H OW IMPORTANT IS THE BODILY RESURRECTION of Christ? The number is legion who deny that Christ arose and who dismiss the whole idea as being inconse quential. We are not surprised at such an attitude on the part of those persons who want nothing to do with his torical biblical Christianity nor of its Christ. But it seems strange to me when a man, who claims to be a Christian and to have received a divine call to preach the Christian message, says that it is not important whether Christ did or did not rise bodily from death and the grave. I believe that the Devil has shortchanged that man through clever deception. 1. T he P roposition of the R esurrection The proposition clearly stated is that Jesus Christ of Nazareth who was crucified, really and actually dead, returned to life and arose from the grave in the same body that died on the cross and that he was buried in the tomb owned by one Joseph of Arimathea. A lead ing Protestant minister has gone on record as having stated that it matters not whether we believe in a literal bodily resurrection of Christ just as long as we do not overlook His spiritual presence in the sacrament of the communion service. One needs to read the New Testa ment only once to see the absurdity of such reasoning. In the Latin and in the baptismal service in the Church of England the resurrection is called the resur rection of the “ flesh.” There is an identity between the body that is buried and the body that is raised (Romans 8:11). Jesus dismissed the false idea that His presence after His resurrection was a mere spiritual presence (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:26-29). Some years ago, I am told, word spread throughout a certain part of India that the bones of Buddha had been found and that they would be brought to the city on a given day. Crowds of devotees prostrated them selves along the streets to pay homage to the bones of a dead man being worshipped by millions. A Christian missionary standing in the crowd engaged a Buddhist worshipper in conversation and said to him, “ If one bone of Jesus Christ could be found, Christianity would fall to pieces.” But the strongest evidence in favor of Christianity is Christ’s empty tomb and the eye-wit nesses to the risen, living Lord Himself. 4. T he P ower of R esurrection The resurrection of Christ adds to the defense of His THE RE SURRE CT I ON OF CHR I ST promised Adam and Eve and their posterity deliverance through the woman’s seed (Genesis 3:15). Now Christ is that seed (Galatians 3:16), born of a woman (Gala tians 4.4). If He is bruised, i.e., killed (Isaiah 53:5), He can bring deliverance to man only by conquering death, and this is exactly what He did (Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 1:18). How could Christ suffer the bruising of death and still live to triumph over it? By his resur rection only. 3. T he P roof of H is R esurrection While it is nowhere intimated that any one person saw the Lord Jesus rise, many did see the risen Lord. This is significant in view of so much unbelief. Some critics have charged the disciples with fraud, but how natural to have said they did see Him rise if they were fraudulent.
by Dr. Lehman Strauss
deity. He is “declared to be the Son of God with power . . . by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1 :4 ). It was the fact of His resurrection that gave power to the Apostles’ preaching (Acts 1:3, 22; 2:24, 30-33; 3:15, 26; 4:1, 10, 33; 5:30; 10:40, 41; 13:30, 33, 37; 17:3, 18, 31; 26:22). The resurrection adds direction to Christian living. Those persons who trust the living Christ are possessed of a hope (I Peter 1:3; Titus 2:11-13), a joy (John 20:20) and an assurance (John 14:19; I Corinthians 15:22) beyond anything the unsaved know. The resurrection, of Christ adds distinction to Chris tian worship. Millions of deluded people in Christendom allow the Devil to shortchange them fifty-one Sundays of the year with a once-a-year celebration at Easter. But to the true child of God every Lord’s Day is com memorative of His resurrection, and every day is.one of unbroken fellowship and worship. The resurrection of Christ adds definiteness to the Christian’s future. The true believer in Christ knows that eternity for him will be with the Saviour he served and worshipped (I Corinthians 15:51-54; I Thessalo- nians 4:13-17). He knows that where Christ is, there he will be also (John 14:1-3). The resurrection of Christ is good news for you. Christ is a living Saviour. He will come to indwell you by His Spirit and give you the true meaning and pur pose of life. Receive Him at once!
When Paul defined the Gospel, he spoke of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (I Corinthians 15:1-4). Now what was buried in Joseph’s tomb? All four Gospel writers make much of Joseph’s taking our Lord’s “ body” (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15: 42-47; Luke 23:50-56; 24:3; John 19:38-42). In these days of neo-definitions a warning against the subtle and satanic efforts to evap orate the resurrection of Christ into a visionary or spir itual resurrection is timely. Let there be no fuzzy thought in your mind as to the proposition of the resur rection. The New Testament speaks of an actual, real resurrection of Christ’s body. 2. T he P rediction o f the R esurrection The prediction of Christ’s resurrection from death and the grave are not in one or two isolated texts. They are woven into the very warf and woof of Scrip ture. The error of the two tired and tearful travelers on the road to Emmaus lay in their incomplete knowledge of the prophetic Scriptures. When Jesus met them, He at once associated His resurrection with Old Testament prophecies and predictions. (See Luke 24:13-27; 36-48). He did the same thing when He confronted the Saddu- cees (Matthew 22:23-30). The first overt Messianic prophesy was spoken for the benefit of a man and a woman, parents of the entire human race, who were under the sentence of death. God
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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