And the angel answered and said unto the women, “Fear Not, ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.    He is not here: for He has risen, as He said.  Come; see the place where the Lord lay.” Matthew 28:5-6

I want to challenge every person in the building this morning---the challenge is this: If I can make a logical case for the Resurrection, and you are not a Christian, I challenge you to believe and obey God. I believe He is already speaking to your heart. You must choose what you do with today's message.  I pray you choose wisely.

Some say, “I don't believe in the resurrection, it's only a fairy tale.”    Let me tell you what the Resurrection is.  It's what the Christian faith is based upon.  Without the resurrection, there is no Savior. Therefore, we as Christians believe the Lord is who He says He is, and did what He said he would do. If I didn't believe in the resurrection, I could not claim to be a Christian.  If Jesus is dead, everything I have worked for these past several years is all in vain.  But I know Jesus is not dead and He's not in the tomb!  He's alive and well, and my work is not in vain.

People don't have a problem with Jesus. They don't have a problem believing He is a good man. They don't even have a problem believing He was the Anointed Messiah. The problem is being able to believing in the resurrection.  They question how He overcame death, hell, and the grave. 

If I were going to write a fictional account of the resurrection, here is how I would tell it -- “Let's say I was Peter telling about the event:   I rode up to the tomb this morning. I slew a group of Roman Soldiers so I could get into the tomb.  With my bare hands I threw back the stone.  It took twelve men to place it there, but I rolled that stone right out of my way, by myself.  I looked into the tomb.  Sure enough! He was gone.”  If I'm going to tell a fictional story, I'm going to make myself look good.

The brutal honesty of the Scripture should give you a clue that this was not a fictional happening.  The Bible says, the women went early in the morning, the first day of the week.  This should have been an embarrassment to the disciples.  It was the job of those twelve men to anoint the body of Jesus.  When the women came to the disciples with the news, the disciples disputed them.  They could not believe that Jesus had risen as the women had said.

There is more than just brutal honesty of scripture--there is historical truth, as well.  If there had been a body left in the tomb, the Jews would have pounced on the account of the disciples. They didn't believe Jesus was who He said He was to begin with.  Because the tomb was empty they couldn't snuff-out the story.
Honestly and historically the Scripture points toward an empty tomb.  Even Pilate knew that something mystical was going to happen in three days; (Read the account in Matthew 27: 62-66).
How in the world could a handful of women overcome Roman soldiers?  They couldn't!  The twelve disciples couldn't overcome a group of Roman soldiers. Scripture points toward an empty tomb. 

Historically, it makes sense the tomb was empty. The Jews, being non-believers, had to resort to lying to explain the empty tomb. They gave large sums of money to the soldiers to have them tell people that the disciples of Jesus stole His body while they slept. (Matthew 28-12-13.)

The first case is the brutal honesty of scripture.   The second case is the historical honesty of scripture, and the third and most crucial case is prophetic honesty.  Jesus said Himself that He would die and be buried and rise again.  While talking to the Jews Jesus said; “Destroy this temple and in three days, I will rise again.”   The Jews said unto him, “Forty and six years was this temple in building, and thou will rear it in three days?” Jesus was speaking of the temple meaning His body.  After He was raised from the dead his disciples remembered He had spoken these words. (John 2: 18-22).

Read John 12: 31-36 for the account of Jesus again speaking of his death.

 “For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.  But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.”   Matthew 26:31- 32

The brutal honesty of scripture proves the resurrection; the historical honesty proves the resurrection; the prophetic honesty proves the resurrection.  So let me ask you this question, “How can you prove that Jesus never rose from the dead?”  It would be far harder for you to prove that He didn't rise than it is for me to prove that He is risen. The truth of the resurrection is that He died,  and on the third day, He arose.

Pilate asked this question, “What would you have me do with this Jesus?”  I will ask you the same question. “What will you do with Jesus who is called The Christ?”  If you're not saved, you will have to make a decision this morning.  The decision is this one: Will you trust Him, or will you reject Him?  I will wrap up my sermon like this;   “The greatest man that ever lived paid the greatest debt to ever be paid by overcoming the greatest obstacle ever faced so that the greatest number of people could have the greatest chance at salvation.”  What is your decision?   You have heard the message, will you turn Him away?   It won't cost you anything, but it cost our Dear Savior everything.

Bro. Jr Fields........April 16, 2006.

Sermon edited by Mary King

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