PT-1 "Intro to John 20:11-31)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/24/2017 10:30 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  PT-1 Intro to John 20:11-31

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 20:11-31

            Message of the verses:  I have chosen not to put these verses onto this SD, but since this is only the first of several introductions to these verses I will at some point put all of these verses onto one Spiritual Diary.

            John MacArthur entitles this chapter in his commentary “The Resurrected Christ,” and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the key to the atonement that was provided for us on the cross.  Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ there would be no atonement.  Paul writes “12 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? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.  20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep (1 Cor. 15:12-20).”

            MacArthur writes “When God raised Jesus from the dead, He declared that He was propitiated by Jesus’ sacrifice,  and had accepted it as payment in full for the sins of His people, completely satisfying the demands of His holy justice.  Jesus was, Paul wrote, ‘delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification’ (Rom. 4:25).  The resurrection also demonstrated that where sin is atoned for, death is conquered and eternal life is given.”

            No one can truly say that they believe in Jesus Christ without believing in His physical resurrection from the dead.  If you believe in the Jesus of the Bible you have to believe that God raised Him from the dead, there is no other way. Paul wrote in Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

            We now want to look at a couple of passages that show the Jesus himself offered His resurrection as convincing and irrefutable proof that His claims to be God come in the flesh are true.  When the Pharisees confronted Jesus He said “38 ¶  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40  for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

            On another occasion we read “18 The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken (John 2:18-22).”

            Josh McDowell wrote a couple of books to prove that there is historical evidence of the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.  “Evidence that Demands a Verdict,” and “More Evidence that Demands a Verdict,” are the names of these two books. 

            People who do not want to accept the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave have come up with different ideas to show that He was not really dead or other things that they think can prove He did not rise from the dead.  I have to say that to me, it is similar to those who believe in evolution.  Evolution is impossible, it could not happen, but the true purpose of evolution is to show that there is not a God whom we are accountable to.  Same with those who refute the resurrection of Jesus Christ, so if Jesus was not raised from the dead then the gospel is false, but He was raised from the dead, and therefore the gospel is available to all those who will accept the truth of it.

            In his commentary John MacArthur sites different theories from different people who think that they can disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  I will not take the time to offer comment on what these people have written, but in our next SD we will look at one from the pages of Scripture that we will then prove is wrong.  Not the Bible is wrong, but the things that the leaders of Israel did will be proved wrong.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I know that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is true because He changed me, He changed me completely, and now I have a new life because of what Christ did own the cross and because God was satisfied with what Christ did on the cross for me.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To trust the Lord to continue to change me:  “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).”

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Peter” (Acts 2:15).

Today’s Bible question:  “The Lord dried up the waters of what sea?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/24/2017 11:07 AM