The Case for the Resurrection*

      The central truth of Christianity is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many now however are turning away from belief in that truth, even some in the Church. Even ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians believed in a kind of life after death. In this age, though, Nihilism, the philosophy that life holds no meaning, and no hope has taken hold. 

     Jesus made clear the promise of eternal life, everlasting life, from the Father in heaven: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God...light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil...But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (Jn. 3:14-21, excerpt). The promise of everlasting life is made, and it is fulfilled in the name of the Son of God. Proverbs 30:4 asks: "...Who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?"

     Jesus said again: "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will...He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (Jn. 5:21-24). 

     Jesus told a crowd that had followed Him that He was the bread of life, the true bread from heaven. This is the meat that endures unto everlasting life which the Son of man would give to them: "...for him hath God the Father sealed." Jesus is the bread of life that comes down from heaven because: "...I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again on the last day." (Jn. 6:26-39, excerpt). Jesus told the crowd that this bread of life that He would give them is His flesh, which He gives for the life of the world." (v. 45-51). At the time, His listeners thought that these words were speaking of cannibalism, and some were offended, but the Lord was explaining what He would give to His believers in the form of Communion. The Communion was a revelation of the fulfillment of the Passover. The spring feasts were fulfilled by Christ's first coming, and the fall feasts of the LORD will be fulfilled by Christ's return.

     The oldest book in the Bible, Job, declares the eternal life found in the Redeemer, and therefore in those who believe in Him also. Job said: "O that my words were now written! O that they were printed in a book!...For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." (Job. 19:23-27). Job declared the arrival of the living Redeemer on earth in the latter days. We also have the prophetic promise that Jesus' feet will touch upon the Mount of Olives upon His return, and the accompanying earthquake would tear through the valley and through the graveyard and the now sealed eastern gate of the wall of the City. Man sealed the gate to prevent Messiah's/Christ's return, but nothing can stop the plan of God and the return of Christ to rule and reign on the earth. (see Zech. 14:4-9).

      From the beginning, the Tree of Life was available to man in the Garden of Eden, but man believed the deception of Satan instead. The Tree of Life would have caused man to live forever, but because man chose to believe a blatant lie instead and ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he was barred from the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:22-23). The father of lies (Satan) told Adam and Eve that God was afraid that man would become like Him if they ate from the forbidden tree, but the truth is that man had already been created in the image of God. Sometimes the deceiving lies don't even have to be that clever for man to choose them instead of everlasting life through the Son of God. For those who overcome, Jesus promises in the Book of Revelation that they shall eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Rev. 2:7).

     The prophet Daniel wrote of the resurrection of the dead: "...there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Dan. 12:1-4). 

     The knowledge we want to see increased is the knowledge of the Tree of Life. The fruit that we want to produce in our lives is to be like a Tree of Life to others. This is the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to those who follow Him. Only those who are written in the book - the Lamb's Book of Life - shall see everlasting life. Playing church games won't save us, resurrect us or bring us everlasting life.

      Proverbs 11:30 says: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." The apostle Paul also wrote about the fruit of righteousness/holiness and its connection to everlasting life: "For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness...,But now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Rom. 6:20-21). We once were slaves to sin. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but now, because the LORD laid upon Jesus the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6), we are now slaves of God instead of sin and have received the gift of eternal life.

     The Book of Acts tells us that although the prophets, who were read every Sabbath day by the people of Jerusalem and their religious leaders, wrote of the Messiah/Christ who would be sacrificed for the sins of God's people, this Messiah/Christ of salvation was not recognized nor truly known by those who condemned Him. Though there was no fault to be found in Him, they convinced Pilate that He should be slain: "And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. " (Acts 13:27-31). Paul was preaching this Gospel to the Jewish congregation in the synagogue at Antioch on the Sabbath. They saw the multitudes that came to hear Paul and Barnabas and being filled with envy, began to speak against those things that were spoken by Paul, even blaspheming. Paul told those who rejected his message that although it was necessary to bring this good news to the Jewish people first: "...seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." When you reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you reject everlasting life which is only provided by God through Him.

     The unbelief was also found in some Gentiles who had received the preaching of Paul that Christ was raised from the dead. They considered themselves part of the church at Corinth yet claimed that there was no resurrection of the dead. Paul pointed out that if there is no such thing as resurrection as they claimed, then Christ is not risen also according to their words: "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain....for if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins....But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept..." (1 Cor. 15:12-20). Christians cannot accept one truth about Christ but not another. He IS the firstfruits of the resurrection of the dead, thereby fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits of the LORD. This same resurrection allows Christ to make all alive and to deliver the kingdom up to God and to rule over all enemies and powers: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (v. 22-29). Another place in scripture says that when the trump sounds, the dead in Christ shall rise first. We which are live and remain shall then be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, and forever be with Him. (see 1 Thess. 4:16-18).

     The apostle James wrote that there is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, while many others boast in their plans and assurances: "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow: for what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away..." (James 4:12-17, excerpt). Only God can say who lives and dies. While the Church is relying on politicians to guarantee what tomorrow will bring, no one can assure a tomorrow to us. According to the parable of the ten virgins that Jesus taught (Mt. 25:1-10), fifty percent of those who claim to know that the Bridegroom is about to arrive, are going to be foolishly unprepared and miss the moment, for which they will have everlasting sorrow.

     For the soon coming Feast of Trumpets, the Jewish observers say the blessing, "May you be inscribed in the book." Do they understand what this really means? Do you?

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 9/15/24 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.