The Case For The Resurrection*

Often the day to celebrate the resurrection of Christ is referred to as "Easter". However, knowing the origins of the term "Easter" in paganism, I have long preferred to call this day "Resurrection Sunday". It's not that much harder to say these words, which reflect the truth and power of the day, than it is to say "Easter". Many people reject the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, although the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, make reference to it. Not only does scripture bear witness, but there are confirming sources, like the Shroud of Turin, that bear witness in every way to the truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, which is the essential foundation for the Christian faith, as we will see. So why do so many people do all that they can to reject and despise this precious gift given to us in love by God? This is nothing new. Jesus gave an account of a king who invites people to a banquet. Those invited came up with all sorts of weak excuses for not attending. We will see this attitude spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, who wrote prophetically of the Servant of God who would be abused and marred beyond recognition (Isa. 52:14) and killed, not for His own sins, but for the sins of His people. Isaiah also prophesied what the prevailing attitude would be towards this Servant who went to His death like a lamb for many: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted>" (Isa. 53:3-4). The religious people would think that this Servant must have done something to displease God, and God was punishing Him. However, His suffering and death were for our sins, because He was blameless (v. 8-9). The prophet continues: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (v. 5). Not only was His suffering to pay the price that we deserved, but the stripes of His suffering results in our healing. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (v. 6). This sacrifice made for our sins will be so great, and the evidence for it will be so convincing, that Isaiah wrote that even kings and nations will consider it: "The LORD hath made bare his holy (aleph-tav) arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation (Yeshua - Salvation by God, and the Hebrew name of Jesus) of our God...So shall he sprinkle (naza - spurt, spatter, startle, sprinkle in expiation) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isa. 52:10, 15). Even the individual Hebrew letters that form the word for "sprinkle", which is nazah, spell out the meaning of His purpose: "Behold, the Heir to the throne pierced". As Isaiah brought forth this powerful revelation of the Servant who would suffer and die for the sins of others, he also wrote in the face of these things: "Dapart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD." (Isa. 52:11). This knowledge and evidence of so great a sacrifice is to lead us into repentance and cleansing (see also 2 Chron. 7:14). We are also "vessels of the LORD", and this atoning purpose of our Savior should not leave us as we were, but changed. Isaiah mentioned that this precious Servant of Salvation would be despised (baza - despise, regard with contempt, condemned, scorn, worthless). This is not the first time that men would look upon the things of the LORD, and despise them (see Lev. 26:40-43, Num. 15:30-31). As Isaiah prophesied, the awareness of this sacrifice of expiation would go beyond Israel to the nations of the world. Kings and nations would desire to consider it, not because someone told them, but because they saw something to convince them of the matter. The Shroud of Turin is an example of something the eyes could look upon and be moved to consider. The apostle Paul appeared before kings and acknowledged that they were already familiar with Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. The Shroud continues to bring the reality of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus to the eyes of many who may not have seriously considered this before. Part of the Biblical evidence for the resurrection of Christ as our Savior, was declared before, and at His birth! Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary, decided to put her aside when he found out that she was expecting a child that he had not fathered, but something happened that convinced him otherwise. An angel appeared to him in a dream and said: "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Yeshua in Hebrew, meaning salvation): for he shall save his people from their sins." (Mt. 1 :18-21). The Gospel then states that this event was a fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah regarding a virgin bringing forth a son, Immanuel, meaning God with us (Isa. 7:14, Mt. 1:22-23). Joseph did not despise the Word of the LORD when it was brought to him, nor did he despise the One who was about to be born who would fulfill that Word. The shepherds, who witnessed a remarkable event full of the glory of the LORD in the heavens when Jesus was born, heard an angel proclaim: "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger'...the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." (Lk. 2:8-16). The shepherds did not despise the Word brought to them by the angel in heaven, nor the infant that they subsequently sought out with haste and found. The angel had identified this infant as "the Saviour" for all people, and revealed the specific sign by which the shepherds would be able to identify Him - an infant wrapped and placed in a manger. Shortly after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph fulfilled the law of Moses by bringing Him to the temple on the eighth day for circumcision, where His name was also confirmed to be JESUS, following the Word of the angel to Joseph before His birth (v. 21-24). There in the twmple, the parents met two special people. The first was named Simeon, who was devout, and was waiting for "the consolation of Israel", which is the Messiah, or "Christ" in Greek. The Holy Spirit had promised Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Christ. The same Holy Spirit led him to enter the temple that particular day, where he encountered Mary, Joseph, nd the child. (v. 25-27). Simeon took the baby Jesus and held Him up in his arms, blessing God, and said: "...mine eyes have seen thy salvation (Yeshua/Jesus), which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people, Israel..." (v. 28-32). To Mary, Simeon prophesied: "Behold, this child is set for the fall (ptosis/pipto - includes the meanings "descend to a lower place, perish, decay of a corpse") and rising again (anastasis - includes the meanings "a rising from the dead, resurrection, restored to life") of many in Israel.; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (v. 33-35). Immediately after this encounter, an aged prophetess named Anna (a form of the name, Hannah, which means "grace"), whose father had been Phanuel (meaning "the face of God"), came upon the family with the child, and gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of the child to all of those "that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." (v. 36-38). The apostle Paul wrote of the foundational importance of the death and resurrection of Christ to all believers. He wrote: "...Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (referring to the Torah, or Old Testament); And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures..." (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Many people were witnesses to the resurrection, and saw Jesus, not just the disciples, but also five hundred others, Paul wrote. Finally, Paul saw Him, himself, when he had his own conversion experience on the Road to Damascus (v. 5-9). There is no question as to the truth of the resurrection from these eyewitnesses. Paul wrote that, because of this, there was no excuse to believe that Christ was not raised, as even some believers were saying at the time (v. 11-12). Paul wrote emphatically regarding resurrection of the dead: "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain...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. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive...Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power." (v. 13-24). There is no completion of the atonement for sin without the resurrection of Christ from the dead. We, as Christians, have no hope and no faith, without the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The final victory of the Kingdom of God over all spiritual and natural powers in the end times would not be accomplished without the authority established in Christ's overpowering resurrection from death, Hell, and the grave. Christ's resurrection is the power behind all of these things. Finally, His resurrection is the power behind our transformation from corruption and mortality to incorruption and immortality. Paul wrote: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all 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, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality...then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory, O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory. The sting of death is sin...But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (v. 50-57). Because Christ was raised from the dead, we shall be also, but not only that, those alive who belong to Christ when that trump sounds will be changed in a moment to the same resurrection life. For this reason, Paul wrote, we must remain steadfast and unmoveable in this powerful truth, and therefore, abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your faith is not vain, but contains resurrection life (v. 58). The Lord's return is soon, as all of the signs point to it. The truth of Christ's resurrection is a necessary, unchangeable, incontrovertible basis of our faith. To view a remarkable presentation by Dr. Stevenson on the Shroud of Turin, please visit this link: https://youtu.be/BBXgmbHWG64 . *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/9/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.