Some of the Corinthians doubted Paul’s teaching regarding the resurrection of the dead, Their objection is not so much that what Paul said wasn’t true, but that it couldn’t be true; it was nonsensical. Paul gives them some illustrations to help them understand a concept which to them was simply not obvious.
“I went to a psychologist friend and said if 500 people claimed to see Jesus after he died, it was just a hallucination. He said hallucinations are an individual event. If 500 people have the same hallucination, that’s a bigger miracle than the resurrection.” (Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ)
Christ’s resurrection points to our resurrection; our resurrection gives meaning to this present life.
This week we look specifically at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We’ll look at it’s importance for our faith and its significance to the new life we have as believers in and followers of Jesus.
This Sunday we’re going to look at John 20, which records the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As I was going over the chapter, I was struck by the strength of this statement speaking of the disciples:
“For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” – John 20:9 (NKJV)
The resurrection is an essential doctrine of the faith. Without it there is no Christianity. Here are just a few more verses that come to mind:
“…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.” – Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NKJV)
“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 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…” – 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 (NKJV)
Not all “Christians” any longer believe the resurrection is such an essential doctrine. Consider the following 18 second clip from one of the Jesus Seminar scholars.
John Dominic Crossan on the Resurrection
It appears that John 20:9 is still just as true as ever, perhaps especially among certain scholars.
“For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” – John 20:9 (NKJV)
Central Reflections 