What is the significance of the Resurrection of Jesus and the empty tomb?
- The Resurrection of Jesus was chief among all the signs God gave to an unbelieving world.
- God substantiated Jesus’ claim to be the source of all eternal life, through His bodily Resurrection.
- The Resurrection of Jesus is preached as an essential part of the Gospel and Confession/
Proclamation of the Early Church (30-100 A.D.). - God validated the Person, Teaching and Ministry of Jesus by His bodily resurrection.
- Resurrection to eternal life with God is the Hope of every Believer in Jesus Christ.
- THE CENTRALITY OF JESUS CHRIST FOR RESURRECTION TO ETERNAL LIFE
- Genesis 2:16-17
The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” - Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Hebrews 9:27-28
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. - 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
- THE EXCLUSIVITY OF SALVATION; BY JESUS CHRIST ALONE
- John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. - Acts 4:12
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 2:22-24
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know — this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” - John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. … And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. - Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.