Accounts of People Raised from the Dead
Raised from the Dead
A Transformed Body
Funeral of Brezhnev
A Sign for Unbelievers
Resources
Resurrections
Why We Believe Jesus Rose from the Dead
Resurrection Events
The Resurrection Gives Proof
Resurrection of Christ Was…
Resurrection of Christ Is…
The Empty Tomb
The Day of Resurrection
No Resurrection—No Hope
Death
Benjamin Franklin’s Epitaph
Topic : Resurrection
Promise of a Resurrection
Some have argued that the doctrine of a bodily resurrection was unknown to the Israelites of the Old Testament. In fact, this denial was a cardinal doctrine of the sect of the Sadducees at the time of Christ (Matthew 22:23).
Our text, however, makes it clear that this promise has always been known to the people of God. Long before Isaiah’s time, Job had said: “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And…in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25,26). After the time of Isaiah, the promise was still known. “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). Such promises were not referring to some vague “immortality of the soul,” as taught in pagan religions, but to resurrection of the body!
First, however, the Creator must become man, die for the sins of the world, and defeat death by His own bodily resurrection. In our text, in fact, Christ is saying that Old Testament believers would be raised “together with my dead body.” This was literally fulfilled when “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52,53). Then, when Jesus first ascended to heaven (John 20:17), He led those who had been in “captivity” in the grave with Him into heaven (Ephesians 4:8). All who have trusted Christ in the Christian era will likewise be raised from the dead when He comes again. He has defeated death and has promised, “because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19). HMM
Accounts of People Raised from the Dead
1. Elijah raised the son of the Zarephath widow from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-22).
2. Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman from the dead (2 Kings 4:32-35).
3. A man was raised from the dead when his body touched Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:20, 21).
4. Many saints rose from the dead at the resurrection of Jesus (Matt. 27:50-53).
5. Jesus rose from the dead (Matt. 28:5-8; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:5, 6).
6. Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain from the dead (Luke 7:11-15).
7. Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Luke 8:41, 42, 49-55).
8. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44).
9. Peter raised Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-41).
10. Eutychus was raised from the dead by Paul (Acts 20:9, 10).
Raised from the Dead
Resurrection means to be raised from the dead (John 5:28,29). The word is used in different contexts in the Bible. Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11:43). This is a resurrection, but it is not part of the resurrection that occurs when we receive our new bodies when Christ returns (1 Thess. 4:13-18), on the last day (John 6:39-44) when the last trumpet is blown (1 Cor. 15:51-55). Lazarus died again. The resurrection of Jesus is promissory in that as we know He was raised, so we will be raised also. In that context, Jesus is the only one who has received a resurrected body. That is why He is called the first-fruit from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20-23). We will receive our bodies either at the rapture or when Jesus returns to earth.
The resurrected body is not subject to death or sin. We know very little about it except what was was manifested by Jesus after His resurrection; namely, that He was able to move about as He desired—in and out of rooms without the use of doors. Other than that, the rest is conjecture. (See 1 Cor. 15).
A Transformed Body
The raising and transformation of a person who has died. Resuscitation means the bringing back of people to this life after they have left it, for example, the raising of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-15) or of Lazarus (John 11). Resurrection is more than that. Jesus rose on the third day after he died, but his new body was transformed. It was not subject to the limitations of his former earthly life (Luke 24:16, 31; John 20:19). Jesus’ resurrection, following his atoning death, is central to the Christian faith (1 Cor. 15:14-19). Believers, too, will be resurrected (1 Thess. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:42-57).
Funeral of Brezhnev
As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev’s widow. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev’s wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband’s chest. There in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that there was another life, and that that life was best represented by Jesus who died on the cross, and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband.
A Sign for Unbelievers
Well over three hundred verses are concerned with the subject of Jesus’ resurrection in the New Testament. We are told that this event is a sign for unbelievers (Matt. 12:38-40); cf. John 20:24-29) as well as the answer for the believer’s doubt (Luke 24:38-43). It serves as the guarantee that Jesus’ teachings are true (Acts 2:22-24; 1 Cor. 15:12-20) and is the center of the gospel itself (Rom. 4:24-25, 10:9; 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Further, the resurrection is the impetus for evangelism (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 10:39-43), the key indication of the believer’s daily power to live the Christian life (Rom. 6:4-14, 8:9-11; Phil. 3:10) and the reason for the total commitment of our lives (Rom. 7:4; 1 Cor. 15:57-58). The resurrection even addresses the fear of death (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:54-58; cf. Heb. 2:14-15) and is related to the second coming of Jesus (Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7). Lastly, this event is a model of the Christian’s resurrection from the dead (Acts 4:2; 1 Cor. 6:14; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) and provides a foretaste of heaven for the believer (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Peter 1:3-5). For a popular treatment that addresses these and other aspects, see Gary R. Habermas, The Centrality of the Resurrection, forthcoming.
Resources
- Immortality, the Other Side of Death, G.R. Habermas, J. P. Moreland, Nelson, 1992, pp. 54ff
- Evidence That Demands a Verdict, p. 183.
Resurrections
1. The resurrection of Christ as the “firstfruits.” “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; but every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits…” (1 Cor. 15:22-23)
2. The resurrection of the church saints at the rapture. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
3. The resurrection of the tribulation saints (Rev. 20:4) and of the Old Testament saints (Dan. 12:2; Isa. 26:19) at the second coming of Christ. This glorious return will close the tribulation and mark the beginning of the millennial kingdom.
4. The resurrection of the unsaved dead at the conclusion of the millennial age (Rev. 20:5, 11-14).
Why We Believe Jesus Rose from the Dead
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the Christian faith is a foolish fantasy. However, if the resurrection of Christ did occur, it confirms His life, message, and atoning work. It is the basis of our hope of life beyond the grave.
Christ is alive, and the evidence is overwhelming. Here are some of the reasons we can be so sure.
1. Jesus predicted His resurrection (Matt. 16:21; Mark 9:9-10; John 2:18-22).
2. The Old Testament prophesied it (Psalm 16:10; compare Acts 2:25-31; 13:33-37).
3. The tomb was empty and the graveclothes vacant. if those who opposed Christ wished to silence His disciples, all they had to do was produce a body, but they could not (John 20:3-9).
4. Many people saw the resurrected Christ. They looked on His face, touched Him, heard His voice, and saw Him eat (Matt. 28:16-20; Luke 24:13-39; John 20:11-29; John 21:1-9; Acts 1:6-11; 1 Cor. 15:3-8).
5. The lives of the disciples were revolutionized. Though they fled and even denied Christ at the time of His arrest, they later feared no one in their proclamation of the risen Christ (Matt. 26:56, 69-75).
6. The resurrection was the central message of the early church. The church grew with an unwavering conviction that Christ had risen and was the Lord of the church (Acts 4:33; 5:30-32; Rom. 5:21).
7. Men and women today testify that the power of the risen Christ has transformed their lives. We know that Jesus is alive not only because of the historical and biblical evidence but also because He has miraculously touched our lives.
Resurrection Events
Order of the Events of the Resurrection
1. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome start for the tomb, Lk. 23:55-24:1
2. They find the stone rolled away, Lk. 24:2-9
3. Mary Magdalene goes to tell the disciples, Jn. 20:1-2
4. Mary, the mother of James, draws near and sees the angel, Mt. 28:1-2
5. She goes back to meet the other women following with spices
6. Meanwhile Peter and John arrive, look in and depart, Jn. 20:3-10
7. Mary Magdalene returns weeping, sees two angels, then Jesus, Jn. 20:11-18
8. The risen Christ bids her tell the disciples, Jn. 20:17-18
9. Mary (mother of James) meanwhile returns with the women, Lk. 24:1-4
10. They return and see the two angels, Lk. 24:5; Mk. 16:5
11. They also hear the angel’s message, Mt. 28:6-8
12. On their way to find the disciples, they are met by the risen Christ, Mt. 28:9-10
Post-resurrection Appearances
1. To Mary Magdalene Jn. 20:14-18; Mk. 16:9
2. To the women returning from the tomb Mt. 28:8-10
3. To Peter later in the day Lk. 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5
4. To the disciples going to Emmaus in the evening Lk. 24:13-31
5. To the apostles (except Thomas) Lk. 24:36-45; Jn. 20-19-24
6. To the apostles a week later (Thomas present) Jn. 20:24-29
7. In Galilee to the seven by the Lake of Tiberias Jn. 21:1-23
8. In Galilee on a mountain to the apostles and 500 believers 1 Cor. 15:6
9. At Jerusalem and Bethany again to James 1 Cor. 15:7
10. At Olivet and the ascension Acts 1:3-12
11. To Paul near Damascus Acts 9:3-6; 1 Cor. 15:8
12. To Stephen outside Jerusalem Acts 7:55
13. To Paul in the temple Acts 22:17-21; 23:11
14. To John on Patmos Rev. 1:10-19
The Resurrection Gives Proof
1. He is the Son of God (Rom. 1:4)
2. Salvation is completed and His sacrifice accepted (Rom. 4:24-5)
3. Believers can live holy lives (Rom. 6:4)
4. We have an intercessor in glory (Rom. 8:34)
5. He is Lord (Rom. 14:9)
6. He will one day come to judge (Acts 17:31)
7. The dead will one day be raised (John 5:24-9)
Resurrection of Christ Was…
1. Attributed to the Father Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12
2. Attributed to the Son John 10:18; Luke 24:6-7
3. Attributed to the Spirit 1 Peter 3:18; Rom. 8:11
Resurrection of Christ Is…
1. The seal of a finished work Acts 13:29-3-
2. The sign of a glorious triumph Heb. 2:14; Eph. 4:8
3. The pledge of a coming resurrection 1 Cor. 15:20-22
4. The certainty of a future judgment Acts 17:31
The Empty Tomb
Little Philip, born with Down’s syndrome, attended a third-grade Sunday School class with several eight-year-old boys and girls. Typical of that age, the children did not readily accept Philip with his differences, according to an article in leadership magazine. But because of a creative teacher, they began to care about Philip and accept him as part of the group, though not fully.
The Sunday after Easter the teacher brought Leggs pantyhose containers, the kind that look like large eggs. Each receiving one, the children were told to go outside on that lovely spring day, find some symbol for new life, and put it in the egg-like container. Back in the classroom, they would share their new-life symbols, opening the containers one by one in surprise fashion. After running about the church property in wild confusion, the students returned to the classroom and placed the containers on the table.
Surrounded by the children, the teacher began to open them one by one. After each one, whether a flower, butterfly, or leaf, the class would ooh and ahh. Then one was opened, revealing nothing inside. The children exclaimed, That’s stupid. That’s not fair. Somebody didn’t do their assignment.”
Philip spoke up, “That’s mine.”
“Philip, you don’t ever do things right!” the student retorted. “There’s nothing there!”
I did so do it,” Philip insisted. “I did do it. It’s empty. The tomb was empty!”
Silence followed. From then on Philip became a full member of the class. He died not long afterward from an infection most normal children would have shrugged off. At the funeral this class of eight-year-olds marched up to the altar not with flowers, but with their Sunday school teacher, each to lay on it an empty pantyhose egg.
The Day of Resurrection
The day of resurrection'
Earth, tell it out abroad;
The Passover of gladness,
The Passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
From this world to the sky,
Our Christ hath brought us over
With hymns of victory.
Now let the heavens be joyful,
Let earth her song begin;
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein.
Let all things seen and unseen
Their notes in gladness blend,
For Christ the Lord hath risen,
Our Joy that hath no end.
No Resurrection—No Hope
“All who believe in Christ have hope in Him; all who believe in Him as Redeemer hope for redemption and salvation by Him; but if there be no resurrection, their hope in Him must be limited to this life. And if all their hopes in Christ lie within the compass of this life, they are in a much worse condition than the rest of humanity, especially at that time and under those conditions in which the apostles wrote, for then they were hated and persecuted by all people.
“Preachers and believers therefore have a hard lot if in this life only they have hope in Christ. Better to be anything than a Christian under these terms! It is a gross absurdity in a Christian to admit the supposition of no resurrection or future state. It would leave no hope beyond this world, and would frequently make his condition the worst in the world.
“Indeed, the Christian is by his religion crucified to this world, and taught to live upon the hope of another. Carnal pleasures are tasteless to him in a great degree, and spiritual and heavenly pleasures are those which he pants after. How sad is his case indeed, if he must be dead to worldly pleasures and yet never hope for any better!”
- Matthew Henry
Death
Death and darkness, get you packing,
Nothing now to man is lacking,
All your triumphs now are ended,
And what Adam marred, is mended.
- Henry Vaughan
Benjamin Franklin’s Epitaph
In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. He didn’t profess to be a born-again Christian, but it seems he must have been influenced by Paul’s teaching of the resurrection of the body. Here’s what he wrote:
The Body of B. Franklin, Printer
Like the Cover of an old Book
Its contents torn out,
And stript of its Lettering and Guilding,
Lies here, Food for Worms,
But the Work shall not be wholly lost:
For it will, as he believ’d,
Appear once more
In a new & more perfect Edition,
Corrected and amended by the Author.
