According to the Scriptures

Q: What does the Bible say about the resurrection of Jesus?

The resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith, as it demonstrates His victory over sin and death. The resurrection of Jesus fulfills the promises made in Scripture, confirming His identity as the Messiah and the Son of God. As stated in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 'that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.' This event supports the essential gospel message that provides hope and assurance of eternal life to believers. The resurrection is the foundation of Christian faith, assuring that believers will also rise with Him.

Q: How do we know the resurrection is true?

The resurrection is verified by eyewitness accounts and fulfillment of prophecies in the Scriptures. The truth of the resurrection is supported by numerous eyewitness testimonies, as seen in Luke 24, where the disciples encounter the risen Christ. Additionally, Jesus rebukes the disciples for their unbelief regarding the prophecies, indicating that the resurrection was foretold in Scripture. This connection emphasizes that it is not merely a historical event, but a divine fulfillment of God's promises, reinforcing the truth of the resurrection. Christ's words remind us that Scripture contained prophecies regarding His suffering and resurrection, highlighting its significance in God's redemptive plan.

Q: Why is the resurrection of Jesus important for Christians?

The resurrection is crucial because it validates Jesus' claims and provides hope for eternal life to believers. For Christians, the resurrection of Jesus is paramount as it confirms His identity as the Son of God and validates His teachings. As stated in Romans 1:4, Jesus was declared 'the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.' Furthermore, the resurrection assures believers that they too will be resurrected and have eternal life, as promised in John 11:25-26. This hope is foundational to the Christian faith, as it transforms how believers live in light of eternity and affirms that death has been conquered through Christ.

Q: What does the Bible say about prophecy related to Christ's suffering?

The Bible contains numerous prophecies indicating that the Messiah would suffer for the sins of His people. The Scriptures reveal that the suffering of the Messiah was foretold through the prophetic writings. For instance, Isaiah 53 articulates the suffering servant who would bear the iniquities of many. Jesus Himself, as noted in Luke 24:26, states, 'Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?' This connection between prophecies and Christ's suffering is critical, as it illustrates that His crucifixion was part of God's divine plan for redemption, orchestrated before the foundation of the world.

Q: How does Scripture validate the person of Christ?

Scripture consistently points to Christ as the fulfillment of messianic prophecies and divine revelation. The entirety of Scripture bears witness to the person and work of Christ, emphasizing that He is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. In passages like Matthew 1:22 and Luke 24:27, we see that the Scriptures testify of Him, detailing His life, death, and resurrection. Everything Christ did fulfilled the written Word, ensuring that our understanding and faith are rooted in what God has revealed through His Scriptures. This accurate depiction of Christ ensures that He is seen as the Sovereign Savior of God's elect.

Open your Bibles with me to Luke
24. The title of this message is
According to the Scriptures. I'm not going to preach very
long this evening, but what I'm going to have to say is very
important. Let it not be measured by the
length of the sermon. Let it be measured by the truth
of it according to the Scriptures. Let's read beginning at verse
1. Luke 24, verse 1. Now, upon the
first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to
the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain
others with them. And they found the stone rolled
away from the sepulchre. Our Lord had risen, the stone
was rolled away from the door. And they entered in to the sepulchre. And they found not the body of
the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they
were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them
in shining garments, And as they were afraid and bowed down their
faces to the earth, the angels said unto them, Why seek ye him
that liveth among the dead? He's not here, but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you
when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men and be crucified? And the third
day rise again? They remembered His words. And
they returned from the sepulchre and told all these things to
the eleven. Judas was dead, having killed
himself. But they told these things unto
the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and
Joanna and Mary the mother of James, these were the women at
the tomb, at the sepulchre, and other women that were with them,
which told these things unto the apostles. Now listen to this
next verse. And their words seemed to them
as out of tales. And they believed them not. The
disciples didn't believe. You remember Thomas said, I won't
believe unless I put my hand in the nail prints and in the
wound in his side. I'm not going to believe. And
they didn't believe. Then arose Peter and ran unto
the sepulchre, and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid
by themselves, and departed, wandering in himself at that
which was come to pass. And behold, verse 13, now this
was Sunday afternoon, three days after our Lord had been crucified.
This was the day of the resurrection, Sunday afternoon. And behold,
two of them, two of the disciples, one of them was a man named Cleophas. I don't know who the other was.
This is not two of the eleven now. This is two believers, two
disciples. And behold, two of them went
that same day to a village called Emmaus. That's a little village
which was about which was from Jerusalem about 7 or 8 miles.
It says here 3 score furlongs, that's 7 or 8 miles from Jerusalem.
These two men on Sunday afternoon, after the resurrection, these
two believers were walking along, going from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
And they talked together. Of all things which had happened,
don't you know that they had a lot to say? They talked about the arrest
of Christ and His trial. They talked about Judas, whom
they knew very well. Judas selling the Lord, betraying
Him with a kiss, taking money to betray the Lord, and then
killing himself. They talked about Peter's denial.
Peter was a close friend and brother. Peter denied that he
knew the Lord. He talked about the Lord's death
on the cross, what a horrible death it was, and how He was
taken down dead and placed in the tomb, how broken hearted
they were, disappointed they were. They were sad. They talked
about all these things. That's what they were talking
about. Verse 15, And it came to pass that while they communed
together and reasoned, what's going on? What's happening? Jesus
Himself drew near and went with them. In other words, a lot of
things here that are not explained. Our Lord had risen from the tomb
and He had secured other garments. He was a man. He was crucified,
buried as a man and rose as a man. He had a robe on probably, maybe
a hood, I do not know. But it said, He came and started
walking beside these two men. And verse 16 said, Their eyes
were holding that they should not know Him. In other words,
God made it so that they didn't know Him. If they had looked
into His face, Bob, I believe they would have known Him. But
it says, Their eyes were holding that they didn't know Him. Look
at verse 31. That same chapter, their eyes were opened then and
they knew Him later on. Then He vanished out of their
sight. But here our Lord came and walked right along beside
them as these two men were walking along. And He said to them, I
believe they would have recognized His voice too, don't you? But
they didn't. And there's a purpose for this.
And He said to them, what manner of communications are these that
you have one to another? You walk and are sad? Why are
you so sad? And one of them, whose name was
Cleophas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger
in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to
pass here in these days? Have you just got in town? They
had a crucifixion here just Friday, buried him, and Sunday, and so
forth. This was just Sunday, and he
said, what things? You know, I've often said to
you, our Lord doesn't ask questions for information. Now, anytime
you read in the Scripture where God asks someone a question,
if not for information, it's to hear what that person has
to say about this subject. Like he asked Cain, where's your
brother? He asked Adam, where are you? All of these questions
are not for information. They are to have us express what's
on our heart. And he said, what things? And they said unto him, what
concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty indeed,
and word before God and all the people. And how the chief priest
and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and
have crucified him. Now watch this. But we thought,
we trusted, that it had been He which should have redeemed
Israel. Now the cross wasn't in their
plans. The cross wasn't in the plans
of Peter and the disciples. I'll tell you what was in their
plans. A Jewish kingdom. A mighty kingdom like David's
kingdom. A restoration of Israel. even
a powerful kingdom in which they would rule and reign with Christ.
I believe that was on their minds. Let me show you something. Turn
to Matthew 16. Let's just hold that right there. We thought, we trusted, that
it had been He which should have redeemed Israel. They were looking
for a king, not a lamb. They were looking for a ruler,
not a sacrifice. They were looking for someone
on the throne to reign and deliver them from the bondage of Rome,
not from the bondage of sin. They weren't looking for a cross,
but a crown. But there's no crown without
the cross. There's no kingdom without a
purchase of the people by His blood. But anyway, Matthew 16,
look at this just a moment. Matthew 16, verse 21. This is
what, this is Peter speaking for all of them I think here.
In Matthew 16, 21, from that time forth, Jesus began to show
unto His disciples how that He must go into Jerusalem and suffer
many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and
be killed and raised again the third day. From that time forth,
that was earlier. Bob, that was kind of early in
His ministry. From that time, He taught them,
the Son of Man must be lifted up. I must go to Jerusalem. I must suffer these things. Peter
took him and began to rebuke him. Can you imagine that? Saying, be it far from thee,
Lord. This is the last thing you want
to do, is die? This shall not be unto thee.
And he turned and said to Peter, get thee behind me, Satan, thou
art an offense unto me. For thou savest not the things
that be of God, but those that be of men." But let's not be
too hard on these fellows. I tell you, the redemptions of
mystery, the ways of God, the thoughts of God, the purposes
of God, are as difficult for me to understand as it is for
them. I mean even as enlightened as we are. Think how much more
information we have than they have. And yet all of these daily
occurrences and mysteries of God and acts of God and the good
providence of God, I don't understand. I don't understand. And these men were just speaking
their minds. They did not understand. They
did not understand. Alright, back at the text, Luke
24. But that doesn't excuse us. Ignorance. We are supposed to
believe God. And besides all this, today is the third day
since these things were done. Now listen to this. Yea, and
certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were
early at the sepulchre. These women went to the sepulchre
and they astonished us. Verse 23, And when they found
not his body, they came saying, that they had also seen a vision
of angels. These women told us. They went
to the sepulchre and it was empty. They found not his body, but
they saw two angels. These two angels told these women
he was alive. And certain of them which were
with us, Peter, John, went to the sepulchre and found it even
as the women had said, now watch this, but him they saw not. They still didn't see Him. All right. Then He said to them,
Our Lord Jesus, here is a gentle but a firm rebuke. Then He said
unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that
the prophets have spoken. My prayers to Him give all the
prophets witness. But you know, this is the cry
of all the prophets, Lord, who hath believed our report. To
whom is the arm or power of the Lord revealed? O fools and slow
of heart to believe. Like Paul rebuking the Galatians,
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you. Now watch this. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things? Ought not the Christ? Isn't this what the Scripture
says about the Christ? Ought not the Christ to have
suffered these things and to enter into His glory? This is
the heart of the gospel, the sufferings of Christ. The blood
is the very heart of the gospel. This is the very foundation of
redemption, the blood of Christ, the sufferings of Christ. Let
me show you that. Let me just give you these four
things right here. Listen to them. Now, He said
to these men, O fools and slow of heart to believe all that
the prophets have spoken." Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, all
these prophets. The prophets taught that he would
suffer. Moses said in Genesis 3.15, God
is speaking to Satan. He said, "...thou shalt bruise
his heel." Bruise him. He has to be bruised. That's
what he's saying about to see the woman. He'll be bruised.
Psalm 22. They read this psalm. It's the
psalm of the Messiah. My God, why art thou forsaking
me? Why art thou far from helping
me? I can tell all my bones. Dogs have compassed me about,
poured out His soul unto death. What about Isaiah 53? They read
that. The prophet said He was wounded
for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was laid on Him by His stripes.
We're healed? It pleased God to bruise him? What about Daniel? Listen, turn
to Daniel 9. You see, these are things the
prophets wrote. This is what the Lord is saying.
The Lord Jesus Christ is talking to these two men who are so full
of doubts and unbelief. Look at Daniel 9. I want you
to look at this. Verse 26. These are the Scriptures. Daniel 9, verse 26, And after
three score and two weeks shall the Christ Messiah be cut off,
but not for himself. And the people of the prince
that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and
the end thereof shall be with a flood, and to the end of the
war desolations are determined. The Messiah is going to be cut
off. He says to these men, you didn't believe what the prophet
said. Ought not the Christ to have
suffered? That's what it says here, to
suffer. You suppose they ever read this? Turn to Zechariah.
This is one of the last books in the Old Testament. You know
these men were familiar with these Scriptures, and it just
would seem to one that when Christ fulfilled what He said, I must
need to go to Jerusalem and suffer? Die? Look at Zechariah 12, or
13, verse 7. Zechariah 13, 7. That's next
to the last book in the Old Testament. Now listen. Awake, O sword, against
my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow. This is
God speaking. Saith the Lord of hosts, smite
him. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep
will be scattered. And I'll turn my hand upon the
little ones. Ought not Christ to have suffered?
It's what the prophet said. Now watch secondly. The Old Testament
sacrifices. These men were familiar with
the blood shed in the Old Testament. Let me tell you something. The
first blood shed on this earth when God made this world, what
was the first blood shed? First drop of blood. You see,
men didn't eat meat back then. They ate fruit and vegetables. There was no death on this earth
before Adam and Eve. What was the first blood shed?
God slew an animal and took the skin and covered the nakedness
of Adam and Eve. That's the first blood shed.
It was shed to cover nakedness. They knew that. What's the second
blood shed? The first human blood shed on
this earth. The first human blood shed on this earth was a man who was angry over
the blood shed to cover sin. He killed his brother because
his brother didn't bring his works, he brought the blood of
the Lamb. The Passover Lamb. Don't you
know they knew about the Passover Lamb? The atonement. Don't you know these men knew
about the high priest going into the Holy of Holies, the high
priest once a year, not without blood, which he sprinkled on
the mercy seat containing the broken law for his own sins and
the sins of the people once a year? It's called the atonement. And that's the reason Christ
said, O fools, and slow of heart to believe the prophets. Ought
not the Christ to have suffered? The prophets said He must. The
sacrifice He said He must. Listen, the covenant of mercy
said He must. Paul wrote about it. He said, this taught Him the
shepherd of the sheep, the sheep shepherd of the everlasting covenant,
the blood of the everlasting covenant. He called Him the surety
of the covenant. He called Him the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. And then watch this. And Job
raises these questions, this issue. Don't you know these men
were familiar with Job? This is the thing that I'm trying
to get across tonight. We're as familiar with the Scriptures,
both old and new, as those men were. Their familiarity with
the Scriptures did not open their eyes. They did not see what the
prophets were saying. Ought not Christ to have suffered?
This is why the character of God demands a suffering of our
substitute. Job and his friends kept raising
that issue. Turn to Job 14. Let me show you
two or three words here. Job 14. Now, Job 15. Job 15, verse 14. Now, I'm listening
to these words. In Job 14, 15. Now, this is the
oldest book in the Bible. This is the oldest book in the
Bible. I don't know when Job lived, but it's the oldest book
in the Bible. He lived before Moses. And Job
and his friends raised these questions. What is man that he
should be clean? What's the word clean? Holy.
Or he that is born of woman, that he should be righteous. Holy and righteous. Behold, God
puts no trust in His saints. The heavens are not clean in
His sight. How much more abominable and filth is man that drinks
iniquity like water? Here are two things raised. How
is he going to be holy? How is he going to be righteous?
Turn to Job 25. Job 25. Listen to him. He is
raising this issue. Listen to this. This is interesting.
Job 25. Verse 4, how can man be just? How can man be justified
with God? There's the character of God.
God is holy, righteous, and just. Is He not? Or Job raises this
question, then how can man be holy, righteous, and just? There's
just one way and that's the blood. So that's the reason our Lord,
back to our text in Luke 24, our Lord said, O fools and slow
of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken, ought
not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into
His glory?" Now watch this, "...and beginning at Moses and all the
prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning Himself." The things concerning Himself.
That's what the Scriptures are all about. Now look over, if
you will, Well, let's read this right here, "...and they drew
nigh unto the village, whither they went. And he made as though
he would have gone farther, but they constrained him, saying,
Abide with us, it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And
he went in to tarry with them, and came to pass, as they sat
at meat. He took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it
to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. And he vanished out of their
sight. And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within
us? while He talked with us by the way and while He opened to
us the Scriptures. The Scriptures. That's what this
thing of preaching is all about, opening to us the Scriptures.
I want you to turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians
15. The Apostle Paul is writing to
the church at Corinth. He's summing up his ministry
among them in 1 Corinthians 15. I want you to listen to what
he says. 1 Corinthians 15. Moreover, brethren, verse 1,
I declare unto you the gospel, I declare unto you the gospel,
which I preach to you, which also you have received and wherein
you stand. by which also you are saved,
by that gospel, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you, this
is what I preached to you, first of all, that which also I received,
which I also received. I can't preach what I don't know,
what I haven't learned, what I haven't been taught, what God
didn't reveal to me. So he said, I preached to you what I received.
Here it is. Now listen, how that the Christ
died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. Listen. And that he was buried and he
rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. According
as it was prophesied. This is what the Bible is all
about. It's Christ in promise. God promised the seed of woman.
He promised the seed of Abraham. He promised the offspring of
David. Christ and His death is not only
the promise, but it's the prophecy of the Word. It's patterned,
pictured in the Word. Christ in person comes in the
Scriptures in the New Testament. In the Scriptures. Now back to
my text, and let me wind this up. Luke 24. So our Lord then
appeared to the disciples down here in verse Well, let's read
on verse 33, And they rose the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem.
And they found the eleven gathered together, and them that were
with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared
to Simon. And they told what things were
done in the way, and how he was known to them in breaking of
bread. They told how that he had been with them. And as they
thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said
to them, Peace be with you. And he said unto them, Why are
you troubled? The thoughts arise in your hearts. Behold, my hands
and my feet, it is I myself. Handle me and say, a spirit hath
not flesh and bones as you see me have. And when he had thus
spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they
yet believed not for joy and wondered, he said unto them,
Have you any meat? They gave him a piece of broiled
fish and a honeycomb. He took it and did eat before
them. Now listen. And he said unto them, Here is
our foundation. the scriptures. The object of
faith is Christ. The object of faith is Christ,
Christ in his person and work, how he loved us and gave himself
for us, suffered and died, obeyed the law as our representative,
suffered and died and rose again, ascended as our advocate, intercessor,
mediator. But this is the foundation. And
he said to them, these are the words which I spake unto you
while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled
which are written in the law of Moses and the prophets and
the Psalms concerning me." It's the Scriptures. And then opened
he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures.
It's according to the Scriptures. We can't preach without Christ
and the Gospel and salvation without preaching the Word. And what we're trying to do here,
get these men, elders, to stand here and read the Word, and I
read the Word, and when I'm away, the elders read the Word and
preach the Word. Your faith has got to be in Christ, and the
foundation of your faith has got to be, thus saith the Lord.
Not what we think, what we suppose, it's what does God say. This
is what our Lord is teaching His disciples. And He said unto
them, verse 46, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to
suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, that repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in His name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Everything our Lord is and did
and does is the fulfillment of the Word. And with your patience,
I want to show you one more thing before I close. Matthew chapter
1. And get your pencil out a minute
and we'll show you the importance of this according to the Scriptures. According to the Scriptures. He told the Pharisees one time,
he said, you search the Scriptures. But there they testify of me. Now verse 21 of Matthew 1, listen
to this. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins." Now all this was done that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet. Underscore that. All of this
was done, the announcement to Joseph, the incarnation in the
womb of the virgin. It was done that the Scriptures
might be fulfilled. It's spoken by the prophet, Behold,
a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and call
his name Immanuel. Now look at chapter 2 of Matthew,
verse 4. And verse 3, Matthew 2, 3. Listen,
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all
the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded
them where the Christ should be born. And they said to him,
in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet."
Underscore that. That's where he's going to be
born. They knew that, Tom, didn't they? That's what Malachi said,
didn't he? Fulfill what the prophet said.
Look down at verse 14 of that same chapter, Matthew 2. And
when he arose, he took the young child, his mother, by night and
departed unto Egypt. Joseph and Mary took the baby
Jesus and headed for Egypt. Verse 15, "...and was there until
the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
of the Lord by the prophets, saying, Out of Egypt have I called
my son." That's in Hosea. Everything that Christ did on
behalf of His people according It's all written. One or two
more, isn't it? Look at verse 17. Verse 16, Matthew
2. Then Herod, when he saw he was
mocked of the wise men who were exceedingly rough, and sent forth
and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all
the coast thereof, of two years old and under, according to the
time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then
was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet,
saying, In Ramah, Was there a voice heard lamentations, weeping,
and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, who would not
be comforted because they are not?" Herod had all these children
killed to fulfill the Scriptures. Look at verse 23, "...and they came and dwelt in
a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the prophet, He shall be called a Nazarene. Now, sometime when you have a
lot of time, you get your concordance. And this is why it says to look
up fulfilled and go through the New Testament. He cried out first
the fulfillment of the Scripture. They didn't break his bones,
it shall be fulfilled by the Scripture, not a bone shall be
broken. They cast lots for his garments, fulfilled the Scripture.
Everything he said and did is a fulfillment of the Scripture.
He died for our sins according to Scripture. He redeemed us
according to the Scriptures. Oh, if we could just get acquainted
with that which is our foundation, the Scriptures. Christ identified,
glorified in the Scriptures how precious they are.

According to the Scriptures

What does the Bible say about the resurrection of Jesus?

How do we know the resurrection is true?

Why is the resurrection of Jesus important for Christians?

What does the Bible say about prophecy related to Christ's suffering?

How does Scripture validate the person of Christ?

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According to the Scriptures

What does the Bible say about the resurrection of Jesus?

How do we know the resurrection is true?

Why is the resurrection of Jesus important for Christians?

What does the Bible say about prophecy related to Christ's suffering?

How does Scripture validate the person of Christ?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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