Jesus had made resurrection central to His message from the earliest days of His public ministry.
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom he will†(John 5:21).
“Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live†(John 5:25).
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice†(John 5:28).
Jesus tied His sacrificial death to the gift of resurrection and eternal life.
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world†(John 6:51).
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live†(John 11:25).
It is vital to note that Jesus was seen as risen bodily from death. Scripture makes this very clear. “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted†(Matt. 28:17). The two disciples who walked with Jesus and learned from Him knew Him once their eyes were opened with insight (Lk. 24:31).
Paul mentions four occasions in which Jesus was seen to be resurrected. Christ was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve (1 Cor. 15:5), seen by over five hundred brethren at once (1 Cor. 15:6), seen by James, then by all the apostles (1 Cor. 15:7), and seen by Paul himself (1 Cor. 15:8).
SUMMARY: The Marker of Manifestation
- Event in Jesus’ experience: Empty tomb
- How Jesus led: Resurrection
- Your task: Manifest Christ
- Key phrase: “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead†(Matt. 28:7a).
- Key verses: Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 25:1-53; 1 Cor. 15:5-8; Romans 1:4
- The symbol: The empty tomb
Back to index
