“If God is for us” (7)

[Romans 8:31-34]

Look at Romans 8:34 – “…  Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life ….”  This verse speaks of the resurrection of Jesus.  The Bible 1 Corinthians 15:4 also talks about the resurrection of Jesus: “…  and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”  The Bible talks a lot about the resurrection of Jesus.  Look at Psalms 16:10-11: “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.  You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”  These words prophesied the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In fact, God did not leave Jesus Christ in the grave.  In 1 Corinthians 15:4, the second half of the Bible says that Jesus Christ rose again on the third day, but it is not easy to find in the Bible the prophecy that Jesus Christ was resurrected ‘on the third day’ here. 

 Based on Genesis 22:4, “On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance,” Arthur Pink said God called Abraham to test him and told him, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you” (v. 2).  In this story, he tried to find the prophecy of the fact that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Bible (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Look at Hebrews 11:19 – “He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”  Look at Matthew 12:38-40: “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, ‘Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.’  He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!  But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’”  Jesus told the scribes and the Pharisees who wanted to show them signs that they had no signs to show except the signs of the prophet Jonah, saying, 'Just as Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish three days and three nights, so Jesus himself will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.'  Look at Jonah 1:17 and 2:10 – “And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights” (1:17), “Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land” (2:10).  

Jesus prophesied that He would suffer many times, die and be resurrected three days later.  Look at Matthew 16:21 – “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.”  Look at Matthew 17:23 – “’and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.’  And they were deeply grieved.”  Look at Matthew 20:19 – “and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”  Jesus died on the cross according to the words of this prophecy, was buried on Good Friday, was in the tomb on Saturday, and rose from the dead on the third day of the following day, Sunday dawn.  Jesus, who was resurrected on the third day, accompanied the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, but the two disciples did not know that He was the resurrected Jesus (Lk. 24:13-16).  They said to Jesus, “and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.  But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.  Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.  But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive” (vv. 20-23).  They did not know that the person accompanying them was the resurrected Jesus, and they testified that Jesus rose from the grave (resurrected) after 3 days.  Jesus explained to them details about Himself, beginning with the writings of Moses and all the prophets, which were written in all the scriptures (v. 27).  In other words, starting with the words of the Law of Moses and the Prophets, Jesus gave the two disciples a detailed explanation of what Jesus Himself was about (Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection) in all the Scriptures.  But no one saw Jesus risen from his tomb.  And no one has been resurrected from Adam to this day (The resurrection of Lazarus from the dead is different from the resurrection of Jesus.  He rose from the tomb of Jesus, ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, but Lazarus rose from the tomb and died again).  There are people in the Bible who ascended to heaven (e.g. Enoch and Elijah).  But no one rose from the dead like Jesus did.

The resurrected Jesus testified of His resurrection in many ways.  Look at Acts 1:3 – “To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.”  Look at 1 Corinthians 15:5-8: “and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”  Of the many appearances of the resurrected Jesus during his 40 days on earth (for example, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, but not recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8), only six are recorded: (1) He was shown to “Cephas” (Peter).  Peter saw the resurrected Jesus with the naked eye at least five times on earth.  Therefore, the resurrection of Jesus is not a fantasy.  (2) He appeared to the twelve disciples.  (3) He was also seen by 500 brothers.  (4) It was also seen by James, the brother of Jesus, who believed in Jesus only after Jesus was resurrected and became an elder of the Jerusalem church.  (5) He was also seen by all the apostles.  (6) He was also seen by the Apostle Paul.  On the road to Damascus, the Apostle Paul saw Jesus sitting at the right hand of God after being resurrected and ascending into heaven.

Jesus is risen again!  Jesus is resurrected!  If we believe in Jesus, who died according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, we will receive the forgiveness of all sins, be justified, and there will be a physical resurrection when Jesus comes again.  Look at 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.  …  But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming.”  All who belong to Jesus Christ, who became the firstfruits of those who sleep, will be resurrected when Jesus comes.  Look at 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 imperishable, and we will be changed.”  When the last trumpet will sound, the dead saints will be raised to immortality, and the living saints will be changed suddenly.  Look at 1 Thessalonians 4:14 – “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”  God will bring the souls of those who died while believing in Jesus.  The dead in Christ will rise first, and then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore, with this confidence, we must be steadfast, unwavering, and always diligent in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58).