FBCWest 655 | What if Jesus Didn’t Rise Again
Recorded On: 04/20/2025
Bulletin
Hymn # 144 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
SCRIPTURE READING – Luke 24:a - 9
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“Resurrecting”
“Your Love Awakens Me”
“The Great I Am”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“What if Jesus Didn’t Rise Again?”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Behold the Lamb”
Sermon Notes
What if Jesus didn’t die? Swoon Romans 5:6 – 8
If He didn’t die we are still in our sins and against God Where is the body? Disciples stole it. Matthew 28:11 – 15
If He dis’t rise our faith is useless 1 Corinthians 15:16 – 19
What are the evidence of the fact that Jesus rose from the dead 1 Corinthians 15:1 - 9
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
Today, throughout the world, Christian churches are celebrating the resurrection, as they ought to.
But today, I'm going to take a little different look at the fact that He is risen. My question is, what if He didn't?
What are the implications? I invite you to
(Music)
A lot of the church is very uncomfortable with calling it Easter because it's a pagan name that talks about estar and whatever. So looking forward to a different way, you'll hear a lot of churches say today is Resurrection Sunday. I think the biblical name for it is first fruits, that Jesus rose on first fruits. I think kind of one of the shames of today is that it seems that we emphasize the Resurrection on this Sunday, whether we call it Easter or Resurrection Sunday or first fruits. But the fact is we should be celebrating the Resurrection every single day. But what if, what if it didn't rise from the dead? What are the implications that He didn't do that? Throughout, you'll hear messages about He is risen. My question is, what if He didn't? So we're going to take a look at that. So one of the things that people argue that He didn't rise from the dead was that He didn't die. You'll hear people say that the whole swoon theory, the swoon theory is that He only appeared to be dead. Now here's the problem with that. First of all, He was scourged and He was scourged so much that He could have been killed just discouraging.
And then these Roman soldiers who were very acquainted with death were assigned as executioners.
And they placed them on a cross, nailed them there, and was their job to make sure that Jesus died. Passover was coming very quickly, and so they had to hurry up the process because they wanted to make sure that the bodies weren't there so that they could, the Jews could celebrate Passover. The two thieves that were on each side of them, they broke their legs because they hadn't yet died. And that caused death by affixiation. They were no longer able to breathe and so they would die fairly quickly after that. The soldier went to Jesus, but he had already passed away. But to ensure that he had passed away, one of the soldiers took their spears and inserted it into his side. And it says that out poured water and blood, which seems to indicate that there was a bursting of the heart guaranteeing that he was dead. Let's say, and so they would then took them off the cross and they buried him and placed him in a tomb and placed a very large stone in front of the tomb and placed guards there to protect it. So even if he hadn't died, you're telling me that this person, after three days, having suffered what he suffered and having no water and no food and no medical attention for three days, was then able to recover so much that he could get up and then push the stone away. It just lacks any kind of crudility, easy for me to say, crudility that anyone could say that he didn't pass away based on that that was the Roman soldier's professional job to do exactly what he did. So it seems that the facts indicate that he died, but if he didn't die, what's the implication? And so the scriptures in Romans chapter five verse six through eight says this, "For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though for perhaps for a good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrated his own love towards us, and while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us." The scriptures tells us that Christ died, and the reason that that is
has great implication is if he didn't die, then our sins would not yet been forgiven, because God demonstrated his love while we're yet sinners that he died for us. So the scriptures very clearly state that it was his death, and his death caused us to be forgiven of our sins, so that if he didn't die, then we wouldn't have been forgiven of our sins.
The scriptures also tells us to confirming that he was, it says this in Matthew chapter
28 verses 11 through 15, "Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consultants together, they gave them a large sum of men to the soldiers and said, "You are to say, his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep." "And if it should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble."
And they took the money and did as they had been instructed, and this story was widely spread among the Jews as to this day. And even today there are those who said, "Oh, his disciples stole the body." Again, under pain of penalty of death for the soldiers, their job was to make sure that the tomb had been secured. Now the scripture says they were given a bribe so that they would tell that his disciples came, overcome the various soldiers that were there, move the stone, and then stole the body so that they might wreak this lie upon everyone. Well, the problem with that is it doesn't make logical sense in the sense of that the Roman soldiers had told the authorities what had happened, that Jesus rose from the dead. It wasn't the people who were there that came up with this that the body was stolen. It was the religious leaders who said, "This is what you're to say. We're going to give you money, and if somebody gives you problems, we'll tell them it's okay and we'll win them over so you're protected." So the idea of the body being stolen didn't originate from the soldiers. It originated from the religious leaders. Secondly, as the scripture seemed to indicate, the only people who even thought that Jesus might "rice from the dead" though they didn't believe it, was the religious leaders. That's why they put the guards there and the stone there to prevent the stealing of the body. His, Jesus's disciples, were so distraught and so ineffective that they basically hid out, depressed, because the one that they had been following for three and a half plus years had died and they had all these hopes upon him and he passed away. They were not looking to deceive anybody. At best, they were looking to prevent any harm to them.
So it wasn't them who thought that Jesus might "rise from the dead." They didn't try to implicate a myth upon the people. It's the religious leaders because they knew what had happened. But let's say that the disciples did steal the body and that Jesus didn't rise from the dead. Well, this is the implication of that. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, started with verse 12, it says this, "Now if Christ has preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?" You're saying, "If Jesus has been preached as rising from the dead, how is it you say that there is no resurrection?" But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised from the dead. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith also is in vain. He's saying, what we're trying to do is what we're trying to communicate is that Jesus died and that he rose from the dead. And we're preaching that we're proclaiming that and that is worthless and useless to say that. And the faith that we have that Jesus rose from the dead is useless. It's in vain. The whole point is the truth of the matter. Did Jesus in fact rise from the dead or not? And he says that if he didn't and there is no resurrection, then the preaching is vain and the faith is vain. Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God because we testify against God that he raised Christ whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. So he's saying, look at not only are we preaching something that is useless and our faith is useless,
it's even worse that we're making God out. We're lying because if God didn't do this, then we're lying. And bearing false witness is one of the nose of the 10 commandments. And so he's saying, if that didn't happen, we are liars.
If Jesus didn't die because God demonstrated his love towards us while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us. And if he didn't die, we're lying. And if he didn't rise from the dead, Paul says, we're lying. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and you are still in your sins.
Most people believe things. And if they are confronted with the fact that it's not the fact,
you would usually say, okay, it's not the facts that we would adjust. There are others who say, no, I am content believing even a lie. And if I'm content to believe in a lie, I'll just continue on doing whatever. But Paul is saying our faith, the fact that we believe that Jesus rose from the dead, that our sins have been forgiven, and that we will also rise from the dead is not only a lie, but our faith is worthless. It has no worth. Coming to church may make you feel good, but it's worthless. You can go to the movies and feel good. You can go to a sporting event and feel good. You can go to a musical or a play and feel good. But the fact is you are no different after having that feeling. Our faith is worthless. But even more than that, we are still in our sins.
We are still separated from God. God, while he is a loving God, is a God who is holy and is a God who hates sin and has wrath against sin. And if he has wrath against sin and we are still sinners, then his wrath will be placed upon us. But it is because that Jesus rose from the dead causes us to believe that God did what he said he was going to do and that we believe it. And because we believe it, our sins have been forgiven. But Christianity is willing to put the most precious aspect of our faith on the line. Jesus didn't raise from the dead. Religion is useless. Religion has no real purpose other than what people who claim to be anti-religious say that it's an opiate of the masses or whatever, but making us different people, changing us, having us forgiven of our sins, and having an expectation and a hope that there will be one day that we will be in the presence of our God. It's just a figment of our imagination. Christianity is willing to say the most important event that ever happened was a reality. And if it was not a reality, if we are lying, then our faith is in vain and worthless and we are still in our sins.
But I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, that he died, and that he rose from the dead. Why do I believe that? Let me show you some of the evidences. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, which is preceded the statement of saying, if Jesus did rise from the dead, then our faith
is useless and in vain. He says this, "For I delivered to you as a first importance what I also received." He said, "I want to give to you exactly what I got, that Christ died for our sins and notices according to the Scriptures." The reason Paul believes that Jesus died, because he died according to the Scriptures, there's going to be one who's called the Antichrist who will receive a mortal head wound and will die and will be raised again. But he's the Antichrist. Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, died according to the Scriptures so that we can have faith in that. Then he says, "And that he was buried," and I will say that he was buried according to the Scriptures, because he was placed in a tomb that was borrowed. It also says that his body would undergo decay. So he was buried according to the Scriptures, and that he raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Why do I believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Because the Scriptures tell us that the Messiah, the Son of God, would die according to the Scriptures, be buried according to the Scriptures, and rise on the third day according to the Scriptures. So the first evidence of the resurrection is the Scriptures. "And that he appeared to Cephas," into the 12th, "that there were people who saw his resurrection." Now Paul starts out saying that he appeared to Cephas into the 12th. He bypasses, if you will, the first people who saw Jesus raised from the dead, and that were the women. Now they, the women at that time, would not be permitted to testify in a court of law, and therefore their testimony would not be received. However, Jesus
was confronted and same resurrected by a number of women. And if women were not permitted to be witnesses, then why would the Scriptures say that other than because the women saw him raised from the dead? But not only did he appear to Peter, but he also appeared to the 12th, to those who were his disciples. And so he appeared to them. And then it says, "And after that he appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time." So Jesus, not only did the 12, not only did the ones who were his disciples, and again the Scriptures make a claim that the disciples did not necessarily believe that he's going to be raising from the dead. Thomas basically emphatically says he would not believe unless he saw the nail pierced hands and feet and the wound to the side. The disciples had to have proof of Jesus's resurrection, and he appeared to them showing them the proof. And then he appeared to other people. He rocked on the road to Emmaus and had a conversation, and then met some people in broke bread, and they just realized it was the risen Lord. And then it says, "He appeared to 500 people at one time." So it was a large group who appeared, and they saw him and witnessed the resurrection. He says, "But some have fallen asleep. I mean, some of them have passed away, but most of them still remain." Now, I want to make it very clear that usually when myths happen, they myth happen in a different location. What do I mean by that? If Jesus did in fact raise from the dead, the myth would probably start several hundred years later, and it would probably start in either Rome or someplace in Greece or Turkey or someplace like that, and say, "Oh, we saw Jesus raised from the dead." However, the resurrection appearances happened after the third day, immediately. Where did they happen? They happened in Jerusalem, where his death occurred. The idea of this being a mythology is set aside because of the approximate minimal time that it took for the resurrection to happen, and that it happened at the very location of where he was slain. Then it says, after that it says, "And then he appeared to James."
That's Jesus' half-brother. He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
So Jesus made numerous appearances. As a matter of fact, you kind of get the idea that Jesus rose on that Easter resurrection, first fruit Sunday, and then he disappeared. The Scripture tells us that he remained in the resurrection for a period of 40 days, appearing numerous times to numerous people in numerous different places. So the evidence says that we have the Scriptures who testify, and then we have a number of people who have testified to the resurrection in different times, different locations, in different group settings. Then Paul says this, "And last of all, as the one untimely born, he appeared to me also." Paul is saying, "I saw the resurrected Jesus." Not only did I see him on the road to Damascus, it was the Lord who taught him the various things that he was to teach and to preach.
So Paul says, "I raised my hand." My testimony is that Jesus, the evidence of Jesus' resurrection is the Scriptures. The evidence of Jesus' resurrection are the disciples and the 500 and other people who saw him raised from the dead over a period of 40 different days in different locations. And then Paul says, "And then a number of years later, I spoke to him face to face. I saw the resurrected Jesus." And I have one other evidence that he rose from the dead
because his Spirit tells my spirit that he rose from the dead. Now you might say, "Well, Pastor Joe, how do you know? Maybe it's pepperoni pizza. Maybe that's what's giving you this feeling and it's just a feeling and you're wrong." Well, first off, the problem with pepperoni pizza is that after I eat it, either I feel bad because I ate too much
or maybe I get heartburn or indigestion and it doesn't make me feel good. It doesn't change me. I just want more pizza after I have the pizza. But the Spirit of God comes and tells me
that this is true. And not only that it is true, but having experienced his love and his presence.
While I may not be who I want to be, I'm not who I was. You see, pepperoni pizza never changes me. I might eat it, it might get full, and I might want some more. But the Spirit of God and the resurrection not only tells me that he is in fact raised from the dead, but the Spirit changes me to trust him more, to be and grow the fruit of the Spirit so that I am who he wants me to be, not who I am. It's not a matter of, "Well, I'm going to change my life and I'm going to stop doing this. I'm going to do that. I'm not going to eat as much and I'm going to eat more healthy." And I'm not trying to change those things. It's the Spirit inside me who changes not what I do, but who I am. And so just as the Scriptures are evidence that Jesus rose from the dead, the various witnesses who saw him over those 40 days who saw him raised from the dead, and Paul after several years saw him raised from the dead. His Spirit has come to me and his Spirit now lives in me. And I believe, I more than believe, I am convinced that he rose from the dead. So the implications are if he didn't raise from the dead, what I believe is pointless, worthless, and we've all been lied to. But if he did rise from the dead,
that our sins are forgiven, that we will dwell with him forever, and that he in fact is the Son of God, and that he is worthy of our worship, worthy of our honor, but more than that worthy of our lives, to repent from who we are. But God demonstrated his love towards us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We acknowledged by his resurrection that I have been forgiven, and I know that I have been forgiven because he died, and he rose again. And I can trust that. As Paul says, and we didn't read, if in this life only,
we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. Why? Because we believe a lie. We are still in our sins, and what we have placed for our lives is to defer what I want,
to be honoring to what he wants. And if that's all a lie,
then we've deceived ourselves, deceived each other, and have lied about what God can do.
That's the negative application, but the awesome thing is the evidence shows he rose from the grid. Therefore, we should honor him and celebrate this day, not just simply on this day, but every single day of the rest of our lives, and then every single moment in his presence, saying, "I am only here by the grace of God. I'm only here because he died for me. He was buried for me, that he rose again according to the Scriptures for me, not because of who I am, not because of what I've done, but because of who he is and what he has done."
That is worth celebrating, and all God's people said.