Why We Believe In The Bodily (Literal) Resurrection Of Christ

Almost to a man everyone of them laid down their lives in order to proclaim Christ and His Resurrection, and they did so willingly and gladly. Men do not willingly give their lives for that which they know is false or that about which they have serious doubts. What do we owe them - and the Christ - whose resurrection they witnessed - those who left their indelible testimony imprinted upon the sands of time ?????? We owe them the response of Thomas: You remember He said that He would not believe (The Resurrection Story) unless He could see, touch, and feel the prints the nails made in Jesus’ hands, and the scar the spear made in His Side. When confronted with the living Christ, his response was: MY LORD AND MY GOD!!!!

WE BELIEVE IN THE LITERAL, BODILY RESURRECTION OF CHRIST BECAUSE OF THE BEGINNING AND CONTINUATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. The beginning of the church is recorded in Acts 2. The only power sufficient to bring the church into existence as described there was (is) the Holy Spirit. The coming of The Holy Spirit was based on the reality of the Resurrection of Christ and His being alive after his Ascension & able to keep His promise to His Apostles to send the Holy Spirit to them. The Church was established. The Church is still here - in this world. We know its beginning - its birthday. The Church has been hated and persecuted by its enemies; abused - misunderstood - neglected by its friends; perverted and shrouded with mystery (never intended by Christ, His Apostles, or Scripture) by false prophets and teachers. Yet the fact remains that The Church is still here after 20 centuries of time. Its existence is confirmation of the promise and prophecy of Jesus that on the Rock of the fact that He was - and is - the Divine Son of God - He would build His Church and even the gates of hell would not be able to withstand the mighty onslaughts of His Kingdom. When we know what we do about the Jewish Institution built around the Mosaic law - we understand that the only power that could have overturned the tables of Judaism and set in its place - The New Testament Church - was the reality of the Resurrection of the Son of God. Peter’s sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2) drew from the audience a response of repentance and obedience that brought the New Testament Church into existence. The conclusion of that sermon was: "This same Jesus God has raised up whereof we are all witnesses" and "God has made this same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ".

WE BELIEVE IN THE LITERAL, BODILY RESURRECTION OF CHRIST BECAUSE OF THE BEGINNING, EXISTENCE, AND PERPETUATION OF THE LORD’S DAY.

It deserves to be said that the Lord’s day was not designed to be a "Christian Sabbath" or a continuation (extension) of the Old Testament Sabbath. Sabbath observance fits into all those "handwritings & ordinances that were against us which were nailed to the Cross". (Colossians 2:14) When we know what we do about Judaism & the Jewish Institution of the Sabbath - and its observance - we become aware that the only power strong enough to convince the Jew to forsake it would have been - & is The Resurrection of Christ. Consider: The Beginning of the Church was on Sunday (Pentecost). By Acts 20, The disciples were (still) meeting on the first day of the week to "break bread" (observe The Lord’s Supper.) Paul instructed the Corinthians when they came together "on the first day of the week" to bring their tithes & offerings. John, when in exile on the Isle of Patmos, writing the Revelation related that we was "in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day." (Revelation 1) We are to understand that this change (from the Sabbath to the Lord’s Day) was made in the presence of the Inspired Apostles, beginning at Pentecost. If it was an error, none of them made any attempt to say so - or to correct it. Rather those first century Christians were taught & exhorted (encouraged) to continue steadfastly in the Apostle’s Doctrine, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread (The Lord’s Supper) and Prayer. Paul, In Hebrews 10 exhorts them to "not forsake the assembling of themselves together" - & gives a lengthy discourse of the sin & dangers of habitually & purposely doing so.