Sunday - Jesus Rises as Firstborn from the Dead!
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We start not in the Gospels, but from the writings of the Apostle Paul in
1 Corinthians 15v1-8: Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
That was the Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian church about the Jesus having been raised from the dead - physically! All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark Luke and John, tell us that Jesus was crucified, died and was buried in a tomb. What do these four Gospels say about the Jesus' resurrection or rising from the dead?
Let us first look at the sequence of events over the period of time after Jesus death till He ascended. Now remember, the Gospels are documents which have recorded historical events.
The tomb is empty
Two Marys watch the burial: (Matthew27v61, Mark 15v47, Luke23v54-55)
Roman soldiers guard the tomb and place an official Roman seal upon it: (Matthew 27v62-66)
Women prepare burial spices then rest: (Luke 23v56)
An angel rolls the stone away: (Matthew 28v2-4)
Women arrive at dawn with spices: (Matthew 28v1, Mark 16v1-4, Luke 24v1-3, John 20v1)
Angels appear to women: (Matthew 28v5-7, Mark 16v5-7, Luke 24v4-8)
Women dart back to tell disciples: (Matthew 28v8, Mark 16v8, Luke 24v9-11, John 20v2)
Peter and John investigate the empty tomb: (Luke 24v12, John 20v3-9)
Peter and John go home: (Luke 24v12, John 20v10)
Mary Magdalene weeps by the tomb: (John 20v11)
Mary sees two angels: (John 20v12-13)
Jesus' appearances
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene: (Mark 16v9, John 20v14-17)
Jesus appears to the other women: (Matthew 28v9-10)
Women report to the disciples: (Mark 16v10-11, John 20v18)
Guards testify to the priests: (Matthew 28v11-15)
Jesus meets two people on the Emmaus Road: (Mark 16v12-13, Luke 24v13-32)
Jesus appears to Simon Peter: (1 Corinthians 15v5, Luke 24v34)
2 report to disciples in Jerusalem: (Luke 24v33-35)
Jesus appears to the Disciples less Thomas: (Luke 24v36-43, John 20v19-24)
Disciples report to Thomas: (John 20v25)
Jesus appears to the Disciples and Thomas: (Mark 16v14, John 20v26-29)
Jesus appears to seven people: (John 21v1-14)
Jesus questions Peter 3 times: (John 21v15-23)
Jesus appears to 500 people: (1 Corinthians 15v6)
Jesus appears to James: (1 Corinthians 15v7)
Evidences for the resurrection
These facts remain for the resurrection. Look at them and study them.
Notice the changed attitude of the disciples after seeing the risen Jesus. They changed from defeated, cowardly people to victorious, brave people. Nobody who could have produced the dead body of Jesus, did so. Their silence is as significant as the preaching of the Apostles. Or take the multiple appearances of Jesus to various numbers of individuals and groups of people at, various times of the day and in differing circumstances. This shows that Jesus' resurrection was physical in nature! Some people say Jesus' resurrection was spiritual in nature but not physical. But the amount of people that saw Him physically afterwards dispels that particular myth. What about the current tangible evidence - the survival and inordinate growth and impact of the early church and that the church is s
