The Resurrection Account
REFLECTION QUOTES
“The function of man is to live, not to exist.”
~Jack London (1876-1916), American author
“If being a kid is about learning how to live, then being a grown-up is about learning how to die.”
~Stephen King, American novelist
“The Resurrection…is not a redemption from the creation but the redemption of the creation.”
~Ken Myers, cultural commentator
“…The majority of New Testament scholars today, not conservatives, not fundamentalists, concur with the facts of Jesus’ honorable burial, his empty tomb, his postmortem appearances, and the origin of the disciples’ belief in his resurrection. This is a surprising truth, not widely appreciated by non-specialists.”
~William Lane Craig, American philosopher and theologian
“The evidence for the resurrection is better than for claimed miracles in any other religion. It’s outstandingly different in quality and quantity…from the evidence offered for the occurrence of most other supposedly miraculous events. But you must remember that I approached it after considerable reading of reports of psychical research and its criticisms. This showed me how quickly evidence of remarkable and supposedly miraculous events can be discredited.”
~Antony Flew (1923-2010), British philosopher
and arguably the foremost academic atheist in the latter half of the 20th century
“The problem with modern people is that they have too much to live with and too little to live for.”
~Os Guinness, author and social commentator
SERMON PASSAGE
Luke 23:50-24:12 (NASB)
50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. 54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.
And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Chapter 24
1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” 8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. 11 But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.