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Series: The Jesus Factor - #4 The Powerful Jesus (by Jeff Hartensveld) |
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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 23 March 2008 |
Sermon Series: The Jesus Factor - #4 The Powerful JesusIntroduction: - Today’s message is only based on one question that was submitted to me and it is Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
- Josh McDowell, Evidence Demands a Verdict says “After more than 700 hours of studying this subject, and thoroughly investigating its foundation, I have come to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the "most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted upon the minds of men, or it is the most fantastic fact of history."
- Jesus has three basic credentials: (1) The impact of His life upon history; (2) Fulfilled prophecy in His life; and (3) His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ and Christianity stand or fall together. Without the resurrection then everything we believe falls to nothing.
1 Cor 15:1-11 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I'm not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God's church. 10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed. 1. Jesus Christ died! Vs. 3 - The idea that Jesus didn’t die on the cross didn’t show up until the 8th century.
- Jesus underwent a flogging which is a terrible thing to endure.
- Jesus himself predicted that he would die and rise again from the dead.
- Matthew 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9; 17:22,23; 20:18,19; 26:32; 27:63, Mark 8:31-9:1; 9:10; 9:31; 10:32-34; 14:28,58, Luke 9:22-27, John 2:18-22; 12:34; Chps. 14-16
2. Jesus was buried vs. 4 - Luke 23:50-56 The Burial of Jesus
- Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
- If you lived in that day… and let’s just put the death of Jesus for the sake of argument at AD 37, you could have gone and asked Joseph of Arimathea we can’t do it now.
- The Jewish Sanhedrin went to Pilate and asked them to place guards at the entrance of the grave. They knew the rumors.
3. Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day.
- Matt 28:1-15 The Resurrection
- Which story is more believable? Why didn’t they immediately arrest the disciples for grave robbing? Even when they preached openly in the market place and Temple why didn’t they arrest them?
- The resurrection of Christ is an event in history
* Wilbur Smith * Ignatius * Josephus * These people were willing to die for this truth. * He appeared to his younger brother James. 4. What does it mean to us today?
- From everything we learned over the last few weeks: that Jesus Christ a true historical figure, who was God, and who cares for us conquered the most terrible enemy of all time rising again from the dead to prove that he did in fact live the sinless life.
- 1 Peter 3:18-22
GO Question Ice-breaker: This and That- Starts out by having one person say 2 things that are related, like.. “coffee or tea”, and the person next to them has to pick one by saying “Tea” or “Coffee” and then they may say 2 things to the next person, like.. “Shoes or Sandals”.. etc. it just goes until you have spent 5 or ten minutes or as long you u still enjoy it. (this is a good way to get to know each other better) *be careful to keep it clean Go Group Questions:- Does Easter Sunday still mean something special to you or has it become so redundant that you barely notice it unless the WL or pastor brings it up over n over?
- What do you remember from Jeff’s sermon on Sunday? What point or illustration stood out the most to you?
- P. Jeff said that the idea that…. Jesus Christ didn’t die on the cross… didn’t even show up until the 8th century. Why do you think that is? What do you think about that?
- (Luke 23:50-56) Do you remember the name of the guy that went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body to be buried in his tomb? What significance does this fact hold for us? (Jeff used it as a way to point out the fact Jesus was actually buried by…that Joseph of Aramathea, a rich person who had connections with the governor )
- How long was Jesus dead? Does that mean anything? What was he doing and where did he do it while he was “in the grave”? (check out 1 Peter 3:18-22)
- How strong is your faith in the fact that Jesus did DIE, was BURIED, and was RESURRECTED?
PRAYER TOGETHER in closing! GO Question by Scott Stricker
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 26 March 2008 )
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