HE IS ALIVE

 

Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. He didn't profess to be a born-again Christian, but here's what he wrote: The Body of B. Franklin, Printer Like the Cover of an old Book Its contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Guilding, Lies here, Food for Worms, But the Work shall not be wholly lost: For it will, as he believed, Appear once more in a new and more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended by the Author (source unknown).

The book of Acts in the Bible serves as a bridge between the Gospels and the Epistles. If Acts was not there, we would have no context for the letters. The Ascension of Jesus marked the turning point in the history of the world. For thousands of years, God dealt almost exclusively with Israel but in Acts the worship of God transitions from the Jewish temple to the predominately Gentile churches.

The book of Act is the first page of Church history. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus made this promise “I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Acts 2 describes how the Church began on the Day of Pentecost. The book of Acts records the acts of the Holy Spirit through the Church! The book is an account of how the Church began in Jerusalem and spread to Rome.

​​​​​The Book of Acts was written by Luke. Colossians 4:14 refers to him as “the beloved physician.” He was the companion of Paul in his travels and an eye-witness of the events recorded in this book. Acts is the second part of a two-volume history (Luke-Acts). Both of these books are addressed to Theophilus (Acts 1:1, Luke 1:3). From the title “excellency” Theophilus may have been a distinguished dignitary (Acts 23:26, 26:25).

 In Acts 1:1-2 Luke says “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to Heaven”. The Gospel of Luke records the doings and teachings of Jesus while on earth. The word “began” implies that His work on earth was just a beginning; Acts records the continuation. He is not done yet; the Church will continue the work until he returns.

Acts is the inspired church history which shows the mission of the church in the world. The ending of Acts is abrupt. The last picture we have in the book is that of Paul in his own hired house in Rome. It leaves many questions unanswered, for example was Paul released, if so where did he go from there?

The incompleteness of the story is part of the method of the Holy Spirit. Acts is the first page of Church history, it’s not the final. Acts is "unfinished," in the sense that the church continues to "write new chapters" as it moves into the future (John 14:12). Christ proceeds with power towards the ultimate and final victory symbolized in the book of revelation.

In John 17:4 Jesus said “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do”.  Hebrew 10:12 says, “When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” His last words on the cross were “It is finished,” (John 19:30).Jesus completed the atonement but the work of building His church continues (Eph. 5:25-27).

Did Jesus really rise from the dead? This is the most important question any person can ever ask. Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (John 11:25-26). If Jesus rose from the dead, then death is not the end of our story. If Jesus is still dead, then our faith is in vain (1 Cor.15:14) and we have been completely deceived. A dead Jesus cannot save anyone.

Jesus rose from the dead, he is alive. Acts 1:3 says “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many infallible proofs, appearing to them during forty days”. There was solid, visible, and undeniable proof that Jesus rose from the dead. What are those proofs? And can we trust them?  

After death the religious leaders said to Pilate “Sir, we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first” (Matt 27: 62-64).

 A stone of enormous size was placed at the opening and the soldiers sealed the tomb (Matt 27:65-66). Pontius Pilate ordered Roman guards placed around the tomb. But on the third day there was a great earthquake; for an angel descended from heaven, rolled away the stone and sat upon it. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men (Matt 28:2,4).

Some women went to the tomb. When they got there the tomb was open. They went in and the tomb was empty. Suddenly two men stood by them in shining garments. They said to them, “why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen ! Remember how He spoke to you...saying, ‘The Son of Man must be...crucified and the third day rise again (Luke 24:4-8).

The women went back and told all these things to the disciples. And the women’s words seemed to them like idle tales and they did not believe them (Luke 24:11). But Peter and John went to the tomb. The tomb was empty but the grave cloths were still there. Jesus had simply passed right through His grave clothes and left them in the same position in which they lay undisturbed.

 When the Jews inspected the tomb, it was empty. The chief priests gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘his disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep” (Matt 28:12-13). But since that time no one has produced a convincing answer to the question, “If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, what happened to his body?”

Within a few weeks of the resurrection, the disciples were publicly preaching that Jesus had risen from the dead. If they had been lying, all the authorities would have to do is simply drag out the dead body of Jesus and display it in public. That would be the end of the Christian movement. But they could not do it because the body was gone.

The New Testament records at least 12 separate appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 gives us more specifics on these appearances. Jesus appeared to Mary, Peter and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He appeared to more than five hundred people at the same time. He was seen by Stephen (Acts 7:55), Paul (Acts 9:4-5) and John (Rev. 1:12-18).

Jesus talked to Apostle John from Heaven and said “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! (Rev. 1:18).  He invited the disciples to “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.  Touch me, and see.  For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).And while they still did not believe it he asked them, ‘‘Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and ate it in their presence (Luke 24:40-43). A ghost cannot eat. 

The disciples were not expecting a resurrection and none of them believed it at first. When the women who saw Jesus reported this to the disciples, they thought it was an idle tale.  Therefore there was no delusion resulting from any expectation of seeing him. They could not be made to believe it was him unless it was real. They examined him over in great detail and satisfied themselves that it was the same Jesus they had known.

After the death of Jesus the disciples were frightened; every one of them truly believed that Jesus was dead and gone forever. They huddled in an upper room with the door locked for fear of the Jews. A few weeks later these same disciples now boldly stand in the temple courts preaching. The religious leaders “were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead (Acts  4:1-2).

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them... it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed”. They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!  As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4: 8-10,18-20).

What changed these cowering men into flaming evangelists who shook their world with the message of the gospel? There is only one credible explanation for such a radical change. They had seen the risen Christ and that sight had changed them forever (1 John 1:1). As word spread from one person to another, they began to shout the good news. “He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive!”

God raised him from the dead... because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him (acts 2:24). Jesus wanted his followers in all generations to have no doubts about His resurrection. It’s very interesting once the disciples were convinced of the resurrection; they never doubted it again. Christianity is based on proven facts. Because Jesus rose from the dead, his deity is without question.

Therefore everything he commands must be obeyed and every promise he makes can be trusted.  The Resurrection of Jesus gives us hope in the face of death. There is no other reason to think that we will ever see our loved ones again. The Bible again and again connects our resurrection with his. Ours will happen in the future because his happened in the past.