How important were the Eye-witnesses of Jesus' resurrection?

This week we are studying the Post-Resurrection Appearances of Christ in Luke 24 and John 20. There are many who claim that the resurrection of Christ did not take place, but eye-witness accounts have been recorded that prove otherwise. How important are these eye-witnesses? Pastor John Piper says,

The early Christians were keenly aware that eyewitnesses were crucial in verifying their claims about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Their earliest writer, the apostle Paul, who was a contemporary of Jesus, said, “ Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. . . . he was buried . . . he was raised on the third day . . . Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). Why did Paul say “most of whom are still alive”? Because he was not afraid to have his claims put to the test. He knew they could be verified by eyewitnesses. In other words, Christianity was spreading during the very decades when eyewitnesses could have most easily proved it false. But the basic claims stood the test. The events had happened.

God provided a way that we can verify that the resurrection really took place. Jesus revealed himself to hundreds of people after he had been raised from the dead. These eye-witness accounts bear the truth that "Jesus has been raised" and therefore our faith is not in vain.

John Piper shares more about these eye-witness accounts especially the Muslim reaction in his sermon "The Great Offense: Was Jesus Really Crucified?"

I hope you all have a great week.

Is Our Faith in Vain?

This week FUEL is on the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our main passage is John 19:31-20:18. Around Easter there is always a few people who set out to prove (unsuccessfully I might add) that the resurrection of Jesus did not take place. And there seems to always be someone who says, "Well even if he was not raised from the dead, I will still believe and continue in my faith." How would the apostle Paul respond to this statement? First Corinthians has the answer:

1 Cor. 15:12-20 - Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have no hope whatsoever. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." Our faith would be worthless if Jesus is not raised from the dead. Think hard on these verses in First Corinthians as you study John 19-20.

The resurrection is absolutely necessary. Without it our faith is in vain.

This Sunday I will have postcards that you will be able to write to the students you haven't seen in a while. Pray hard for your students. You guys are great. Have a wonderful week.

Pierced for our Transgressions

"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:5-6 (emphasis mine).

This week Fuel is focused on the Crucifixion of Christ from Matthew 27 and Luke 23. The "fanning the flame" question is "Tell me about a person you would sacrifice your life to save?" Instead of fanning the flames with this question think about another one such as, "Why did Jesus have to die?" or What was the purpose of Jesus' death?" These might be better questions. Challenge the students to think about why Jesus had to die.

Reflecting on some on these verses will help: Isaiah 53, 1 Cor. 15:1-7, 2 Cor. 5:21, Hebrews 2:9, Eph. 5:25-27, Romans 5:1-11, and Romans 8:1-31-39.

God is in control.

This weeks session is about the Arrest and Trial of Jesus from Matthew 26. The question that our Fuel lesson asks is one about betrayal, but I want to take you in a different direction.

In John 7:25-32 we find that Jesus is proclaiming himself to be the Christ. He is crying out that he has come from God, but the Jews do not know the one from whom Jesus came and seek to arrest Jesus. Verse 30 says, "So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come." The Jewish leaders had sought to arrest Jesus 6 times (7:30, 32, 44; 8:20, 10:39, 11:57) but never succeeded. Why? Jesus time had not yet come. Jesus could not be arrested until it was time and God was in charge of the timetable. In Matthew 26 we see that Jesus' time had come. "The hour is at hand" (v.45). Jesus knew God's plan and knew that these plans were centered on the cross. Christ obeyed, even to the point of death, knowing his Father was in control.

In no matter what situation or circumstance we are called to obey and trust our Father (1 Cor. 10:13). God is faithful. God is in control.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and please let me know if you need anything.