If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#42) After Departing He Would Have Sent the Holy Spirit
Today is Pentecost. It marks the day when Jesus fulfilled the promise that He would send the Holy Spirit to dwell in us after He left. It is hard not to list this event at the top of the “most-incredible-events-of-all-time”. Is it possible to even begin to contemplate the full reality that ...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#37) He Will Judge the World
My guess is that few would connect the resurrection of Jesus with the judgment of the world. I wouldn’t have either, prior to this study. But, Paul, while preaching to the Athenians on Mars Hill, clearly does so. In fact, he says that the resurrection of Jesus is the proof that God will judge the world:
Therefore, hav...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#45) He Is Interceding for Us
It is probably true that we do not spend much time pondering the reality that Jesus intercedes for us with the Father. And, I suspect, we seldom, if ever, connect that intercession with the resurrection. However, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, makes that link:
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#33) We Will Be Together Again
Because of the resurrection of Jesus, one of the great hopes we have is that we will one day be reunited with our loved ones who have died in Christ: husbands, wives, sons, daughters, family and friends. My father passed away a number of years ago and I still miss him, but he and I will one day laugh together once more.
Is ...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#28) Our Faith Is Not in Vain
Let’s look at some more of these short truth claims that are ours because of the resurrection. And, take note that the following seven are found just in 1 Corinthians 15:
1. Our faith is not in vain
… if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 1 Corinthians 15:14
...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#27) Our Sins Are Forgiven
We now arrive at a series of short truth claims that come to us as believers as the result of the resurrection of Jesus. We will deal with two this time and the rest later.
Our sins are forgiven
… if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:17
Most peop...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#35) He Is Lord
Scripture declares that Jesus was,
“declared to be the Son of God… by his resurrection from the dead” Romans 1:4
Last time, we pondered how the resurrection was the Great Confirmation, affirming everything the Scripture said about Him and all of His words. Now we want to contemplate the rest of this statement by ...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#39) It Was the Great Confirmation
Scripture tells us Jesus was,
“declared to be the Son of God… by His resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1:4
The Holy Spirit, through Paul, tells us that it was the resurrection that “declared” Jesus to be the Son of God. Not that He wasn’t from all eternity, but this was the ...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#38) the Predictions Were All True
It is one thing for Jesus to rise from the dead, which, in itself, is an incomparable event that should give the deepest skeptic pause. But, for Jesus to have predicted that event and its details, and have it happen, raises everything to a new level, for it now demands our attention be drawn to who Jesus really is.
Jes...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#40) Why Did He Leave?
Today is Ascension Day. For most, that might provoke little more than “huh?” It is rare to find it on a calendar in the United States. But Catholics celebrate it as the “Feast of the Ascension” by attending mass. And, surprisingly, it is an official public holiday all across Indonesia and in many European count...
