Why does the resurrection of Jesus matter? It proves He was who He claimed to be, did what He claimed to do, and will do what He claimed He will do!
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Why Does It Matter If Jesus Rose From The Dead?
Matthew 28:1-20
There are a lot of events which we think are so important that really don’t matter. It really doesn’t matter in the large scheme of things which team wins the World Series or the Super Bowl. In another 5 years most people won’t be able to remember. It really doesn’t matter who wins the National Banjo Championship, or how much money you make in your lifetime.
However, there is one event that does matter! In fact, if this event did not take place, it has HUGE eternal ramifications for our lives. I’m speaking, of course, of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Interestingly, statistics claim that 64% of Americans believe that Jesus really did rise from the dead. But, does it really matter whether Jesus physically and bodily rose from the dead or not? Does it really make any important difference in anyone’s life? I believe it does matter, and I want to give you three reasons why?
1. It Proved Jesus Was Who He Claimed To Be
Jesus said He would die and rise again on the third day.
Mt. 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.”
Mt. 17:9, “And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, ‘Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
Mt. 17:22-23, “And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.’ And they were deeply grieved.”
Mt. 20:17-19, “And as Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
I believe these texts prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus knew months ahead of time that He would be delivered to the religious leaders, mocked, scourged, crucified, and then He would rise again on the third day. Jesus told His disciples these facts over and over and over. So, Brian, what’s your point? My point is that if we can trust Jesus when He speaks about something as miraculous as rising from the dead, we can trust Him when He speaks on other matters. Jesus predicted over and over that He would rise again from the dead – and He did! That should cause us to pause and ask ourselves what else He said. What did Jesus say about His identity? Who did He claim to be? Well, let’s look at His own words as recorded in the gospels.
John 14:9, “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 8:58, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’
John 5:17-18, “But He answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only as breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”
Mark 2:5-7, “And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘My son, your sins are forgiven.’ But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?’”
John 5:22-23, “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
John 10:30-33, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me? The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
Mark 14:61-64, “Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.”
Jesus is unique in human history as a religious leader. Buddha never claimed to be God. Mohammad did not claim to be Alla. Jesus Christ alone claimed to be God in human flesh. Now, of course, anyone can claim to be God. I can claim to be God. You can claim to be God. Let’s suppose that Barak Obama went on television today, and told all Americans, “I am God. I can forgive your sins. I will be your Judge. I can give you eternal life. If you put me to death, I will raise myself from the dead.” What would happen? The station would quickly turn to a commercial break, Mr. Obama would be led away and replaced by the Vice-President, Joe Biden. The result would be that all Americans would realize that Mr. Obama had lost his mind or was a brazen liar. However, we can’t do the same with Jesus Christ. Jesus never gave the slightest impression that He was insane, nor did He ever lie. Further, Jesus gave evidence to back up His claims. Jesus turned water to wine, multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed 5,000 people. Jesus walked on water, healed the sick, and raised the dead. The clincher is that Jesus predicted His own death and resurrection, and then died in exact fulfillment of His words. Three days later the tomb was empty, and over 500 of His followers reported to have seen Him alive. My friends, because Jesus was raised from the dead, it proves He was who He claimed to be – God in the flesh! Once you come to see and believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, it will make all the difference in the world to you. The British missionary of the late 19th century, C.T. Studd once said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.
Not only does Jesus’ resurrection prove He was who He claimed to be,
2. It Proved Jesus Did what He Claimed He Would Do
Not only was Jesus very specific about who He was, He was also very forthright about what He had come into the world to do. Let’s listen to His own words:
John 3:17, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”
Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
John 10:10, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”
If Jesus came to give us life, that means we were spiritually dead. If Jesus came to save us, that means we were spiritually lost and needed to be rescued. But how could He give us spiritual life and save us from perishing eternally?
Mt. 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
There’s our answer. The way Jesus will give us life and salvation, is by giving His life. And He gives His life as a ransom for many. A ransom is given for someone who is being held in captivity or bondage. When the ransom money is paid, the captive is freed. Jesus is telling us here that we were captive to sin, death and hell. And unless someone stepped in and paid our ransom price, we would perish eternally. But Jesus Christ is our Redeemer! He has given His life as the ransom price on the cross, to free us from sin and guilt, and death, and hell.
But how do we know He actually accomplished it? How do we know that God the Father accepted His death as payment in full for our sins? Look at that empty tomb! If Jesus did not pay the price for our sin, He never would have raised Him from the dead and caused Him to ascend to heaven and sit at His right hand. The resurrection is proof that God has accepted Jesus’ payment for our sins! “He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Rom.4:25).
Folks, you want proof that you can be saved, that your sins can be forgiven, that you can have eternal life? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is all the proof you will ever need! Not only did the resurrection of Jesus prove He was who He claimed to be, and He did what He claimed He would do, but also
3. It Proved He Will Do What He Claimed He Will Do
Here is where things really get exciting! List to Jesus own words:
John 14:19, “Because I live, you shall live also.”
John 5:28-29, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”
Mt. 25:31, “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’”
John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
In short, Jesus claimed that one day He would give eternal life to all those who believed in Him and became His followers. He would raise them from the dead, and grant them an eternal kingdom with Him. But, how do we know He will do that? His resurrection is our proof! If Jesus predicted that he would rise from the dead, and then did it, surely, He has the power to raise us as well!
Application
So, what does all this mean for you? Well, it means that Jesus’ resurrection proves that He is God, that His death pays for our sin, and that He will forgive all your sins and grant you eternal life if you trust Him.
But there’s the rub… if you trust Him. What does it really mean to trust Him? Let’s say you are on a Boeing 747 headed for New York City, when all of a sudden you hear an explosion and the plane starts swerving. In a moment the stewardesses start handing out parachutes saying, “Our engines have just caught on fire, and the plane is descending rapidly. Your only hope is to jump from the plane!”
Now, you might say, “Wow… those parachutes really look professional. I really believe they would work well if I were to use it.” Are you trusting the parachute? No, you are admiring the parachute, but you are not trusting it. You don’t really begin to trust the parachute until you have strapped it on your back and jumped out of the plane. Similarly, maybe some of you have been admiring Jesus Christ. You say, “He really looks like He could be the Son of God. I believe He probably could give me eternal life.” Are you trusting Him? No, you are admiring Him. You don’t begin trusting Jesus, until you let go of all your other hopes, and trust in Him alone to save you. You don’t trust Jesus, until you stop trusting in yourself. I ask this question to people all the time, “If God were to ask you why He should allow you into His kingdom, what would you say?” The answer I get back almost invariably begins with “Because I…” Then they start talking about how they are a good person, or have a good heart, or are kind and generous, etc. Do you see that they are not trusting in Christ. They are trusting in themselves. They are making the same mistake that the Pharisee in Jesus parable made who “trusted in himself that he was righteous.” It is not until we say, “I am a sinner. I have no righteousness. I am guilty, polluted, depraved, and unclean. I renounce any hope in myself to be saved, and I trust in Jesus alone. He is all my righteousness. If He can’t save me, then I’m headed for hell, because I have placed all my eggs in His basket. I am not good enough to get into heaven, but I trust in Jesus that He will credit His righteousness to my account.” My friend, have you ever trusted in Jesus? Have you ever clung to Jesus as your only hope? Of course, to cling to Jesus, means you must turn loose of whatever you were holding onto before. We must turn loose of our sin (that is repentance), and we must cling to Jesus (that is faith). If you will repent and turn from your sin, and trust in Jesus Christ, God will save you. He will forgive you. He will raise you from the dead. He will grant you eternal life with Christ in His kingdom forever. Will you trust Him? Let’s pray.
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