The Risen Lord

Matthew 28:1-10; Ephesians 2:4-9
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, April 11

In a day of societal confusion and theological irresponsibility, the church possesses a challenging task to proclaim the truth to a reluctant and often hostile audience. Our postmodern culture believes in no foundational system of belief, leaving their worldview inconsistent with any harmonious relationship to reality. The present-day culture desires to persuade you toward a belief system that requires no belief at all, proving itself to be illogical on many fronts.

The basic principle of this new way of thinking rejects any existence of concrete principles. The absolute of the postmodern idea of neutrality is that nothing can be absolute, realistically speaking. One can only hold to a subjective, personal belief of an “idea or opinion” of truth, which cannot and should not be considered exclusively true. To believe any one thing to be absolutely true is now to sign your name to a list of “ignorant,” “intolerant,” and “inconsiderate” thinkers.

How does this affect the average believer? As Christians we hold to many foundational truths. We believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life as a real man, died a literal death on the cross, and supernaturally rose on the third day.

These basic beliefs are not suggestions, nor are they ideals or morals we simply hope to pass down to our children. These foundational precepts need no approval by the governing board of postmodern thinkers, nor does their disbelief change the reality of truth.

Absolute truth requires no verification to be considered true, though Christians are given the verifiable substance of faith. The truth of a matter is true with or without a majority vote or group of followers. In the midst of an uncertain era of spiritual nonsense, the Gospel of Jesus Christ remains logically consistent and absolutely true.

The Tomb
Matthew 28:1-7

That day of our greatest hope was no doubt a continuation of constant confusion for the disciples. Though Jesus had foretold of His coming death and resurrection, these followers were still unconscious of the significance of the empty tomb. While their hearts were filled with defeat and doubt, their future was filled with victorious potential.

While the sacrifice Jesus made by dying on the cross was essential to satisfy the demands of a holy God, the resurrection was equally necessary to verify and consummate the testimony of truth. Some pictures and ornaments continue to display our Lord nailed to the cross, but this is no longer His residence. Others insist on keeping Jesus in the tomb, declaring the physical impossibility of a mortal man’s resurrection.

Jesus, however, was not simply a mortal man. It was literally the moment of “Truth,” when the God-man, Jesus Christ, would display His divine power and eternal purpose for coming to earth.

The Testimonies
Matthew 28:8-10

Skeptics will even say that these witnesses cannot be legitimately trusted, assuming that this number of willing outcasts had hidden motives to deceive the masses. These accusations are ludicrous, considering the risks these followers faced as they stood to proclaim their personal testimony.

Evidence found in I Corinthians 15 provides additional support to the post-resurrection account of the Gospels. More than 500 people witnessed the risen Lord. This was not a scheme to trick the multitudes. Instead, multitudes bore witness to the miracle of resurrection. These men and women had nothing to gain by testifying of the resurrected Christ.

Let’s consider the process of determining the reality of an occurrence. How many times are people placed in prison based completely on the testimony of those present at the supposed event? Lee Strobel, in his book The Case for Christ, offers Timothy McVeigh as an example.

Though McVeigh had no accusers claim, nor videos display, an actual verified testimony to his loading or driving a truck with two tons of fertilizer to the federal building, the jury concluded his guilt based on other witness testimony in the case. Without the witnesses, the case against McVeigh would have been impossible to prove.

The remarkable aspect of the case for Christ is the verified reality of His resurrection. Actual people who knew Jesus, and followed Him daily, met Him face to face on the other side of His grave. The case for Christ is substantial, but it will never be absent of an imperative of faith. We must each take that leap of faith, not leaving our intellect at the door, but neither depending upon it to prove our hope and substance of belief.

The Triumph
Ephesians 2:4-9

The significance of Christ’s resurrection is immeasurable. Without it, Paul says that our preaching is empty, our faith is futile, and we are found to be false witnesses (I Corinthians 15:14-17). The second chapter of Ephesians explains that the resurrection of Jesus was not only a historical fact, but it remains a spiritual power and substantial part of personal faith today.

Paul declares that one must believe in the resurrection to be saved (Romans 10:9). If Christ has not risen, we have not been spiritually made alive. Though some faithless religions seek to follow a faithless path of societal acceptability, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the pinnacle of absolute truth.

Notice, I did not say our truth, for this is God’s truth, standing sure without exception to the onslaught of opposing worldviews and skeptical opinions. No vote need be taken; no majority will be needed for verification. Truth is truth, and Jesus, the risen Lord, has opened the gates of glory for you.

Though we were hopelessly bankrupt in our spirit, He gave us grace, providing an answer to our eternal dilemma of sin and shame.

Questions for Life

1. What are some examples of your experience with our cultural struggle for truth?

2. Discuss the importance of the literal resurrection of Jesus.