A Resurrection Like His
Scripture Texts: Romans 6:1-11
Since we have been preaching through Paul’s letter to the Romans, I chose for our text this morning the only passage in Romans that speaks specifically to the resurrection.
There are four facts in our text about the resurrection, that if you really think about it, are stunning, staggering, astonishing, in a word breathtaking.
Here are four facts from our text about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Two absolute certainties followed by two conditional certainties.
“Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.” Verse 4
“Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.” Verse 9
“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” Verse 8
“If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Verse 5
“Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.” Verse 4
A resurrection is a stunning fact, especially since it is so rare. You would expect there would be a lot of attention given to it, especially since there has only been one true resurrection. Paul relates it this way in I Corinthians.
I Corinthians 15:3-8 I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
The facts surrounding the resurrection are well documented. First of all, they were told well in advance. The prophets in the OT gave a heads-up as to what would happen. Read Isaiah 53. Then there is the testimony of the women, of the disciples, the eyewitnesses. There are all the miraculous events, the stone rolled away, the empty tomb, the angels, the burial clothes left behind, something what wouldn’t have happened if His body had been stolen.
There is finally the Word of God, the four separate Gospel accounts, and of course the radically changed lives and willingness to die for this truth. Especially such an anti-Christian hater like the Pharisee Paul who saw the resurrected Jesus. People don’t give their lives for lies.
How do you explain the expansion of the Gospel and the church of Jesus Christ?
“Over 2000 years ago a middle eastern man claiming to be God was killed in a barbaric form of capital punishment leaving behind a handful of followers, most of whom had deserted him. Now over 2000 years later, there are little buildings in about every country on the earth where this same man is worshipped as King, little buildings like this one that are thousands of miles from the birthplace of this man and in some of the most remote regions. They can be found in jungles, deserts, forests, valleys, hollers, cities, towns, villages, and on mountains, hills, cliffs, plains, mainlands and islands” (Joseph Spurgeon).
The prophets predicted this. “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
How do you explain this transformation and expansion except by the fact of the resurrection, the most singular and significant event in human history.