The well-known motto of Calvary Chapel of Eagle is, “It’s all about Jesus”. But in today’s message we are going to zero in on one of the most important things Jesus did. He rose from the dead! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is what establishes a clear distinction between Jesus Christ and every other religious leader. Every other religion’s founder is dead and gone. Though there may be fanciful stories about what that leader did after death. But there is no historical account, no witnesses, no documentation. Not so with Jesus Christ. All eleven of His disciples (plus the Apostle Paul) had an encounter with the risen Savior and it changed their lives. Each were totally changed from either doubter, fearful or enemies of the Gospel to proclaimers of Christ and His resurrection. Each (except for John) was martyred for their bold insistence on Christ’s resurrection. Today’s text takes us to this important fact.
What sets Jesus apart from all other religious leaders?
Jesus was… declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4)
What evidence do we have for Christ’s resurrection?
The Apostle Paul wrote: For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” (1 Corinthians 15:3–8)
Luke records: The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:1–3, NKJV)
How important is it that we believe in Christ’s resurrection?
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
It’s all about Jesus, true. But it’s also, “all about the resurrection”
May we each be edified and encouraged today as we delve into this wonderful topic.
Pastor Mike