"RESURRECTION APPEARANCES"

Dr. Glen A. Thorp May 29, 2011
(All Rights Reserved) I Corinthians 15:1-11, Acts 9:1-6

“RESURRECTION APPEARANCES”

INTRODUCTION: “Sedition of the Jews against Pontious Pilate,”*
recorded by Jewish historian Flavius Josephus: in Jewish Antiquities (note * at the end of this message.)writes about how the Jews were punished and killed for their protests of Pilate’s, Governor of Palestine insult of the Jews by his actions including bringing images of Roman gods into Jerusalem, during the night. Jews who challenged that action were arrested, punished and tried for insurrection. Jews fought against Rome up until Jerusalem was demolished and burned. Josephus quotes a follower of “The Way:” “We are not extinct!” Why? Because he (Jesus) appeared alive to his followers again and again. If you are a Christian why?

:Because someone told you the “Good News?”
:You hold on to as Desperate Hope?”
:You have Faith? If so, faith in what or whom?
What do you believe about Jesus’ resurrection, of which we have been writing and studying? Christians have designated the weeks after Easter as a time for reading and reflecting on Jesus’ Resurrection Appearances, thus today’s Scriptures and message. If you haven’t yet read Acts 9:1-9 and
I Corinthians 15:1-11 in which the Apostle Paul writes:
“I want to make clear ... the nature of the good news I preached to you;
that gospel which you received, on which you stand, and through which you are being saved...something you hold on to tenaciously. It is not something haphazard or random...It is something I received and passed on to you. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was laid in the tomb, and that he was raised up on the third day according to the scriptures...” I Corinthians 15:3.

Jesus’ Resurrection Appearances are historical facts.

The resurrection of Jesus is central/foundation to the Good News we received, on which we stand and by which we are being saved. Otherwise
our faith is null and void. It is a belief that is in vain, worthless.

We have received the Good News.
Paul writes: “You received it from me.”
“You have heard from others.”
“You have read in the Scriptures ...”
- First hand accounts from
- Eye witnesses.
Not a made up story.
In addition to the disciples, Jesus was seen by over 500 people at one time, many who were still alive when Paul this letter. James also saw his brother Jesus. Written before the Gospel of Mark I Corinthians is the earliest written account of Jesus’ Resurrection Appearances. Over the last weeks we have looked at some of those. Jesus appeared to the disciples in the Upper Room twice, to Two disciples on road to Emmaus. Jesus met and appeared to the seven disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Two weeks ago, we read how Jesus reinstated Peter by leading him though the pain of his denial of Jesus to forgiveness.

We stand on the Good News.
It is one thing to hear about something.
It is another to act on it. Job 4:4 states:
Your words have kept people on their feet ...
strengthened those with faltering knees.
Our Stability - Proof comes from11 men who staked their lives on Jesus by leaving their jobs, friends and family and seemed to have lost everything when they Ran, Denied and even Betrayed knowing Jesus finding their world upside down when Jesus was arrested, tried, crucified and buried. How did these same men become bold, confident and outspoken. Read Acts 7:55-60.
A young man named Stephen was arrested and condemned to death by stoning. Note a man named Saul, who gave approval to his death. Acts 8:1-3 records how he sought to arrest and bring to trial those who belonged to
The Way for proclaiming that Jesus who had been crucified was alive! Because of that threat and persecution many who followed the One who said:
I AM the Way ... (thus the name for the followers of Jesus) Scattered to cities of safety, including Damascus, Syria.
Saul received written authorization to go to Damascus, find, arrest and bring back those heretics to Jerusalem for trial and punishment.

Restating: Acts 9:1-6,
“A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum,”
(a 1962 Broadway Musical, words & music adapted by Stephen Sondheim.)
“A funny thing happened on the way to Damascus,” 150 miles NE of Jerusalem. Damascus, Syria is in today’s (5/28/11) Wall Street Journal
“In Syria, Allegations of New Levels of Torture ...”
Damascus Bears Down/Widespread detentions have been reported throughout Syria this Spring, 8 week uprising, beginning on March 8, against President Bashar al-Assad.

Jesus appearance to Saul ... “as one abnormally born.”
was Not a vision ... But an encounter and Eye witness of the risen Christ that dramatically changed his life and name to Paul. Paul moved from being a “prosecuter” of those who claimed Jesus was alive to one who was “prosecuted” for teaching that Jesus was alive. He wrote:
“Many of us have staked our lives on Jesus.”

Reason for existence of Community of Followers of Jesus is poorly understood. It was not just his great teaching or miracles.
It was because of the resurrection appearances On Which we stand! Is Highest Privilege (Romans 5:2)
Hope of resurrection releases us from failure and fear,
Grows as we learn all God has in mind for us. One day we will be in the Living Presence of Jesus, either here on this earth or when we die who said: I Am the resurrection & life ...

We are being saved by the Good News.
Present tense verb is Continuos Action. (I Cor. 15:4)
Aorist tense verb: Christ Died - But is NOT dead.
Christ Buried - But is NOT in the grave
Perfect tense verb: Christ was Raised - Force continues ...
All that means, He is Alive Now!
Whole process is part of God’s plan disclosed in Scripture
Death of Jesus - to deal with sin.
Resurrection - to deal with death and fear.
is our greatest hope!

Do you really believe this Good News?
It is something we have received from eye witness.
Paul lists some of them I Corinthians 15:1-11.
It is something on which we Stand.
On which we Stake our lives.
It is the Hope of our Salvation.


CONCLUSION: Christians have written statements of what they believe. One the first was the Nicene Creed. If you don’t have access to a copy, go to your search site on the Internet and type: Nicene Creed. It is something we Christians Affirm aloud stating what we believe. For those of you who read or say by memory this creed,
Is it true or just words?
Have you experienced the Risen Jesus?
How did Jesus find you?
How did you respond?
Sometimes God breaks in a spectacular manner, as He did with Saul,
other times in a quiet experience. There is no one way of responding to The Good News about Jesus.
It is Good, if we stand by faith on what we received,
It is Good knowing we will be save (are being saved.)
Like Saul, we Start of a new life with Jesus at the center.
This is the transforming power of the Resurrection.

Have you encountered the Risen Jesus?
If so, you likely heard, Received, the news from someone.
If not, you Received that Good News today.
If you want the Hope say:
“Jesus I stake my life, that you are aliive.
I believe you died to forgive my sin/disobedience.
I believe you rose from the dead & appeared to 500 people.
I believe you are alive & one day I will see you in person.


Footnote: *The War of the Jews:
“After this he (Pilate) raised another disturbance, by expending that sacred treasure which is called Corban (Temple Money) upon aqueducts, whereby he brought water from the distance of four hundred furlongs. At this the multitude had indignation; and when Pilate was come to Jerusalem, they came about his tribunal, and made a clamor at it. Now when he was apprized aforehand of this disturbance, he mixed his own soldiers in their armor with the multitude, and ordered them to conceal themselves under the habits of private men, and not indeed to use their swords, but with their staves to beat those that made the clamor. He then gave the signal from his tribunal [to do as he had bidden them]. Now the Jews were so sadly beaten, that many of them perished by the stripes they received, and many of them perished as trodden to death by themselves; by which means the multitude was astonished at the calamity of those that were slain, and held their peace.”

“After this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. And when Pilate, because of an accusation made by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so. And up until this very day the tribe of Christians, named after him, has not died out.”