Pastor Timothy Durey takes us to Mark 16:1-8 and 1 Corinthians 15, discussing the historical and cultural circumstances at the time of the Resurrection, reminding us of the abundant and significant evidence corroborating the Resurrection, and emphasizing the all-in implications of Easter.
At the time of Christ’s death and resurrection:
Greeks thought of resurrection as a purely spiritual event, that the imperfect body would be cast aside for the etherealJews believed the Messiah would come and simultaneously arise with all of His people – it would be a mass eventIn our day, the Gospel is still divisive – why is that?
“No one fact in the history of mankind…is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort [than the fact that] Christ died and rose from the dead.” – Thomas Arnold, professor of modern history at Oxford“Resurrection is an action of God. Jesus was raised into the meaning of God. It therefore cannot be a physical resuscitation occurring inside of human history.” – John Shelby Spong, former Episcopalian BishopThe Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are written historically – details of the time, place, and people around the events are providedThe literal, physical resurrection of Jesus is confirmed by several hundred eyewitnessesFrom a legal sense, the amount of supporting witnesses giving non-contradicting accounts lends such credence that the event would have to be trueFrom a psychological and cultural sense it would be impossible for a diverse group of hundreds of Jewish men and women – who saw Jesus at different times and places – to fabricate such a lie and remain consistent for any length of time, and fervently support it for the rest of their lives, even to the point of brutal martyrdomThe attitudes of those who saw Him were radically changed: they zealously spread the Gospel throughout Judea and much of the Roman Empire and beyond, many of them suffering horrible deaths because they refused to recantWithout the resurrection, the faith of Christians is in vain
If Jesus did not raise from the dead:
There is no resurrection for anyone at allThe Scriptures are lyingOur faith is emptyWe are still in our sinsThe dead are still deadChristians are most to be pitiedIf the Resurrection is truth:
“22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is deathR