The Resurrection of Jesus
By H.
1. Upon what threefold basis does the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ rest? “I make known unto you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved. . . . That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He HATH BEEN RAISED on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Cor. 15:1-4. 2. How much depends upon the fact that Christ was raised? “If Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that He raised up Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:14, 15. 3. What is the evidence that He was raised? “The angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, who hath been crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, even as He said.” Matt. 28:5, 6. “He appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve, then He appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then He appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to a child untimely born, He appeared to me [Paul] also.” 1 Cor. 15:5-8. 4. Future life therefore depends upon the resurrection of Christ. “Now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of them that are asleep. For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Cor. 15:20-22. 5. David sang of the awakening from the sleep of death. “As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding Thy form.” Ps. 17:15. 6. Isaiah prophesied of the same event. “Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.” Isa. 26:19. 7. Jesus Himself told of the resurrection. “The hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth.” John 5:28. 8. When will the resurrection be? “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.” “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise.” 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:13-18. 9. What is the final consummation? “Then [at Christ’s coming] we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:17. 10. What is the divine philosophy of Christ’s life, His death, His resurrection? “Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Rom. 14:9. “If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Rom. 8:11; 2 Cor. 4:14. 11. What then should be the ambition of every Christian? “That I may know Him, and the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death; if by any means I may attain unto the RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.” Phil. 3:10, 11.