of Jesus to them, Act 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; Act 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. Page 1 of 5 Jesus is alive because “God has raised Him from the dead,” and Peter said, “we are witnesses” Peter and John had witnessed the resurrected Jesus and they were now continual witnesses for Jesus Their witness was Jesus is alive and they were not the only witnesses that day of the presence of Jesus The lame man that was healed in the name of Jesus was a witness to the fact that Jesus is alive God sent Jesus to the earth that we might be blessed, He died on the cross that He might do that, Act 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. But Jesus must be alive in-order to “turn away every one of you from his iniquities,” Rom 4:7 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. (The song says, “my sins are gone”) PETER PREACHED THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS TO THE AUTHORITIES (Acts 4) Peter preached to the Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin Court, the Supreme Court of Israel The Jewish Council was “grieved” because of Peter’s teaching and preaching the resurrection, Act 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. The Sanhedrin questioned Peter and John concerning the healing of the lame man, Act 4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Peter quickly answered their questions, Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. The name of the “One” who healed the lame man is “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified” But God “raised Him from the dead” and the healed lame man is a living testimony of the Living Lord The early Church was a testimony of the power of the preaching of the resurrection of Jesus, Act 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. PETER BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN AGAIN (Acts 5:12-42) The apostles were arrested because of the many signs and wonders being done by the apostles, Act 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. (Which was possible because Jesus is alive) They were arrested and put in prison, an angel set them free and told them to go to the Temple to teach They were brought before the Sanhedrin Court again and questioned, Act 5:28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. What was their doctrine? Act 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Their doctrine was the gospel of salvation, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-11) The gospel must be preached, Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. PETER PREACHED THE RESURRECTION TO CORNELIUS (Acts 10) Peter had a vision instructing him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: The same gospel must be preached to all people, Jesus died on the cross for all, but God raised Him up, Act 10:40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Act 10:41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. The Gentiles received the gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus PAUL PREACHED THE RESURRECTION IN ANTIOCH (Acts 13:30-37) Page 2 of 5 Paul preached that at Jerusalem Jesus was crucified, even though no cause of death was found in Him Act 13:28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And then He was buried in a tomb, Act 13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. And then, Act 13:30 But God raised him from the dead: Many could be called to testify that Jesus is alive, Act 13:31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. (1 Cor 15:4-8) God raised Jesus from the dead just as He promised through the OT prophets, Act 13:32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God fulfilled His promise, Act 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Act 13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. The great King David died and was buried, his body is still in the grave, Act 13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: Jesus died on the cross, was buried in the tomb, but His body is not there because God raised Him again, Act 13:37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. God would not allow the body of Jesus to undergo decay, Act 13:35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. PAUL PREACHED THE RESURRECTION IN THESSALONICA (Acts 17:1-9) Paul preached the “must” of the cross of Jesus, and the “must” of His resurrection And that Jesus who died on the cross and arose from the grave is the Promised Messiah, He is Christ, Act 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. PAUL PREACHED THE RESURRECTION IN ATHENS (Acts 17:16-34) Paul’s preaching stirred up the local philosophers of that day, Act 17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. Today those identified as philosophers are known as atheists, those who denied the existence of God Also, those who are known as evolutionists, those who believe that nature is God, anything can be God What do we tell those people today, exactly what Paul did, Jesus is the Son of God and He is “Alive” There is another message that our world today needs to hear, exactly what Paul told the philosophers Paul told them that they must repent, Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Jesus came to the earth the first time to die on the cross, that sinners can repent of their sins and be saved Jesus can accept their repentance and give them a new life because He arose from the dead, He is Alive We have the assurance of salvation and the assurance of His return to the earth because Jesus is alive, Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Today is the day of salvation, the day of sinful man’s judgment is yet to come, and it will come Jesus will return to “judge the world in righteousness,” which is God’s appointed plan for man The proof of the coming day of sinful man’s judgment is the day of the resurrection of Jesus, “He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised him from the dead” Page 3 of 5 The judgment of God is in righteousness because all men have had the day of salvation offered to them There are other references to the resurrection of Christ in Acts (22:6-11; 24:15,21; 26:8, 23; read them) I want to conclude with the importance of the resurrection of Christ found in 1 Corinthians 15 I Corinthians chapter 15 is the classic chapter in the NT concerning the subject of resurrection We only have time to survey the truths found in the chapter, it begins with the truth of the Gospel (1-4) The “Gospel” is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus “according to the Scriptures” Without Jesus’ resurrection there is no “Gospel,” there is no “Good News” about salvation One of Satan’s greatest attacks against Christianity is the denial of the resurrection of Jesus Satan knows that Jesus is alive, but Satan does not want you to believe that Jesus is alive If Satan could destroy the truth of Jesus’ resurrection, he could destroy the truth of the Gospel There is no salvation in the belief of a dead savior, there can be no salvation unless Christ is alive In verses 5-8 Paul gives us many eyewitness accounts, those who personally saw Jesus after He arose Paul himself was an eyewitness, his personal testimony is found in verses 9-11 Paul assures us that his salvation is only by the grace of God, 1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (We were saved by the “Grace of God”) We don’t have time to study, “his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain,” Paul knew that God had a purpose for his life, and he lived his life for that purpose He had been the greatest persecutor of the church of God, now he was the greatest preacher of the Gospel Because the Gospel was preached, many believed and were saved, is our salvation in vain? How important is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? IF CHRIST IS NOT RISEN (Read verses 12-19) His ministry died on the cross and there is no Gospel to preach or believe There will be no future resurrection of the body of the dead (12,13,16) The preaching of Christ is nothing but meaningless words and is useless (14) There is no basis for faith in Christ and our faith in Him is worthless (14) Those who preach God and that He raised up Christ from the dead are liars (15) There is no deliverance from the penalty and power of sin (17) Our loved ones who died trusting in Christ have died without hope (18) Those who commit their lives to Christ are to be pitied (19) BUT CHRIST IS RISEN--HE LIVES AND WILL RETURN (Read verses 20-28) “But now” is one of the most exciting statements that you will find in scripture (20) The exciting truth is, “Christ is risen from the dead,” Christ is alive and there is hope in Christ All purposes, plans, prophecies, and promises of God through Jesus Christ will be fulfilled Christ is the “first fruits” of the resurrection, the pledge of our future resurrected body (21-22) We are not given the calendar date of these events, but we are given an “order of service” (23) Christ will return to defeat all enemies and establish the Kingdom of God on earth (24) “For He must reign,” all enemies will be defeated, even “death” (25-26) Nothing will prevent Christ from fulfilling all prophetic events, “God will be all in all” (27-28) CONCLUSION If Christ is not alive there is no reason for you to commit your life to Christ today Anything you do that identifies you with Christ will have no meaning (29) There is no reason for Christians to face the foes and be persecuted in His name (30-31) If Christ is not alive go live in sin, enjoy all the sin you can before you die (32) Go ahead and be deceived, live a life of sin that is no good to anyone (33) But Christ is alive, come to your senses, think right, live right, sin not, come to know God (34) Live a victorious Christian life today, 1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory Page 4 of 5 through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Christ is Alive) 1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. We must preach that Jesus is alive today, we must live the life that reveals the life of Jesus (Gal 2:20) Because Jesus is Alive, you can sing the song you are going to see on the screen, sing with it Page 5 of 5