Jesus Christ IS Risen From The Dead
By Ed Tarkowski

The Discovery Channel will air a program titled "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" on March 4, 2007 (9 pm EST) and March 5th (1 am EST). It was made by Simcha Jocobivici and James Cameron, the maker of the film "Titanic", and is based on the supposed find of Jesus' tomb. In this tomb were found six ossuaries, supposedly of Yeshua bar Yehosef (Jesus son of Joseph), Maria (Mary: mother or sister of Jesus), Yose (Joseph), Yehuda bar Yeshua (Judah son of Jesus), Mariamne e mara (Mary of Magdala), and Matya (Matthew or Matthias). I am not going to get into why they believe this is the Christian Jesus of Nazareth or why they are making such statements or how to refute what they say. They are making such statements based on flawed human wisdom in the area of science minus any sign of faith in the stated word of God, which is the only defense against such suppositions.

What I want to say is this:

(1) because Jesus was raised from the dead 2000 years ago and appeared to witnesses, proving that He was indeed risen (Acts 10:40) this cannot be the Jesus of Christianity.

(2) because Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, this cannot be the Jesus the Christian professes (Acts 1:11; Acts 7:55,56).

(3) because we await Jesus' return from His seat on high in heaven, this cannot be the Jesus we profess as Christians (1 Thess. 1:10).

Paul stated emphatically:

1 Cor 15:12  Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

Over my years as a Christian, I always carry in my heart an outline of what the Lord Jesus Christ did to establish the gospel, and I am always checking what I hear against it:

1. He was sent by the Father from heaven to become man

2. He became man and spoke all that the Father said and did in His sinless walk on earth

3. He died for the sins of all men as the sacrifice for their sins

4. He was in the tomb three days

5. He was raised bodily on the third day and was seen by witnesses on a number of occasions

6. He ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God

7. He led into heaven those held in captivity who had died in faith

8. He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell all who would believe

9. He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and establish a visible kingdom on earth

10. After 1000 years, he will hand all things over to the Father

When I first heard what these men were proposing, I pictured this outline in an instant and a sword cut off points 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. In that instant, I saw again the truth of Christianity: that the resurrection is the absolute central point of the gospel of Christ. Without it, there is no hope and our faith is a vain faith, as Paul said. We would still be in our sins and all those who have died before us would have perished. I saw the futility of all the other religions, who do not believe Christ is indeed God become man and is risen from the dead. If what has been proposed were true, we would have to join the ranks of all other unbelieving religions.

The belief that Jesus lies in a tomb somewhere would also leave Satan in full power on earth. The following fact would not be true:

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Notice this: THROUGH DEATH RESULTING IN THE RESURRECTION He destroyed the power of the devil, which was death. The suppositions of these men are absolutely destructive to Christianity and its message.

Our defense against such false claims is simple: the word of God. It's not a matter of science. It's a matter of faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).

What is faith?

Heb 11:11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2  For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Faith IS THE EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN. Where does faith come from? Our faith comes from only one place: what we have read and believed as being the word of God:

Romans 10:16  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We are Christians and should not let such speculations about bodies lying in a tomb shake our faith, but:

Jude 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

If one is going to believe that Jesus' body still lies in the tomb, then he must also believe He is not resurrected. Yet, belief in the resurrection is one of the main truths that will determine one's salvation:

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

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This newsletter will be sent out whenever I think there is something the body of Christ needs to consider, to build it up, to give it encouragement or comfort in hard times.

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