The Truth about the Resurrection

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Eleanor Margolis is a British journalist, and she is agnostic—no firm beliefs about God. But a few years ago, when Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, she was terrified at the possibility of nuclear war. And she admitted that her agnosticism was not doing her much good. She wrote this:  

… I started to wonder if it was time to find God. Definite God, that is. Not the half-hearted agnostic one built on a Jenga tower of uncertainty. …The last time I felt so envious of religious people was when my mum was dying of cancer. Certainty about an afterlife sure would’ve come in handy then. … Instead, I was treated to the spiritual equivalent of the shrug emoji. I became a devout follower of the one true religion of the 21st century: uncertainty. Those of us without traditional religion are left to make our peace with uncertainty. 

I appreciate her honesty, don’t you? And she speaks for many. There are so many people who have rejected belief in the God of the Bible, and it felt like such a liberating thing—to get rid of all that traditional baggage and just embrace uncertainty. The problem is, when life gets hard—when your mom gets cancer; when the dictator is threatening war; or any of the other countless hard things that happen in life—there’s a place deep inside of you that knows there’s something missing. There’s a stability and an anchor that you know you need and you wish you had…but it’s just not there.  

Maybe you can relate.  

And that’s why we’re doing this series. We’re taking ten weeks to walk through the Doctrinal Statement of The Chapel, but it’s way bigger than The Chapel—these are ten foundational truths that Christians have held to for 2,000 years. And when you put them together, they form a foundation that you can build a life on. So even when the hard things happen, you’re standing on something solid.  

Today we come to the fifth item on our Doctrinal Statement, which is about the resurrection of Christ. Here’s what it says: 

We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there as our high priest and advocate. Let me say that one more time: We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there as our high priest and advocate. 

So let’s talk first about The Claim of the Resurrection. What is it that we’re actually claiming when we say that Jesus was resurrected? Let me be really clear: when the body of Jesus was taken off the cross, he was dead. A Roman solder had pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out—because when the human body is under extreme stress, fluid collects around the heart and the lungs, so when the spear went in, it most likely pierced Jesus’ heart and lung, and that fluid flowed out of Jesus, along with the blood that had pooled in his chest cavity. Because he was dead. Which was exactly the point of Roman crucifixion—it was designed to kill people 100% of the time.  

They placed his body in a tomb; they covered the tomb with a large rock; and they posted a guard of Roman soldiers. The next day was the Sabbath; all was quiet. At dawn on the third day—Sunday—several women came to the tomb to visit the body of Jesus; they were confused to find the tomb empty; they assumed someone had moved the body. But to their shock, they were confronted by Jesus himself, who clearly was no longer dead.  

So here’s what the Bible claims: that Jesus was physically dead, and he physically came back to life. Apparently, it was really important to Jesus that his followers understand that. Look with me at Luke 24, starting in verse 36—this is right after the resurrection: 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 

Why did Jesus take the time to do the “show and tell” with the holes in his hands and feet, and eating food in front of them? Because he didn’t want there to be any question in their minds: he was alive. And he spent forty days with them, continually showing them that he was the same person they had known for the past three years, come back to life.  

Some people say, “Well, the main point is not a physical body coming back from the dead; the main point is that the example and the teachings of Jesus live on in the lives of his followers.” Um…not according to the New Testament! In 1 Corinthians, Paul devotes a big section of the letter to this topic—look at 1 Corinthians 15, starting in verse 17: 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. So Paul the apostle is saying that if there was not an actual, physical resurrection, you’re wasting your time with this faith and you should be pitied because your religion has zero power.  

This is why, when you read the book of Acts, the message that the earliest Christians preached is so clear: Can’t you see the Hebrew prophets predicted this for centuries—they said he was going to rise again—just read Isaiah!—and now it’s happened: Jesus is alive! We saw him! So turn from your sin; turn from your unbelief; and call on the name of this Living Savior!  

Forty days after his resurrection, the followers of the resurrected Jesus gathered around him one last time on this earth. We read this in Acts 1:9… 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” That event is known as the “ascension” of Christ: he was taken up into heaven, where he is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, awaiting his return to earth—at a time that only God knows—to make all things right. In other words, we’re not just saying that Jesus came back to life; we’re saying he is still alive, and always will be.  

Russell Moore is a theologian and author. And he talks about standing at the grave of Thomas Jefferson in Monticello, Virginia. He wrote these words: 

“[Standing there], I was prompted to give thanks for his life and his legacy. After all, if it weren’t for Jefferson and his majestic Declaration of Independence, there might not even be a United States of America…But standing at Jefferson’s grave prompted me to realize that Jefferson is, well, in a grave…Thomas Jefferson is still dead. I thank God for him, but standing at his grave reminds me how limited even his legacy can be in the grand scheme... It also reminds me of the contrast with (the One) whose monument isn’t a house or…even a simple grave-marker. It’s instead a borrowed tomb that isn’t filled anymore.” 

If you’re wondering what makes the founder of the Christian faith distinct from all other leaders, guys—this is it: Our founder is still alive. That’s the claim the Bible makes, and this whole faith rests on that truth. 

Secondly, let’s talk about The Evidence for the Resurrection. There’s so much I could say here, and I’m going to have to keep it brief. But this is important: when you’re considering the Christian faith, you’re not being asked to turn off your mind and take a blind leap of faith. I could never do that! So let me just give you three pieces of evidence that point to the truthfulness of the resurrection. 

First, the Failure to produce a body. When the first apostles went out on the streets of Jerusalem and started preaching that Jesus was alive, that was only a few weeks after he had been publicly crucified, in the same city where that happened. So at any time, the Roman government could have put a stop to this annoying movement by going to the grave and producing the dead body of Jesus. It’s the most obvious thing. “These guys are liars—we have the body right here.” That never happened. Nobody produced the body, and nobody tried to argue that the tomb was still occupied, because everyone in Jerusalem knew it was empty.  

Second, the Gender of first witnesses. When you read the gospel accounts of Easter morning, the first eyewitnesses of the resurrection were—which gender? Female. They were all women. There was a pagan, Greek philosopher, named Celsus, who lived about 80 years after the time of Christ. And he argued strongly against Christianity. And one of his main arguments was this: can’t you see that the evidence for this so-called resurrection is based on the testimony of women?! Everybody knows women are overly emotional and unreliable. That’s what people thought back then! So here’s the point: if this were a made-up story, and if the people who made it up wanted to make it sound as believable as possible, they never would have put women as the first eyewitnesses. They would have made the first eyewitnesses well-respected, educated men! People would be much more likely to believe that. The only explanation for having women as the first eyewitnesses is that it actually happened that way!  

And then third, the Transformation of disciples. Right after Jesus died, his followers were devastated and intimidated. They were hiding out behind locked doors. But very shortly afterward, they were standing up in the street and proclaim the resurrected Christ. They were threatened and imprisoned and beaten, and they still kept doing it. It was a dramatic transformation. Something obviously happened to change them. And the only explanation that makes sense to me is that they saw Jesus alive, and nothing could convince them otherwise. In Acts chapter 4, Peter and John have been arrested; and verse 13 says When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. They were exactly right; and specifically, they had been with Jesus after he came back to life! And that experience changed them permanently. 

This is really just the tip of the iceberg—but I want to emphasize how important it is to use your mind and consider the evidence. I’ve always been impressed by the stories of people like Lee Strobel, former legal journalist for the Chicago Tribune, or Simon Greenleaf, one of the founders of Harvard Law School, or Francis Collins, who led the Human Genome Project. Because all of them were very skeptical, and some of them actually set out to disprove the resurrection of Christ. But all them became convinced that Jesus is alive and the resurrection actually happened…because they looked at the evidence.  

So…when you become convinced that Jesus died for your sins and rose again, the obvious question to ask is, “So what?” I mean, it’s impressive that someone could do that, but how does that affect my life? So let’s close by talking about The Effects of the Resurrection.  

First, it affects Our security. Our doctrinal statement says we believe in Christ’s present life in heaven as our “high priest and advocate.” Have you ever been in a position where you needed an advocate? Somebody to speak on your behalf? Years ago I got into a bad car accident. Totaled the car; thankfully, I only had some bruises and a broken rib; the other driver was fine, and we both walked away. About ten months later, my doorbell rang, and I got served papers. This woman from the accident had decided to sue me for all the pain and suffering she supposedly had endured. 

So a few months after that, there was a trial. Jury…judge…the whole deal. And I walked into that courtroom, but I didn’t walk in alone. Who did I have with me? My advocate. I had an attorney, who guided me through the whole process of getting ready for this, and most importantly, she was my advocate in the courtroom. I definitely needed that! She knew what to say, what not to say. She knew how the legal system works, how judges think. And because she was there, I felt so much more confident facing that judge. (By the way, the jury decided I was only 10% at fault, so I didn’t have to pay a dime. But I am much more careful going through yellow lights now). 

And you say, “Okay, I get that concept. But what does that have to do with ordinary life?” Well, the Bible says that the God who created us is also the God who judges us. Hebrews 4:13 says Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. In other words, God sees everything you do, and he’s a perfectly righteous judge, and you’re accountable to him for everything you do. Which can be a terrifying thought! Which is why you need an advocate.  

Now, every once in a while someone shows up in court, and they say, “I’m going to represent myself! I’m going to be my own attorney.” How does that usually work out? It’s almost always a disaster. And the Bible basically says, “Don’t try to go in alone. You need an advocate!”  

Let me ask you something: is there anyone here who did not sin this whole last week? Just put your hand up if you went through the whole week perfectly obeying the commands of God. And if you’re raising your hand, you just lied, which makes you a sinner. As long as we walk this earth, even though we’re hopefully growing in Christlikeness, we will never eradicate sin from our lives. So if that’s true, and if nothing is hidden from God’s sight, how do we not walk around paranoid and guilty and ashamed? Look at 1 John 2:1… 1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.  

Here’s how this works: if you belong to Christ, every time you sin, Jesus your advocate stands before the Father—the Judge. And he doesn’t ask for mercy; he asks for justice. Because that sin that you committed was paid for at the cross. So when you sin, Jesus reminds God the Father: “I already paid for that sin. And the Father, it would be unjust for you to punish two people for the same sin.” And God the Father—who’s not a cranky judge who’s hoping to condemn you, because He planned out this whole system in the first place—is able to joyfully say, “Exactly right. My child stands forgiven.” Listen: the more you understand that, the less you will lie in bed at night, re-living your mistakes and beating yourself up. And the more you will fall in love with your living Savior, who rose from the grave and ascended into heaven, where he serves as your advocate. 

Okay—secondly, the resurrection of Christ affects Our power. Look with me at Romans 6:4—this is such a perfect verse for baptism Sunday: We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father…Stop for a second. Wouldn’t you expect him to say: “…just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too will be raised from the dead after we die!”? Wouldn’t that logically follow? It seems like it’s going to be a promise of eternal life, like: “Just like Jesus was resurrected after he died, we’re going to be resurrected after we die!” And that is a biblical promise, and we’re going to talk about that next, but that’s not what it says in this verse! What does it say? …just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may (what does it say?) live a new life. Do you realize that your connection with the resurrected Christ means you have power to live in a way that you could never live otherwise? 

Ephesians says it even more clearly. Look at Ephesians 1, starting in verse 18. Paul says I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know… his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead. Guys, this a breathtaking truth: the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for us.  

Tim Keller told the story of a pastor visiting Italy, and he saw the grave of a man who had died centuries before who was completely against Christianity, but a little afraid of it too. So when he died, this man had a huge stone slab placed over his grave. And on the slab he had inscribed: "I do not want to be raised from the dead. I don't believe in it." Apparently, when he was buried, an acorn must have fallen into the grave. So a hundred years later the acorn had grown up through the grave and split the slab. And it was now a huge oak tree. So this pastor looked at this and here’s what he said: "If an acorn, which has the power of biological life in it, can split a slab of that magnitude, what can the acorn of God's resurrection power do in a person's life?" 

And here’s what Keller said:  

The minute you decide to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, the power of the Holy Spirit comes into your life. It's the power of the resurrection—the same thing that raised Jesus from the dead …. Think of the things you see as immovable slabs in your life—your bitterness, your insecurity, your fears, your self-doubts. Those things can be split and rolled off. The more you know him, the more you grow into the power of the resurrection. 

Think about it: what are the immovable slabs in your life? Things you’ve given up on ever changing? Maybe this is finally the time you trust the power of Christ to split that thing wide open. 

And then finally, the resurrection of Christ affects Our future. Multiple times, the Bible connects the physical resurrection of Jesus with the future physical resurrection of all who believe in Jesus. Look at 1 Corinthians 15:20… But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. “First fruits” is a harvest term, meaning that the first crops that you harvest at the beginning of harvest season are symbolic of all the rest of the harvest that’s going to come in later. So just like Jesus was physically raised from the dead, everyone who “falls asleep”, or dies, believing in him, will also be physically raised from the dead. And just like the resurrected body of Jesus was no longer subject to sickness or aging or decay, listen to this: we believers are promised future bodies that are no longer subject to eczema or diabetes or cancer or MS or arthritis or seizures or any other of the countless annoying things that come along with these bodies. Like it says in Philippians 3:21, Jesus will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. And I’ve got to tell you: I can’t wait. 

Yesterday I stood with the Boswell family, whom I’ve known for over 40 years, as we said goodbye to their beloved matriarch, Vivian. She was a remarkable woman. At the age of 28, she was diagnosed with MS. It progressed rapidly, and before long she lost the use of her legs. So for the last fifty-plus years, the only way she could get around was in a wheelchair. She handled her disability amazingly well, and her faith was so inspiring. But I also know that she could not wait for the day that she would receive her new, resurrected body. And as we celebrated her life yesterday, we didn’t just look back and celebrate the past, we looked ahead! Because this is a family that believes in the joy of the resurrection. 

As I was reflecting on Vivian’s life, I couldn’t help thinking about Joni Eareckson Tada. Very well-known Christian author who, as a teenager, dove into shallow water and hit her head so hard that she was paralyzed from the neck down. And she often talks about how much she looks forward to standing in heaven with Jesus, with her new body. And she says, “I’m going ask if I can bring my wheelchair. And I’m going to say, ‘Lord—do you see that wheelchair? You were right when you said that in this world we would have trouble, because that was a lot of trouble. But Jesus, the weaker I was in that thing, the harder I leaned on you. And the harder I leaned on you, the stronger I discovered you to be.” And then, when she talks about this, she smiles and says, “And then I’ll say to Jesus, ‘Now if you want, you can send that wheelchair to hell.” 

Never forget that we serve a resurrected, living Savior. It’s what makes Jesus distinct from every other leader who’s ever lived. And when you embrace him, his resurrection power enters your life…and changes everything. 

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