Title: He Is Risen (John 20:1-18)
You may have heard of events in which a person claims to be able to bring the dead back to life, or is actually known to be able to bring the dead back to life. We also find similar events in the Bible. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, the son of the widow of Sarepta died and was raised to life by Elijah. In 2 Kings 4:32-35, the son of the Shunammite woman died and was raised to life by Elisha. is. Even 2 Kings 13:21 records an incident where when Elisha died and was buried, the body of a dead man touched his bones and he came back to life.
There are several such verses in the New Testament as well. There were three times when Jesus raised the dead, and He raised Jairus' daughter, the widow's son, and Lazarus from the dead. Peter raised Dorcas from the dead, and Paul raised Eutychus from the dead.
However, in all these events, the body that had died was restored, not the body of resurrection. Because there is no record that they lived forever just because they died and came back to life. Resurrection means that if you die and live again, you will be transformed into an immortal body. Only then can we live forever in the kingdom of God. This is the resurrection. Resurrection does not simply refer to dying and rising again, but to living again and not dying forever.
Until now, there have been many false stories about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There were also rumors that the disciples had stolen Jesus' body. But if the disciples had stolen Jesus' body, would they have been willing to suffer and die to prove that God raised Jesus from the dead? He was able to do martyrdom because he had faith. There were also rumors that the Romans and Jewish rulers hid Jesus' body. If they had hidden it, they would have had to present the body of Jesus as proof that Jesus was not resurrected, who hid the body of Jesus when the disciples converted 3,000 people in a day by preaching the resurrection of Jesus.
Some claim that Jesus fainted briefly, then rose from the cold tomb, then appeared to his disciples, and eventually died again. But it is too unimaginable for a man who barely escaped from the tomb half-dead, to give the impression that a man who had died from the agony appeared to his disciples as a conqueror who overcame the power of death.
There are outward evidences proving the resurrection of Christ.
The accounts of the Resurrection show this. If a certain Greek believer distorted the record of Jesus' actions, he might have omitted the fact that it was Mary Magdalene, who was treated as a sinner, and not the disciples like Peter or John who first met the resurrected Jesus. .
The resurrection of Christ is not just a fantasy. It is not that we have seen ghosts that have been common since ancient times, nor have we fallen into a state of being possessed by goblins.
When Jesus appeared, the disciples were completely unprepared for him.
They could not have expected with joy and hope that Jesus would appear to them. So, when Thomas first said that the other disciples had seen the resurrected Jesus, he vehemently denied it, saying that it was just a vision. Jesus appeared not only to these disciples, but also to many other people in many other places, and they all received different impressions after meeting the risen Lord.
A booklet entitled 'Report of Pilate' has been found. He was a governor sent by the Roman emperor from Judea at the time he allowed Jesus to be crucified. From the time Jesus appeared to the world, Pontius Pilate wrote a report to the Roman emperor, detailing the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross, which was discovered by archaeologists and is now housed in the Temple of St. Sophia in Turkey. . According to the contents of this report, Pontius Pilate leaves the following words at the end:
"As Malchus said by the cross, I would truly say that this man was the Son of God."
There are inward evidences proving the resurrection of Christ.
Many people who met the resurrected Christ trembled in fear or wept. Mary Magdalene said, "I have seen the Lord," and with joy, she testified of the resurrection of Christ to the disciples. In John 20:19-23, the resurrected Jesus appeared when the doors were closed where the disciples had gathered because they were afraid. On 24-26, the resurrected Jesus appeared to Thomas, who had doubts, and his doubts were turned into faith.
After that, many of the disciples who professed their faith in the resurrection of Christ went on the path of martyrdom while suffering suffering and death. And as we testify of the resurrection of Christ to others, we can confess our faith in the resurrection.
Now, it is true that we met the resurrected Christ and was resurrected, and we should be able to confess our faith in the resurrection before Christ who lives and is with us. Also, just as there was a spiritual change for each person who met the resurrected Lord, a change must also occur in our spiritual appearance.
Just as Mary Magdalene, who was helplessly visiting the tomb where Christ was buried, was overflowing with joy and testified, ?쏧 have seen the risen Lord,??we must also overflow with joy and testify of the risen Lord. Just as their appearance changed to courage and confidence when the Lord of the Resurrection appeared to the disciples who were engulfed in fear, we should also have courage and confidence as the Lord of Resurrection is with us today. Just as Thomas of doubt had faith, our spiritual image, which still cannot shake off the part of doubt, must be changed to a certain faith. All of us who have met the Resurrection Lord must be able to confess our faith in the Resurrection even when suffering and death lie before us. The Holy Spirit Himself will guide you.
We end today's talk by introducing a poem.
<The empty tomb....> They came to the deserted garden and saw in the shadows of darkness They had prepared the empty tomb with ointment to pour on His holy body, but to their amazement they saw, the living Lord.
Their hearts were weighed heavily and sat down in deep despair...
But when I lifted up my eyes clouded with tears, Oh, Jesus was standing there.
With the dying breath at Calvary, all hope was over, they thought, but they saw. Redeemer of power over death On that wonderful Easter morning, in the moist, dewy garden He came From the grave to the world, to save to reign anew.
When hope is cold and dead, when sorrow is deep, when we lift our wet eyes, we can see the empty tomb.