Sierra Vista Community Church
Good New For A Change
Part 2
Why Is The Resurrection Important?
“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17) [NIV]
The Four E’s Of The Resurrection:
1. Execution
“When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.” (Luke 23:33) [HCSB]
“Jesus’ death as a consequence of crucifixion is indisputable.” -Atheist Scholar Gerd Lüdemann
2. Early accounts
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) [NIV]
“This tradition, we can be entirely confident, was formulated as tradition within months of Jesus’ death.” -Historian James D. G. Dunn
3. Empty tomb
“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” (Luke 24:1-3) [HCSB]
4. Eyewitnesses
“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:1-3) [NKJV]
“… 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.” (1 Corinthians 15:5-8) [NKJV]
BELIEVE + RECEIVE = BECOME