Resurrection of Jesus Christ

If death is our final destination, we should all be terrified every moment in our life as we will face it one day and you don't know when it would happen. What people thinking about death?......

People were and are trying their very best to extend their life length even to eternity. But they failed and are going to fail...

The wonderful news Today I am going to share with you is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was dead, buried and rose again on the thrid day.  

The truth of the resurrection is intrinsic, vital and fundamental to everything that we believe as Christian as our faith is based on His resurrection.

I will share with you the evidence which could prove that He is indeed dead on the cross, then resurrection.

 

If any of you have watched 'the Passion of the Christ', you will get the taste of brutality, the intense of suffering... 

The aweful of this kind of torture was realized by Rome's most famous orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero, who said,'even the mere word, cross, must remain far not only from the lips of the citizens of Rome, but also from their thoughts, their eyes, and their ears.' 

For indeed a death by crucifixion seems to include all the pain and death can have of horrible and ghastly-dizziness, cramp, thirst, shame, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wound. 

After suffering the most intense forms of physical punishment, Christ also had to endure the journey (about 4 kilometers)  to the place of crucifixion-Golgotha.  What is waiting for Him? Nail go through wrist or palm of hands, and bones of leg. 

There are many evidence could prove that He is dead. One evidence is the soldier's spear that was the means to exhibting to the world that His death was due to a cardiac rupture as Professor Day state in one of his article. (John 19:32-34) Another article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (is the most widely circulated medical journal in the world according to Wikipedia) concluded from the Gospel accounts that Jesus certainly had died before He was removed from the cross:" Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to His side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between His right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lang but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensure his death. Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge."

The great Physiologist from the University of Dublin, Samuel Houghton: repeated observation and experiments made upon men and animals have led him to the following results, when the left side is freely pierced after death by a large knife comparable in size with a Roman spear, three distinct cases may be noted:

The frist case: No flow of any kind follows the wound, except a slight trickling of blood. This is that which usually occurs after death; 

Second case is that: A copious flow of blood only follows wound. This case is found in cases of death by drowning and by strychnia, may be demonstrated by destroying an animal with the poison, and it can be proved to be the natural case of a crucified person; 

and the third case is found in cases of death from pleurisy, pericarditis, and rupture of heart. With the forgoing cases most anatomists who have devoted their attention to this subject are familiar; 

but the following two cases are explicable on physiological principals which are recorded in John 19:32-34: A copious flow of water, succeeded by a copious flow of blood, follows the wound or A copious flow of blood, succeeded by a copious flow of water, follows the wound. 

Death by crucifixion causes a condition of blood in the lungs similar to that produced by drowning and strychnia ; the fourth one would occur in a crucified person who had previously to crucificion suffered from pleuritic effusion; and the fifth one would occur in a crucified person, who had died upon the cross from rupture of the ehart. 

The history of the day preceeding our Lord's crucifixion effetually excludes the supposition of pleurisy, which is also out of the question if blood first and water afterwards followed the wound. There remains, therefore, no supposition possible to explain the recorded phonomenon except the ombinaiton of the crucifixion and rupture of the heart. Blood and water came out ... is evidence of massive clotting of the blood in the main arteries, and is excpetionally strong medical proof of death. He is dead.

Regarding to the time constrain, I would not talk about the truth of His burial.

He is risen. Jesus not only predicted His resurrection but also emphasized that His rising from the dead would be the sigh to authenticate His claims to be the Messiah. (Matt 12)

First evidence: Transforming life of Followers: 

Transforming life of James half brother of Jesus, who does not believe the gospel before His death, but believed after His resurrection. After three time denial during the trial of Jesus, Peter was willing to die for Christ after His Resurrection. Transforming life of many others even nowdays. 

Second evidence: the old testament prophecies have been fulfilled in Christ regarding to death, resurrection.

He would be sold for 30 piece of Silver:

Old Testament (Zechariah 11:12) says:I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.

New Testament (Matthew 26:14-15) says:Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.

The Messiah would be wounded by His enemies:

Old Testament (Isaiah 53:5) says:But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

New Testament (Matthew 27:26) says:Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. Psaml 22：17-18,

The Messiah would have his hands and feet pierced:

Old Testament (Psalm 22:16) says:Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

New Testament (Luke 23:33) says:When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left.

No bones broken:

Psalm 34:20.... John 19:32-36. - Ps 34:20 He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. (Ex 12:46) - 

Jn 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

His side pierced:

Zechariah 12:10.... John 19:34. - Zec.12:10 They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 

- Jn 19:34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

Resurrection of Jesus:

Hosea 6:2, Psalms 16:10, 49:15..... Luke 24:6-7, Mark.16:6-7. - Hos.6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 

- Lk.24:6-7 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

There have been described in the Old testament 300 prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah and 500 of the second coming, all of them made hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus and fulfilled by Jesus, the Messiah.  Bryan does not give me enough time...^^

George Heron, a French mathematician, calculated that the probability of one man fulfilling only 40 of those prophecies are 1 in 10 to the power of 157. That is a 1 followed by 157 zeros. Compare it to this; the possibility on winning lottery are 14 followed by 6 zeros.

Another mathematician, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, claims the odds of being fulfilled only 60 of them by the only person who claimed to be the Son of God, and who died on a "tree" on Calvary, and who rose the 3rd day are astronomical!... not just one in one trillion, but one out of ten to the 895th power. That is a one over a one followed by 895 zeros.

The third evidence: Eyewitness. 

What can change faithless Disciple from Scard rabbits into confident saints, world changing missionaries, courageous martyrs and joy-filled touring embassadors for Christ.

The apostles were dejected and depressed in their conclusion that Christ was not their expected Messiah (Luke 24:21). In such a condition, they can hardly be considered the subjests of hopeful visions and hallucinations. 

These were not men ready to believe.

The very fact that Christ rebuked them for their unbelief indicates that Thomas was not the only one who was a hardheaded skeptic. At one time or another Jesus rebuked all of the eleven aposles for their unbelief in His resurrection (Matt 28:17, Luke 24:25-27, John 20: 24-27). This prove they were finally convinced against their will.

As Gospel shows that they rejected the first reports of Jesus's resurrection. It was only after Jesus appeared to them again and again., talking with them, encouraging them to touch Him , to see that He ahs a physical body, showing them the wounds in His hands and His side, that they became convinced (john 29:20-27).

If they have expected a resurrection, they would have been waiting for it. But they were not, and they needed a lot of convicing when it did happen. (Acts: 1:3).

What evident is so convincing?------------------------Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The bones of Abraham, muhammand, and budda and confucius, Lao-Tzu and Zoroaster are still here on earth but Jeus's womb is empty. Not only the tomb is empty, or He has fulfilled so many old testament prophecies, but alos His appearence to so many eye witness. I am fully convinced.

Do you think life is with purpose or we are borned to die? Is it worth to get to know more about Jesus, His love, life, Death and resurrection ?

I would like to end with John 11:25  Jesus said to her" I am the resurrection  and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives  and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"