John 11:1-26
Introduction:
“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”
―
Timothy J. Keller
,
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
“The resurrection completes the inauguration of God’s kingdom. . . . It is the decisive event demonstrating that God’s kingdom really has been launched on earth as it is in heaven.”
“The message of Easter is that God’s new world has been unveiled in Jesus Christ and that you’re now invited to belong to it.” ―
N.T. Wright
Transition
:
Transition:
1st, let me make a case for the evidence.
The Resurrection sets Christianity apart. No other religious leader has broken the power of death and conquered sin.
Transition
:
2. Significance of the Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a miracle. No matter if you believe in God or not, no matter if you’re a philosophical naturalist or a Christian, the account and effects of Jesus’ resurrection are truly miraculous.
Non-Christians may scoff at this claim, but let us explain. The resurrection is a miracle in one of three ways – it is either
1. A biological miracle
2. A psychological miracle
3. A theological miracle
Before we continue, two quick points are necessary. First, options one and two above are purely natural – only explanations of the resurrection – and therefore the definition of
miracle
in their case (“a highly uncommon but still natural occurrence”) is different from how it’s used in the third option, where the biblical definition applies.
Second, it is important to remember that no historical scholar – Christian or non-Christian – doubts the core facts surrounding the resurrection, which are
• Jesus was crucified and buried.
• Three days after His death, His body went missing.
• There were reported appearances of Jesus over the course of 40 days to both believers and unbelievers.
• These individuals were transformed by the appearances, and they began to proclaim Christ’s resurrection even to the point of being martyred for their proclamation.
These are the core facts of Jesus’ resurrection, and these facts are not disputed by any educated historian, secular or religious. That being the case, let’s conduct a brief tour of each possible explanation of the resurrection.
The Resurrection confirms that Jesus is who He claimed to be. Let us consider the magnitude of this event:
Transition
: Let me lastly go back to the text and point out the application I’d like to make for us this morning.
John 11 – Mary – Mary – Lazarus
Recap story
For consideration about resurrection potential:
Three Key verse(s) for the application and then a final question.
Question
: So here is the question I want to pose to you today: What do you want Jesus to bring back to life in you?
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