The Proofs Of The Resurrection

They decided to act quickly. We are told by some historians that at 10:00 at night, Revere and his friend got their horses and started off to Lexington. They wanted to warn the people that the British were on their way. Paul Revere is credited for those famous words, “The British are Coming! The British are Coming!”

Some historians say that is not an accurate account. They say that as Revere and Dawes were traveling to warn the people, the British soldiers caught them and quickly arrested them. However, while they were being arrested, a man named Dr. Samuel Prescott got past the British soldiers. Prescott got to Concord, and the townspeople were ready for the attack.

These historians say that Samuel Prescott was the hero, but everybody has always given Paul Revere the credit for his midnight ride.

WHAT CAUSED THE CONFLICT?

The historians say that the reason Paul Revere receives the credit for delivering this life saving message, was because of a poem written by a man named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called, “The Midnight Cry of Paul Revere”.

Longfellow named Paul Revere as the man who warned the people of Concord that the British were coming. So, even today many believe that Paul Revere is the main hero.

We probably never will know who delivered that very important message. But the most important message that has ever been delivered is the message of the resurrection.

Never has so much depended on this one solitary message that, CHRIST AROSE FROM THE GRAVE AND IS NO LONGER THERE.

WHY IS THIS THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE THAT HAS EVER BEEN DELIVERED?

Because of a number of reasons, such as:

• The message of the resurrection is the foundation on which Christianity is built.

• Had He not risen from the grave Christianity would not exist.

• The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very heart of Christianity.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul stated it this way; "Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not."

In that same chapter, he says in verse 14, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”

But then Paul triumphantly declares in verse 20, “ BUT NOW IS CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

But there is another reason that this is the most important message that has ever been delivered.

It is important because salvation by Grace depends upon the resurrection of Christ.

If grace is going to be granted, then the ONE who grants it must be alive to grant it.

Again, I remind you that the message of the resurrection is the most important message that has ever been delivered to mankind.

What kind of message was it?

Let’s look at the Word of God to see what kind of message it was.

I. IT WAS A MESSAGE OF DEITY

How frail we mortals are!

Illus: A germ that is so small that we cannot see it with the naked eye, can knock the biggest man down and destroy him in a short period of time.

We mortals never know when our lives are going to be snatched from us.

However, when the Lord speaks of His life on earth, He said in John 10:18, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."

What a powerful statement the Lord Jesus made.

WHY DID HE MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT?

Because He wanted us to know that he is LIKE US, but yet He is NOT LIKE US.

He was 100% man like we are, but also He is 100% God.

He is the only person who ever walked on this earth that can say about His life, “…I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”

Christ is God wrapped in human flesh.

The message of Easter is one of DEITY!

But also-

II. IT WAS A MESSAGE OF DEFEAT

We are very familiar with defeat. We see it and talk about it practically every day of our lives.

In the sports world, we sometimes hear about a football team who might run up a ridiculous score against the opposing team. And when a team does that, we say in amazement “That was some defeat!”

In the political world, we sometimes hear about a presidential candidate winning almost all the states in his bid for the presidency. And we again speak in reference to the loosing candidate, we say, “What an overwhelming defeat!”

But listen, THE GREATEST OF ALL DEFEATS took place on a little hill in Jerusalem called Golgotha. This was the greatest defeat that has ever occurred on the face of the earth.