Jesus Arose
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Going straight to the Cross
There is reason enough to assume the commitment of
being a Christian.
Jesus Arose
by Phil Sanders
The resurrection provides us the confidence to
give our lives to Jesus Christ.
When you think of what it means to confess Jesus
as Lord, you may need a sufficient reason for that
kind of commitment. The Lord wants us to sanctify
Him as Lord in our hearts (1 Peter. 3:15), to
offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom.
12:1), to daily take up our cross (Luke 9:23), and
to put Him first in all respects (Col. 1:10).
Why are you a Christian?
For me, I am a Christian because of the
resurrection. Oh, this is not the only reason; but
it is foundational. Jesus, as risen Lord, is
worthy of my every sacrifice and obedience.
The early disciples died claiming he arose from
the dead. I cannot so easily set that aside. They
saw Him, heard Him, touched Him, and were
convinced by many undeniable proofs (Acts 1:1-3).
Here is a list of his appearances:
1. To Mary Magdalene (John 20:11)
2. To the other women (Matt. 28:9,10)
3. To two disciples on the road to Emmaus
(Luke 24:12-32)
4. To Peter (Luke 24:34)
5. To ten of the eleven, not including
Thomas (Luke 24:33; John 20:24,25)
6. To the eleven, including Thomas (John
20:26-30)
7. To seven apostles (John 21)
8. To all the apostles (Matt. 28:16-20)
9. To all the apostles (Acts 1:4-9)
10. To 500 brethren at one time (1 Cor. 15:6)
11. To James (1 Cor. 15:7)
12. To Paul (1 Cor. 15:7)
Jesus proved Himself by fulfilling His prophecy to
arise on the third day (Matt. 16:21). One can
easily fix how he is to die, but to predict one's
resurrection is another matter. Jesus is really
the Lord. That realization makes all the
difference.
If Jesus is Lord, I need to confess Him, obey Him,
follow Him, love Him, serve Him, follow Him, and
share Him with the world.
One last point: God will judge the world one day
through a Man whom He has raised from the dead. He
furnished proof to us of His Lordship by raising
Him. (Acts 17:30-31) If He arose -- and He did,
you will stand before Him one day for judgment.
Are you prepared?