Christ did many miracles, BUT He only gave one sign that He was who He said He was:
Sign of Jonah
Matthew 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
Matthew 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Not two nights and one day; or three days and two nights; no way to get to three nights
It was three full days and three full nights according to scripture Jesus was resurrection
Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection
Last week we went over a chronology of the events between the Resurrection and the final Ascension of Christ. Today, we will go over some more accounts of those that witnessed the resurrected Jesus and have a little more of a look at what Christ was accomplishing during this period of time.
Paul Gives More Evidence
Last week we spent our time in the Gospels, but there is other evidence in the Bible.
1 Corinthians 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:6 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.
1 Corinthians 15:7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
1 Corinthians 15:8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
Christ made it abundantly clear that He had been raised from the dead exactly like He said He would. For 40 days He went around and showed Himself to many, preaching and teaching and doing miracles (Acts 1:3)
Why was this important?
Everything hinged upon this one event – the “sign of Jonah” the only sign that He was who He said He was. If this did not occur then it had ALL been a lie, BUT if it did happen then everything that He had preached HAD to be true!
1. Proof He Was Who He Said He Was
1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
1 Corinthians 15:15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.
1 Corinthians 15:16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
1 Corinthians 15:18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
This is our HOPE! We can know for sure that it is what awaits us
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?”
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
Christ proved He was who He said He was – the Son of God. The body of evidence is staggering and so much so that it makes the evidence for other ancient events pale in comparison.
What greater proof can we have? Of course we have to believe.
2. Because of Unbelief
Mark 16:11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
Mar 16:13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
Luke 24:11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
Luke 24:25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
This was an ongoing problem:
Mark 9:16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
Mark 9:17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
Mark 9:18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
Mark 9:19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”
How many examples throughout the millennia had He given, how many miracles had there been; just looking at the creation, showed them that there was a God.
Mark 9:20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
Mark 9:21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.
Mark 9:22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Even in His own Family
John 7:5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Appeared to James (we saw previously in 1 Corinthians 15:7). He became a believer and very quickly became a pillar of the early church in Jerusalem and wrote a book in the New Testament.
It is required of us today
John 20:26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;
John 20:31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Romans 10:9 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.
We cannot be a denier of the risen Christ
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
This is a necessity for us
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
John 11:26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
3. Made them Witnesses
Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
G3144 Μάρτυς martus Total KJV Occurrences: 34
witnesses, 21, witness, 8 martyr, 2 record, 2 martyrs, 1
Someone that gives evidence of substance
Definition: Someone who holds fast to his belief in Christ and His teachings to the point of suffering and death
Let’s read Acts 4:33 again with that in mind
Isaiah 44:8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.‘ ”
The 40 days Christ spent on earth after His resurrection gave them the steadfastness to become martyrs / witnesses.
We are told to do the same; be the same. We are to be willing to lay down our lives for the Truth; to present our bodies as a living sacrifice; not love our lives to the death – that is to give up our lives if necessary.
This is one of the tests of a religion (a system of belief) flying spaghetti monster; brotato chip
We are called to do/be the same witness if necessary that the apostles were. Do we believe? If you believe, you will do. Do you believe that Christ is risen – if so then you are willing to be a witness to it, a martyr! So I ask again, do you believe?
His Appearance Prepared Them
Christ’s resurrection and many appearances and infallible proofs prepared all the Apostles to be martyrs.
It encouraged them and gave them the strength to endure
Paul:
2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
2 Corinthians 11:24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
2 Corinthians 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2 Corinthians 11:26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2 Corinthians 11:27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
2 Corinthians 11:28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
His resurrection meant that everything He said was true.
Matthew 24:13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
4. Gave Commission
Final instructions and ascension (What are the last words you would say?)
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
5. Tarry
Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Something they had not been able to do very well in the past (examples??? Peter cutting off ear; falling asleep while Christ prayed; not waiting by the grave; went fishing;)
Reminds them of the POWER they will soon receive from God.
Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
Acts 1:5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Psalms 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.
6. Showed them where He was going
He was going to heaven and not remaining on earth
Acts 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Acts 1:10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
7. He Would Return
There would be a second coming
Acts 1:11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Restore the Kingdom of God now?
Acts 1:6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Acts 1:7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The disciples ask Jesus if he will NOW restore the kingdom to Israel (This is what everyone (the whole nation of Israel) had been expecting all along). He states that it is not for them to know when this will occur
It was not time for the end.
This should not be our focus. We cannot waste all of our time trying to figure out the date of His return
Conclusion
Acts 1:3 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.
Jesus died and was resurrected. There was no doubt. The evidence was and is incontrovertible.
After His resurrection those who were chosen to be witnesses to it, saw, heard and touched Him. They recognized Him by sight and voice and feel. There was no uncertainty it was the resurrected Christ.
Let’s be clear about it, too. Christians are unique in the world of religions: We serve a risen Savior.
All things He is now doing in our lives and in the world is because He is alive! There can be no doubt, that we do have a Living Savior.