Text: Luke 24: 1-12

 Illus. Have you ever heard the unusual account of how the news of the battle of Waterloo reached England? The word was carried first by sailing ship to the southern coast. From there it was to be relayed by signal flags to London. When the report was received at Winchester, the flags on the cathedral began to spell it out: "Wellington defeated...." Before the message could be completed, however, a heavy fog moved in. Gloom filled the hearts of the people as the fragmentary news spread throughout the surrounding countryside. But when the mists began to lift, it became evident that the signals of Winchester Cathedral had really spelled out this triumphant message: "Wellington defeated the enemy!" Jesus' burial chamber was not the final word; the message was not complete until the stone was rolled away!

 There is one Savior that is not dead: Jesus Christ

 Cornerstone doctrine of Christianity is the resurrection

 Illus. Dr. Harry Rimmer was talking to the Secretary of State in Egypt who was a devout Muslim.

"We believe that God has given man three revelations of Himself. First, we believe that He has revealed Himself in the work of creation."

"We believe that too."

"We believe God has reveled Himself in a Book, the Bible."

"…Koran"

"We believe God has revealed Himself in a man, Jesus Christ."

"…Mohammed."

"We believe Jesus died to save His followers."

"We believe that Mohammed died for his people."

"We believe that Jesus is able to substantiate His claims because He rose from the dead."

The Moslem hesitated and his eyes fell because he had no reply. Finally, he admitted, "We have no information concerning our prophet after death."

 Mohammed’s corpse has corrupted into dead organic matter, Buddha’s body has decayed into the dust of the earth. Conscious’ body has disintegrated into mulch, but Jesus’ body "saw no corruption." It was raised again by the power of God.

 Without this doctrine our faith crumbles. "If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain, our faith is useless, we are liars, we are still in our sins, and we are of all men most pitiable."

 Egypt’s pyramids are famous for what they contain. Westminster Abbey in London for containing the bodies of Browning, Tennyson, and other English notables. Arlington cemetery is an honored resting pace of Americans. Mount Vernon has Washington. Christ’s tomb is famous for what it does not contain!

Transition: There are two facets about the resurrection that I want you to consider. The proofs of the truth and the truths that it proves.

Big Idea: The resurrection is proof that Jesus is God and that He paid the penalty for our sins.

1. The Proof of the truth
1. Circumstantial evidence
1. Empty tomb
1. If the enemies of Christianity wanted to discredit Christianity, all they had to do was produce Jesus’ body.
2. theories to explain the empty tomb
1. stolen body
1. the original argument used by the Jews
2. Romans would have received the death penalty
3. disciples were fearful and fleeing
4. weaponless disciples steal the body from trained Roman guards
5. The disciples couldn’t have stolen His body and His enemies wouldn’t
2. Swoon theory
1. explain the crucifixion
2. soldiers saw He was dead
3. wrapped in spices and cloths
3. Spiritual body
1. never appeared as a phantom
2. Luke 24:36-43, 1 John 1:1
3. Disciples thought at first that he was a spirit, then he ate a fish
4. His enemies understood Him to be speaking of a body because they ordered a guard
4. Hoax theory
1. Difficult to get over 500 people to go along and not reveal the hoax
2. Who would die for a lie? Maybe for error, but not a lie
5. hallucination theory
1. Women were not expecting to see Jesus alive
2. 500 people have the same hallucination over an extended period of time
2. Folded graveclothes
3. Changed lives
2. Eyewitness testimony
1. Two angels at the tomb, cp. Heb. 2:1
2. Mary
3. Other women
4. Peter & john
5. Eleven disciples
6. 2 men on the road to emmaus
7. 500+
3. When the normal rules for ascertaining historical facts are used, then the resurrection is one of the best attested facts in history
1. Infidel "All of the evidence points to an empty tomb."
2. Historical and scientific truth are not arrived at in the same way. Because scientific method held sway over our culture for so long, many have tried to deny the resurrection on a scientific basis. It is an historical fact, just as George Washington was our first president is an historical fact.
3. Luke "To whom he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."
2. The Truths that it Proves
1. Deity
1. Not his miracles, men perform miracles
2. False preachers perform miracles
3. Matt. 12:39-40, rom. 1:4
2. Sins are paid for (Rom. 4:25)
1. Our receipt that our sins are completely paid for is the resurrection
2. God raised Him because He made full payment
3. "for" = "wanted for murder" You are looking for the guy because he has already committed a murder, not because you want him to commit a murder.
4. Salvation is in the Finished work of Christ
3. Our future resurrection (1 Cor. 15:18)

Death is a conqueror who takes no prisoners. He carries a black flag. He digs a trench across the hemispheres and fills it with the carcasses of the nations. Fifty times the world be depopulated had not

God kept making new generations…Again and again has he done his work in all generations. He is a monarch as well as a conqueror; his palace is a sepulcher; his fountains the falling tears of a world.

4. Judgment is coming (Acts 17:31)

The epitaph over Lenin’s tomb reads "He was the greatest leader of all peoples, of all countries, of all times. He was lord of the new humanity. He was the savior of the world." Yet, Lenin’s body lies dead in his casket for all the world to see. If Lenin is a savior, then he is a dead one!

Story of Jerry, the little boy who mentally retarded whose egg was "empty."