HEAVENLY SUNRISE!


The World, the Word & You! Broadcast
Commentary by Dennis L. Finnan

THIS WEEKEND REPRESENTS THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY 

¾ IT IS THE COMMEMORATION OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about that "Heavenly Sunrise," that happened long ago…

… Hello and welcome this Easter weekend to the World the Word & You! Broadcast, featuring thirty minutes of Biblical commentary coupled with some beautiful music for your listening enjoyment. Speaking is your host and commentator Dennis Finnan. Say friend, we're glad you tuned our way, for on today's broadcast I've got an interesting message for you about this great event called the Resurrection. You see millions of people worldwide are skeptical of this teaching of the Christian faith. It seems so hard to believe anyone has ever arisen from the dead. Is it all a fairy tale, a wishful story that has been passed down through the centuries? Well after we pause for our first musical moment, I'll return to recap for you’re the events and happenings that surround and fulfill the resurrection of Jesus Christ…

… I think for every human being, sunrise has a peculiar charm! Sick people can tell us much about sunrise. They spend many restless nights longing to see it. We find the Bible speaks to this too. We read in,

Psa 130:6 (NIV)  “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”

Job speaks also of this when he said,

Job 7:4 (NIV)  “When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’ The night drags on, and I toss till dawn.”

However, the greatest sunrise ever to have come was the one that first day of the week that occurred three days after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read of this account in the Bible,

John 20:1-10 (NIV)  “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes,”

Yes, the apostles Peter and John that early Sunday morning saw the most wonderful sunrise of their lives! They witnessed that their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had conquered sin, evil and death, once for all for humanity. The angels most famous words echoed in the hearts of those who saw and believed,

Mat 28:7 (NIV)  “ go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.””

Yes, Easter sunrise morning came that resurrection day and forever mankind will celebrate and give praise for that fantastic moment when the sin of the world was finally conquered by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Hallelujah, He is risen from the dead!

Now I realize that within my listening audience, there are a number who are serious skeptics when it comes to believing that Christ rose from the grave. However, let's recount the basic truths that give foundational belief to this historical event in time:

1. THE RESURRECTION IS THE MOST ATTESTED TO FACT OF HISTORY! - Scholars and historians for centuries have tried to dismantle the historical reality of Christ's resurrection, but no one, absolutely no one has been able to do that without destroying the credibility of every other historical event. How's that you say? Well consider this. Every event in history, we believe, is based on two facts: (1) multiple written and published records from the time period verifying the event, (2) credible eye-witnesses of the event or time period, who testified of the accuracy of the published records. These two facts give validity for belief in any historical record or event. Therefore, if we are to believe anything about history, it must be established. Now can we believe that the works of Shakespeare were his, that the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution really occurred as written? Can you believe in any historical record without these two verifying facts? The answer is no! Yet, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most attested to fact of history ¾ more so that any other written record, and by eye-witnesses who verified the event as true.

2. THE PROPHETIC CLAIMS OF SCRIPTURE AND OF CHRIST HIMSELF - The Bible itself claimed long before Christ was crucified and buried, that He would rise from the dead. In the Old Testament, King David by divine inspiration spoke prophetically of himself after death and of his Lord and God, the Messiah who was to come.

Psa 16:10 (NIV)  “because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay [corruption].”

Why even the prophet Isaiah declared the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah!

Isa 53:9-12 (NIV)  “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Why even Jesus Christ Himself predicted His own death and resurrection many times. We read of this in Scripture,

Mat 12:38-40 (NIV)  “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” 39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Mat 16:21 (NIV)  “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

Indeed, the Lord Jesus fulfilled every word of prophetic history, and His own promises to His disciples. But is this proof enough? The answer is yes, but there is more. We also see five proofs that Christ rose from the grave! There was,

(1)   The empty tomb.

(2)   The tremendous change in the lives of the disciples.

(3)   The silence from both the Romans and Pharisees. Not once did either of these enemy groups ever attempt to deny Christ’s resurrection. They hated it and tried to suppress it, but could not refute it.

(4)   The change from Saturday to Sunday as the main day of worship. As ingrained as the Sabbath was in the hearts and history of the apostles, it would have taken some fantastic event to change their thinking here.

(5)   The existence of the church. In the less than fifty years after Christ’s death, the Christian church had become a mighty power, causing the Roman government to view with growing concern its influence upon men and women. Legends and religions simply do not develop this quickly.

Even more, do you realize there were at least seventeen (17) or more  appearances of Christ after he was raised from the dead? How can anyone discount this?  Five of these occurred during the first Easter Sunday, and six more took place between that time and his ascension. The remaining six happened between Pentecost and the completion of the Bible. Dr. John Walvoord in his marvelous book Jesus Christ Our Lord (pp. 193-195) describes these appearances:

·        The first appearance of Christ was to Mary Magdalene as she remained at the site of the tomb after Peter and John had left. Here she saw Christ and first mistook him for the gardener, but immediately recognized him when he spoke to her (Jn. 20:11-17; cf. Mk. 16:9-11). After she had seen the risen Lord, Mary Magdalene returned to report the appearance of Christ to her friends (Mk. 16:10-11; Jn. 20:18).

·        The second appearance of Christ was to the other women who were also returning to the tomb and saw Christ on the way (Mt. 28:9-10). The best texts seem to indicate that the phrase “as they went to tell his disciples” is an interpolation, and they were actually returning after telling the disciples. The record of the guards concerning the angel’s rolling away the stone is another testimony to the resurrection of Christ from unwilling witnesses (Mt. 28:11-15).

·        The third appearance was to Peter in the afternoon of the resurrection day. Concerning this there are no details, but it is most significant that Christ first sought Peter, the denier, of all the twelve (Lk. 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5).

·        The fourth appearance of Christ was to the disciples as they walked on the road to Emmaus. By supernatural delay of recognition, Christ was able to expound to them the Old Testament Scriptures concerning his death and resurrection. His identity was not known to them until he broke bread (Mk. 16:12, 13; Lk. 24:13-35).

·        The fifth appearance of the resurrected Christ was to the ten disciples (Mk. 16:14; Lk. 24:36-43; Jn. 20:19-23). Mark’s account refers to them as the eleven, but it is obvious from the context that only ten were there, as Thomas was absent. After the departure of Judas, the remaining disciples were often referred to as the “eleven,” even if all were not actually present. In a similar way, Paul refers to the “twelve” as witnesses of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:5), but actually, Judas Iscariot was already dead.

·        The sixth appearance was to the eleven disciples a week after his resurrection. At this time Thomas was present (Jn. 20:26-29).

·        The seventh appearance was to seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee (Jn. 21:1-23). On this occasion he talked significantly to Simon Peter following the miraculous catch of fish.

·        The eighth appearance was to five hundred and is recited by Paul as an outstanding proof of his resurrection (1 Cor. 15:6).

·        The ninth appearance was to James, the Lord’s brother (1 Cor. 15:7). There is some evidence that James was not a believer prior to the resurrection (Jn. 7:3-5), but immediately after the resurrection he is numbered among the believers (Acts 1:14; Gal. 1:19). He later became one of the outstanding leaders in the apostolic church.

·        The tenth appearance was to eleven disciples on the mountain in Galilee. On that occasion he gave them the Great Commission to preach the gospel (Mt. 28:16-20). A similar commission is given in Mark 16:15-18, which may have been the same instance or an earlier appearance.

·        The eleventh appearance occurred at the time of his ascension from the Mount of Olives (Lk. 24:44-53; Acts 1:3-9). This is the last appearance of Christ to his disciples prior to his glorification in heaven.

·        The twelfth appearance of the resurrected Christ was to Stephen just prior to his martyrdom (Acts 7:55, 56). Subsequent appearances, while different in character, confirm the fact of his resurrection.

·        The thirteenth appearance of Christ was to Paul on the road to Damascus as he was about to continue his work of persecuting Christians (Acts 9:3-6; cf. 22:6-11; 26:13-18). On this occasion Paul was converted.

·        The fourteenth appearance seems to have been to Paul in Arabia (Acts 26:17; Gal. 1:12, 17). The appearance is not clearly stated but may be inferred from Galatians 1:12. Some believe that the instructions to Paul, which he mentions in Acts 26:17, were given to him in Arabia, not at the original appearance on the road to Damascus. There is no record of the precise revelation given to Paul in Acts 9 or Acts 22. In Acts 22:10 he is promised a later revelation which would give him the necessary instruction.

·        The fifteenth appearance of Christ was to Paul in the Temple when Paul was warned concerning the persecution which was to come (Acts 22:17-21; cf. 9:26-30; Gal. 1:18).

·        The sixteenth appearance of Christ was to Paul while he was in prison in Caesarea, when it is recorded that “the Lord stood by him” and told him that he would bear witness in Rome (Acts 23:11).

·        The seventeenth appearance of Christ was to the Apostle John at the beginning of the revelation given to him (Rev. 1:12-20).

Now, taken as a whole, the appearances are of such various character and to so many people under so many different circumstances, that the proof of the resurrection of Christ is as solid as any historical fact that could be cited in the first century. Dr. Walvoord's extensive studies must prove to anyone that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ did occur exactly as predicted and as unfolded in time and history of our world.

But the question is not did it happen, that is established history! The question is have you believed? You see the apostle Paul says,

1 Cor 15:1-4 (NIV)  “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

The Bible makes clear that no one can be saved from their sins, unless Christ was not only crucified, but also raised from the dead. The rising of Christ is "proof" that God the Father accepted Christ's death as a satisfactory substitute for the sins of the world! The bible declares this in,

1 John 2:2 (NIV)  “He[Jesus Christ]  is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Indeed, the faith of Christianity rises and falls with the resurrection, for it is only Christianity that has a living founder! Jesus Christ alone has conquered the grave. Paul the apostle shouts forth this truth,

1 Cor 15:20-28 (NIV)  “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.”

1 Cor 15:55-56 (NIV)  “”Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”

Easter…  Sunrise…  Morning! These three things all go together in Jesus Christ our Lord who has given the world hope. The question is have you believed? Have you recognized that God has delivered His ancient promise to send us a Savior of the world, who would die for our sins in our place, and offer to us His very infinite life in exchange. That is the marvelous "Good News" of the Christian gospel. Christ died for you.

This Easter weekend around the world, true Christians will celebrate this timeless event, and remember so great a sacrifice, and so great a God who would do this for sinners such as you and I. I trust you've called upon this living and resurrected Savior to be your sin-bearer, and I trust you are living for Him now in utter thankfulness for His free gift and grace. The early church, after the Resurrection greeted one another with the word "Maranatha." It was the next step following the resurrection ¾ the promised return of the Lord. Yes, Easter also because of its reality and performance now predicts His Coming Again. First, to gather His saints unto Himself, and then to judge the world in righteousness.

Friend, this is the age of amnesty and grace. We can take Christ now as our Savior, or if we refuse or neglect this great gift of God's love, we will take Him in the end as our Judge. Choose you this day whom you will serve? Will it be God, our Lord Jesus Christ or sin? My prayer is for all who listen that they choose Christ this Easter weekend, and give thanks to God for His great love. Amen…

…Life is full of storms and conflict. The days grow weary and dark so often in this world of sin, but for the Christian alone that first sunrise when the disciples learned of Christ's resurrection is our hope for tomorrow. The darkness of our days is lighted by the dawn and rising of the Son of God who promises us yet another sunrise,

1 Th 4:13-14 (NIV)  “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

Praise God! He ever liveth for you and for me, and, He is coming again for you, I pray, and for me! Amen and Hallelujah!

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Resources & Suggested Reading:

The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 18 years, and serves as General Director.

These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are actual radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of recent messages is available upon request also.

For further information, reprints, or a listing of all topics, please write to our speaker, Dennis L. Finnan(dennis@wwy.org),or visit our webpage at http://www.wwy.org/