Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Matthew chapter 28 as we celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And it truly is a celebration as Jesus rose from the dead and yet; many miss the significance of what Jesus did. Let me share with you this story and you will see what I mean regarding what Christ has done for us.  We are told:

           Dr. Gordon one Easter brought an old beat-up rusty birdcage and sat it next to the pulpit.  As he gave his sermon that Easter morning he held up the cage and said, “You might be wondering why this is here. As a matter of fact, that’s not the normal part of an Easter service, having a birdcage here.”

            He said, “Let me tell you the story of it. Several days ago I was noticing a little boy in tattered and torn blue jeans and a dirty T-shirt, cap off to the side, whistling, walking down an alley, swinging this birdcage.  Clinging to the bottom of the cage were little field sparrows he had caught. So I stopped him and asked, ‘Say, sonny, what do you have there?’ He said, ‘Oh, I’ve got some birds.’ ‘What are you gonna do with ‘em?’ I asked. ‘Oh, mess around with them, tease ‘em, something like that.’ ‘Well,’ I asked, ‘when you get tired of ‘em, what are you gonna do?’ He thought a moment and said, ‘Well, I got a couple of cats at home and they like birds. I think I’ll just let them have at ‘em.’”

            Dr. Gordon said his heart went out to the little birds so he made the little lad an offer. “How much do you want for the birds?” Surprised, the boy, said, “Mister, these birds ain’t no good.” “Well,” Dr. Gordon said, “regardless, how much would you like for ‘em?” The little fellow said, “How about two bucks?” He said, “Sold.” So he reached in his pocket and peeled off two-dollar bills. The little boy shoved the birdcage forward pleased with his stroke of good fortune.

            When the boy left, the pastor walked a good distance away, lifted open the little cage door and said, “Shoo, shoo.” And he shoved them out of the door and they flew free.

            The empty birdcage was the perfect illustration of how Satan had the human race trapped and frightened. Jesus Christ not only paid the price for our freedom; He has set us free.

- Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations

            You see folks, if there is no resurrection, if Jesus is still in the tomb, then our faith is empty, it is pointless, we might as well go and party hardy!  We might as well eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die!  We might as well live it up now because death awaits us if there is no resurrection.

            But don’t lose hope, for Christ has risen from the dead and thus, we are not only freed from the bondage of sin that we were in, we not only have access to God the Father through the resurrected Christ, but one day our bodies will be resurrected to glory with Jesus!

            Paul put it like this in I Corinthians 15:20-23, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.”

            But how do we know for sure that He rose from the dead?  We will be looking at this evidence, in a sense we will be putting the resurrection of Jesus on trial to see if there is enough evidence to prove that Jesus rose from the dead.  You might not think we would be able to do that, but as you will see, in a few minutes that the evidence is overwhelming to the resurrection of Jesus. But, before we do that let’s look at what transpired on that resurrection morning in Matthew chapter 28, starting in verse 1.

            Jesus has been in the grave or literally His body was laid in a tomb for 3 days now. The Sabbath has long ended, sundown on Saturday evening as the new day began for the Jew and it could have been over 10 hours since the Sabbath had ended before the women came to the tomb of Jesus, early in the morning, with burial spices.

            Prior to the women arriving there was a great earthquake and the guards turned pale and by the time the women got there, they had already ran for their lives! And as the women looked they saw this massive stone that covered the door of the tomb rolled away. Now, why was the stone rolled away?  Many like to tell us that it was to allow Jesus to come out! Give me a break. If death couldn’t hold Jesus, do you really think a one-ton stone could block His way out! Of course it couldn’t and that was not the issue. The stone was rolled away to let the women and other disciples, Peter and John to go in so they could see for themselves, to see that the tomb was empty and Jesus had risen from the dead!

            Obviously they thought someone stole the body of Jesus and they were fearful of all that transpired. Thus, this angel of the Lord comforted them and explained to them that He has risen and to go and tell the others the Good News! And as they looked in and saw the empty tomb, they left with great joy because they believed!

            Folks, whenever you encounter the risen Lord, be it at the time you are saved or each day you wake up to start a new day with Him, there should be great joy in your life, you should rejoice in the Lord always! And not only that, but you should share this great joy with others, the risen Christ as these women were told to do!

Now, a few years ago we not only saw Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Hoax, I mean The Da Vinci Code, but it was also a major motion picture that tried to promote that Jesus did not die, and thus He did not rise from the dead, but was married and had a family. They denied the deity of Jesus and thus, another slam against our faith!

            Also, back in 2007, right before we were to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, comes Titanic director James Cameron and Canadian journalist Simcha Jacobovici and their claims that they found the bones of Jesus, His wife Mary Magdalene, their son Judah as well as Mary the mother of Jesus and His step-father Joseph.  In other words, they are claiming that they found the family tomb of Jesus!  The book is called The Jesus Family Tomb and the Discovery Channel documentary called The Lost Tomb of Jesus aired on Sunday, March 4^th of that year.  And folks, as these lies come and go, there will always be new ones to replace them.  You see, how many of you even remember what James Cameron was trying to promote and ended up being a lie?  Maybe not too many of you, but I will tell you this, many unbelievers will hold this as gospel truth, that Jesus did not die and rise from the dead, but He lived and had a family and-so-on.

Now you might be wondering, “What is the big deal about this?  What is all the fuss about?  So they found the bones of Jesus, so what?” First of all, they didn’t but if they did, it is a big deal!  Paul had this to say to us in I Corinthians 15:17-19, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

The Amplified Bible puts these verses like this “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is mere delusion [futile, fruitless], and you are still in your sins [under the control and penalty of sin]; And further, those who have died in [spiritual fellowship and union with] Christ have perished (are lost)! If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.”

In other words, Paul is saying that it is a big deal, if Christ did not rise from the dead, if He is still in the tomb, then we might as well close the doors and go home.  Folks, don’t go anywhere, there is nothing to fear, as we will see. But the point here is that our faith is built upon God becoming flesh, dwelling among us, being offered up as a perfect sacrifice on the cross of Calvary and on the third day rising from the dead!  If it didn’t happen, then our faith is worthless.  You see, it is the heart of the Gospel message as Paul said, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”  I Corinthians 15:3-4.

            Thus, with the remainder of our time this morning, we are going to be looking at the evidence of why we believe that Jesus rose from the dead.  You see, if there is no evidence, then it is an empty faith.  But if there is evidence, in which there is, then our faith is real and the promises that Jesus has made to us are true, we can rest in them.

We are going to be looking at seven points regarding the resurrection of Jesus and if you are doubting that He rose from the dead, by the time we finish I pray that your heart is changed and you come to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to be Lord and Savior of your life. If you know Jesus, then I pray your faith will be strengthened in what you believe.  You see, the resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our hope of life beyond the grave and thus, we need to be sure of what we believe, if it is true or not!

1.  JESUS PREDICTED HIS RESURRECTION

            Now please understand, Jesus did not only predict his death, which anyone can do, but He also clearly predicated that He would rise from the dead on the third day! In Matthew 16:21 we are told, “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”  Also, in Mark 9:9-10 we are told, “Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.”

And lastly, in John 2:18-22 we are told, “So the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.”

            What I want you to notice is that this is not some veiled reference but it clearly says that He will not only be killed, which the word that is used is not a legal execution but it speaks of murder for the trial was a mockery and Jesus was innocent, but also that within 3 days He would be raised from the dead!  This was time sensitive you might say.

            Obviously this alone does not prove that Jesus rose from the dead, but it is laying a foundation, the groundwork that we will keep building upon and by the time we finish up this morning, you will clearly see how Jesus rose from the dead, the evidence is overwhelming!

2.  THE OLD TESTAMENT SPOKE OF HIS RESURRECTION

This is important for it shows that Jesus did not just make this up, but it was laid out before He even became flesh and dwelt among us. In Psalm 16:10 we are told, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Now, all of a sudden in this Psalm David is speaking prophetically of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The reason I say this is simple. David's body did see corruption, for the Jews believed that after 3 days the dead bodies become corrupt, besides smelling a lot. You can go to Israel today and see the tomb of David, where his bones still remain.

But Jesus rose on the third day, before His body saw corruption. Also, Peter, on the day of Pentecost, quoted these verses and said that David was not speaking of himself, but of Christ. In Acts 2:22-32 we are told, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know — Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.”  Peter saw how this Old Testament Scripture pointed to Jesus’ resurrection and was not speaking of David, of course!

And Paul, in Acts chapter 13, said to the people of Antioch, “Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’ For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”  Acts 13:36-39.  Once again, in the Jewish mindset, after 3 days the body saw corruption, and David’s body saw corruption, but the body of Jesus was only in the tomb for 3 days and thus, He did not see corruption!

I think you can see, that the Old Testament spoke of the resurrection of Jesus, and yes, sometimes it was symbolically spoken of, as is the case of Abraham and his son Isaac in Genesis chapter 22.  Abraham was a type of God the Father who offered his only son as a sacrifice, Isaac who is a type of Jesus on the same mountain that Jesus would be crucified on. It was a 3-day journey to this mountain and thus, in Abraham’s mind Isaac was already dead.  And on that third day, symbolically speaking, Isaac was raised. Interestingly enough, the Bible just speaks of Abraham coming down from the mountain, not Isaac. Why is that? I believe the Holy Spirit is once again painting a picture for us. You see, the next time we will see Jesus, after His death and resurrection is when He comes for His bride, the church in the Rapture.  The next time we saw Isaac in the Scriptures is when the servant goes and gets a bride for Isaac and this servant is a type of the Holy Spirit who is drawing out a bride for Christ now.  Again, I think the Scriptures do show us that Jesus was to be raised from the dead!

3.  THE TOMB WAS EMPTY

            Obviously this is an important fact. If the body of Jesus was ever found, then it would discredit the resurrection. The reality is, you can go to the Garden Tomb today in Israel and you will see that it is empty because He has risen!

            Now some may argue that someone could have stolen the body of Jesus or maybe He wasn’t really dead. Folks, think about that. If the Jewish religious leaders, who were trying to put an end to this Jesus being the Messiah following, could have produced the body of Jesus, either dead or alive, don’t you think they would have done that? Of course they would have and that would have been the end of it, but they couldn’t because He had risen from the dead, the tomb was empty!

            In John 20:3-9 we are told, “Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.”

            Not only was the tomb empty, but the linen burial cloths that were wrapped around Jesus were now just an empty shell. He was not cut out of these linen cloths, but He emerged right through them. Not only that, but Jesus took the cloth that covered his face only, not the Shroud of Turin, and He folded it up and placed it in a separate place. Hey, He cleaned up His room!

Here’s the thing. And please listen carefully because this is important.  The burial places of other religious leaders I will share with you first and then the burial place of Jesus.

            CONFUCIUS’S TOMB: OCCUPIED

            BUDDHA’S TOMB: OCCUPIED

            MOHAMMED’S TOMB: OCCUPIED

            JESUS’ TOMB: EMPTY

            I think that does drive home the point. Jesus rose from the dead as He said and the tomb is empty while these other so-called religious men are still in their tomb! And if you don’t believe it, then go check it out for yourself, the tomb is empty!

4.  MANY SAW THE RESURRECTED CHRIST

            Once again, this is very important. It was not just a select few that saw the resurrected Christ, but many did!  Paul, in I Corinthians 15:3-8 tells us, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”

            Over 500 witnesses of the resurrected Christ and Paul tells the Corinthians that if they didn’t believe him, then they should go and ask them for many were still alive at the writing of this letter to the Corinthians.

            Not only did they see the resurrected Jesus, eat with the resurrected Jesus, hear the resurrected Jesus speak to them, but they also touched the resurrected Jesus, He was real, not some ghost.  In John 20:26-29 we are told, “And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

            Thomas not only saw, heard, the resurrected Christ, but touched the resurrected Christ and it brought him to the conclusion that Jesus is God and thus, He is his Lord! Folks, think about it. In a court of law if you have two or three witnesses you are doing good. We have over 500 witnesses of the risen Christ. Now you might say that is in the past, but all history is in the past. How do we know that Abraham Lincoln was shot? Because of eyewitness testimony, none of us were there and thus, we rely on what was recorded for us. The same is true here!

Not only that, but from a secular source, writing in A.D. 90, before the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation, the familiar Jewish historian Josephus wrote a brief biographical sketch of Jesus of Nazareth. In it he said,

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call Him a man: for He was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to Him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned Him to the cross, those that loved Him at the first did not forsake Him; for He appeared to them alive again the third day as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning Him. And the tribe of Christians so named from Him are not extinct at' this day.

- Antiquities, vol. 2, book 18, chap. 3

            Thus, eyewitness testimony is a powerful statement to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead!

5.  THE LIVES OF THE DISCIPLES WERE REVOLUTIONIZED

            Once again I believe this is an important fact. Prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus these guys were pathetic. Only the apostle John and some of the women were with Jesus when He was being crucified, the rest were in hiding, terrified for their lives! Let me show you what I mean on how they acted prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus. In Matthew 26:55-56 we are told, “In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, ‘Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.”  Not too encouraging when your men flee in your time of need!  And keep in mind that Jesus spent three years training them and this is what He got!

            And in Matthew 26:69-75 we are told, “Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, ‘You also were with Jesus of Galilee.’ But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you are saying.’ And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, ‘This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ But again he denied with an oath, ‘I do not know the Man!’ And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.’ Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the Man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So he went out and wept bitterly.” Folks, that is what happens to us when we try to accomplish in the flesh what needs to be done in the Spirit by the power of the resurrected Christ working in us and through us!

            Yes, at this point it did not look too good for these men who were to carry on the work of Christ. But then, after the death and resurrection of Jesus something changed in their lives. Now they were empowered by God for the work they were to do.  We see this played out in the book of Acts, where we are told, “So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’”  Acts 4:18-20.  This is the same guy who couldn’t even admit he was a follower of Jesus and now he is bolding standing up for his faith. You see, the lives of these disciples were changed in a powerful way as they feared no one in their proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ, the resurrected Christ!

6.  THE RESURRECTION WAS THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF THE EARLY CHURCH

This is so important because it is what is lacking in many churches today.  They have taken out the Gospel message, which includes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you doubt that, then listen to what Paul tells us the Gospel is all about. In I Corinthians 15:3-4 we are told, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

That is the Gospel folk’s, and yet, it is what is lacking many times in the church and we wonder why there is nothing happening, there is no power, lives are not changed. Paul reminds us in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

In the early church the resurrection was the central message that was given, it was that important and it should be that important today.  We see in Acts 4:33, “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”  Also, in Acts 5:29-32 we are told, “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.’”

Thus, if this was the central message of the early church, why isn’t it the central message today? You see, if Christ has not risen, then we are in a hopeless condition. And if we believe that Christ rose from the dead, as we have seen, then why are we not sharing that truth with others, it is part of the Gospel message and it is the power of God for salvation!

7.  LIVES ARE TRANSFORMED EVEN TODAY

            Folks, the icing on the cake you might say is that God still touches lives today! Yes, there is the historical and Biblical evidence for the resurrection, but there is also the testimony of transformed lives today!  Paul tells us of this in II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The Amplified Bible puts this verse like this, “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” And The Living Bible, “When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!”  Do you see that, you are brand new once you come to Christ, your life is changed from the inside and that change overflows in your outward actions!

Listen to this story and you will see what I mean. We are told:

The strongest argument for the Gospel of Christ is the personal testimony of someone whose life has been changed by it. Charles Bradlaugh, an avowed infidel, once challenged the Rev. H. P. Hughes to a debate. The preacher, who was head of a rescue mission in London, England, accepted the challenge with the condition that he could bring with him 100 men and women who would tell what had happened in their lives since trusting Christ as their Savior. They would be people who once lived in deep sin, some having come from poverty-stricken homes caused by the vices of their parents. Hughes said they would not only tell of their conversion, but would submit to cross-examination by any who doubted their stories. Furthermore, the minister invited his opponent to bring a group of non-believers who could tell how they were helped by their lack of faith. When the appointed day arrived, the preacher came, accompanied by 100 transformed persons. But Bradlaugh never showed up. The result? The meeting turned into a testimony time and many sinners who had gathered to hear the scheduled debate were converted.

- Source unknown

Let me share one more with you and that is the story of Raul Ries, pastor of Calvary Chapel of Golden Springs in Diamond Bar, California. Raul was a tough Latin street fighter whose activities got him in trouble with the law. He crippled a football player on an opposing High School team at a party. And the judge gave him an ultimatum, join the Marines or go to jail. He joined the Marines. But that did not help his anger, it only grew. And as Raul returned home, got married, had children, his behavior continued to be so bad that one day his wife was going to leave him. So she grabbed her children, went to church, and when she came home, she was going to leave him. And Raul, not wanting anyone else to have his wife, waited at home with a loaded rifle to put an end to all of their lives.

As he waited, he got bored and turned on the TV, and he turned to a Sunday evening service from Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, California. And pastor Chuck Smith talked about the love God; something that Raul never experienced before, unconditional love. And as he listened, he broke down, fell to his knees, and accepted the Lord. But it didn’t end there. He got up, drove to the church were this service was being held, and made a public declaration of his love for Jesus Christ. And in that church, sitting in the seats, were his wife and children! Can God change lives? You bet!

Folks, God is still changing lives, transforming them today and we see the evidence to that fact! And thus, I believe Jesus rose from the dead because Jesus predicted His resurrection; the Old Testament prophets spoke of it; the tomb was empty; many people saw the resurrected Christ; the lives of the disciples were radically changed; the resurrection was the central message of the early church; and men and women today testify that the power of the risen Christ has transformed their lives!

Listen to what Norman Geisler said regarding the resurrection of Jesus.  He wrote:

            In summary, the overwhelming evidence is that Jesus physically died on the cross.  Likewise, there is equally good testimony that He rose from the grave in that same physical body.  The classic attempts to avoid this conclusion are without foundation. They are usually based on a faulty antisupernaturalistic assumption that what happens only once is implausible, or on the unjustified assertion that the New Testament documents or witnesses are unreliable.  This ignores the abundant evidence of thousands of manuscripts and the powerful testimony of over five hundred witnesses who saw, touched, handled, ate with, and were taught by Jesus for some forty days after His resurrection . . . Despite the counterclaims of the cults, it is inconceivable that the cloud of first century witnesses with all that time and all that tangible evidence were deceived about the physical nature of the resurrection of Christ.  It is simpler just to heed the words of Jesus: “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself!  Touch and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bone, as you see I have.” (Luke 24:39 NIV).

         - Norman L. Geisler, The Battle For The Resurrection, p. 86

As I close this morning I want to leave you with these closing thoughts from Don Stewart from his book “10 REASONS to TRUST the BIBLE”. He said:

“A final fact which separates Jesus from other religious leaders is that He conquered the ultimate enemy that all of us face, death. By coming back from the dead, He provided a concrete answer to the question, ‘What will happen to us when we die?’ No other religious leader has returned from the dead to verify His claims except Jesus of Nazareth. The evidence that Jesus came back from the dead is sufficient to convince even the most skeptical . . . No other major religious leader has a resurrection claimed for him. In addition, the bodily resurrection of Jesus can be tested by the most rigorous historical methods. While many other religious traditions have an idea of spirit resurrections (untestable hypothesis), only the Bible proclaims a bodily resurrection that passes all tests of historical reliability. This provides the believer with a genuine hope of life beyond the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ separates Him from all other religious leaders, past or present for He conquered the greatest enemy we all face - death.”