As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus today
As millions of christians celebrate this day there are two things that separate christianity from all other religions and beliefs.
First is prophecy - there are over 350 old testament prophecies concerning Jesus of Nazareth.
- the probability of one man fulfilling them all is in the one in trillions . A statistical impossibility
- at least 35 authors over between 1000-1500 years
- every thing written inspired by the Holy Spirit to take place on time
The second thing that separates Christianity from all the other beliefs is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:1-20(NLT)
15 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters,[a] of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.
2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.[b]
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.
4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
(Romans 6:23- wages of sin is death)
5 He was seen by Peter[c] and then by the Twelve.
6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers[d] at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.
(Acts 9)
9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.
10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead?
13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.
15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead.
16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.
18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
Acts 9:26-31(NKJV)
26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists,[f] but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.
The Church Prospers
31 Then the [g]churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.[h] And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
Psalm 34:4-8(NKJV)
4
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6
This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7
The [a]angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
8
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!