Tuesday, April 18, 2006
1 Corinthians 15:15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up -- if in fact the dead do not rise.
IF CHRIST IS NOT RISEN -- PART 2
In the opening verses of this chapter, Paul lists six separate resurrection appearances of Jesus: He appeared to Peter, to the disciples without Thomas, and then again when Thomas was present, to over five hundred of His followers at one time, to James, and then to Paul himself. In all there were hundreds of people who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. These people didn't keep it to themselves, Jesus told them to tell the world that He was not dead, but was alive.
The message that we hear and proclaim, the faith that we share is based on the word of those individuals. But Paul says, "If Christ is not risen then we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up." Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Peter and Paul -- they were all liars! And not only are the New Testament writers liars, but the Old Testament prophets were lying as well when they prophesied of the resurrection of the Messiah, and of our resurrection. If Christ is not risen then our faith and our message is based on a lie.
If you have been following the news recently you have probably become familiar with "The Da Vinci Code". The subject of this book brings out a growing sentiment in our world that seeks to undermine the Biblical Jesus that we know and believe in. "The Da Vinci Code" and many other books like it have been published with the premise that you and I and many others through the past seventeen to twenty centuries have been lied to about who Jesus Christ really is. They would say that Jesus was only a man, that he died, but he most certainly did not come back to life. Proponents of "The Da Vinci Code" would have us believe just that -- that the resurrection of Jesus was all a lie!
But again Paul assures us, But now Christ is risen from the dead. The witness of the prophets, apostles and evangelists is true -- Christ is risen!
