Title: Much Evidence/Acts 1:1-5
Is Christianity a True Religion? Is it a false religion? To this question, the event of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is crucial in determining its existence.
Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity would have become like other pagan religions and pagan philosophies. But the resurrection of Jesus was a historical fact.
I. It was the repeated fulfillment of Jesus' own prophecy.
In Matthew 12:39-40, "Jesus answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but there is no sign to be seen except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of a great fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man three days and three nights. will be in the earth.”
Matthew 16:21 says, “Jesus Christ began to teach his disciples that he must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised the third day.”
In Matthew 17:9, it says, "As they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded, saying, "Tell no one what you have seen until the Son of Man has risen from the dead." In Matthew 17:23 it says, “You will be put to death, and on the third day you will rise again.” This prophecy of Jesus' resurrection is repeated in the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and John (Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22, John 2:19-21). His words were always true. That was also fulfilled in his own resurrection prophecy.
II. The empty tomb testifies to the resurrection of Jesus.
The death of Jesus on the cross was a public event. And the fact that he was buried is evidenced by the fact that Pilate sent an army to guard the tomb. Moreover, it is the fact that the tomb was empty because Jesus, who was buried in the tomb, was resurrected (Matthew 27:57-66, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-24:11). This is the pride of Christianity. Christianity is by no means the religion of the grave. That is why we assert that the grave is not the end of life.
Moreover, because of this empty tomb, the Jewish religious leaders at that time falsely fabricated the so-called theory that Jesus' body had been stolen by His disciples (Matthew 28:11-15, John 20:1-2).
Ⅲ. There are many convincing evidences presented to his disciples.
The disciples of Jesus are solid evidence of the crucifixion. By revealing many solid evidences to his disciples, Jesus reassured them and gave them a sense of duty.
The cases of Jesus appearing to his disciples after his resurrection are all solid evidence.
1. First, on the morning of the Lord's Resurrection (the first day after the Sabbath), he appeared to Mary Magdalene.
He had been possessed by seven demons, and he was healed by the grace of the Lord. As he wept outside the tomb early in the morning, bent over and peering into the tomb, he saw two angels in white sitting at the head and at the feet of Jesus' body.
Then the angels asked, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary replied, "Because I do not know where a man has taken my lord and put him." But at that very moment, when he turned around, the Lord Jesus was standing behind him. But Mary did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus asked Mary why weeping and whom are you looking for? She knew that Jesus was the gardener and asked the whereabouts of His body. Then Jesus called out by name, “Mary!” And he asked the disciples to make known his resurrection (Mark 16:9-11, John 20:11-18).
2. In the early morning of a Sunday, near the garden, he appeared to women except Mary Magdalene.
When they saw the risen Lord, they also held onto his feet and worshiped him. The Lord said to the women that he would meet the disciples in Galilee. “Go, tell my brothers, go to Galilee, and there you will see me” (Matthew 28:9-10).
3. And around noon on Sunday, he appeared to two anonymous disciples on their way to Emmaus. The Lord was with them. talked. And as he opened the Bible, he emphasized the fulfillment of the prophecy that Christ must suffer and rise again on the third day. At that time, the hearts of the two disciples became warm. Then he sat down at the table with them, gave thanks, and then disappeared. This is the scene where the fire of resurrection was kindled in the hearts of the two disciples (Luke 24:13-32). As a result, the two disciples came back to Jerusalem after breaking through the dark night road to testify of the resurrection to the disciples of Jesus.
4. He appeared to Simon Peter in a place in Jerusalem during the day of the week.
This is a personal manifestation (Luke 24:34, 1 Corinthians 15:5). The Lord appeared dramatically to the disciple Peter, confirming to him the resurrection of the Lord. As a result, he took the lead in witnessing the Lord's resurrection.
5. In Mark's upper room on a Sunday evening, he appeared in the presence of ten other disciples besides Thomas.
At that time, the Lord testified of the resurrection by showing the wounds he suffered on the cross. He even ate even a piece of grilled fish in front of us, and even told us to touch his own body. And by opening the Bible, they opened their hearts (Luke 24:36-43, John 20:19-25).
6. A week later, in Mark's upper room, the Lord appeared to all the eleven disciples. In particular, he approached Thomas and showed him his hands and side, telling him not to be a believer, but a believer. “Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who believe without seeing” (John 20:26-31, 1 Corinthians 15:5).
7. One morning, he appeared on the Sea of Galilee.
8. Some time later, in a field in Galilee, he appeared to all the eleven disciples.
It is here that the Great Commission of Christ was declared.
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15-18). “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matthew 28: 19-20). Since then, many of his disciples on earth have been loyal to him to this day in carrying out the last command of the Lord.
9. After a while, he appeared to over 500 brothers at once.
1 Corinthians 15:6 says, “After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers.” They are all witnesses to the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in one place. It is likely that this event occurred after the one shown to the eleven disciples in Galilee. Most of them were said to have been alive until Paul wrote the book of Corinth.
10. After that, it was shown to James the brother of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:7 says, “After that, he appeared to James”. He did not believe in Jesus during the public life of Jesus (John 7:5). It seems that he received grace together with the disciples during the work of the Pentecost (Acts 1:14). After that, he played a leading role as the head of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13, 21:18, Gal 2:9).
11. He appeared to the eleven apostles on the Mount of Olives (near Bethany) on the 40th day after the resurrection.
This is the final appearance just before ascension. He lifted up his hands to the disciples, blessed them, and ascended to heaven (Luke 24:49-50). It was a supernatural ascension. He was not annihilating or vanishing, but moving his abode to heaven.
12. Appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus after Pentecost.
During the 40 days after the resurrection, he proved that he lived by himself with many solid evidences.
IV. It is the change of disciples and the birth of the church.
The resurrection of Jesus renewed those Galilean fishermen and his disciples. Now they were no longer cowards. They appeared on the stage of history as strong and courageous people. With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they stood among the people as completely new people.
Their words had the power to pierce people's hearts and make new changes. Their actions were like invincible warriors. Their simple actions and noble ideals became living witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus.
Finally, their resurrection evangelism (sermon) sparked a new Jesus movement in Jerusalem. The case of Jesus did not end with the crucifixion. Now, through his disciples who testify of his resurrection, the Jesus of Nazareth movement has recorded a new chapter in history. That was the book of Acts.
It began to unfold a record-breaking event in the middle of history in a new form called the Church of Jesus movement. The Church of Jesus Christ, located in the middle of 2000 years of history, is a sure proof that Christ lives in the world.
Dear saints!
A lot of evidence for sure! This is an event of historical fact that proves the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is an event that is now appearing as a reality on the road of existing history. It is a living church movement.
This is a Sunday worship movement. This became another sign of Jesus' resurrection. And it is the love that leads neighbors to Christ, that is, the evangelism movement. It is a missionary movement that bears witness to the gospel of Christ to all peoples of the world.
And it is a movement of Christian noble ethics. It is the new life movement that appears as the light and salt of the world. Marital ethic, rich ethic, brotherly ethic at home. It is a movement of new life based on the love of Jesus Christ.
And it is a Christian life of unwavering hope. It is a life of hope that believes in the truth that even if we die we will live again. It is the assurance of future hope without fear of death and believing in the existence of a new heaven and a new earth that begins anew beyond death. So, Christians do not live today, but those who live tomorrow. These are people who do not stop in today's reality, but run towards the promised world of tomorrow called tomorrow. Because Christians are the ones who have the sure evidence of many lives received through Jesus.