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THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST

Introduction

In our first message on the Doctrine of Christ remember that we looked at the Person of Christ. In that message we saw how that Paul called Christ the “Firstborn From The Dead.” If you will remember, we said that phrase or description of Christ was speaking of His Resurrection and meant that Jesus Christ was the first to arise from the dead to die no more.

This past week there has been another attack trying to discredit the veracity of Christ’s Resurrection.

The week started out with an incredible announcement. James Cameron (director of the film “Titanic”) and Simcha Jacobovici announced that they have found the bones of Jesus!

At their news conference, they promoted their Discovery Channel special “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” that will air on March 4th and also promoted the book by Simcha Jacobovici and Charles Pellegrino entitled “The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History” released by Harper-Collins.

If their claims could be proved reliable, these findings would call into question the very cornerstone of Christianity–the resurrection of Jesus. But are they true?

The foundational claim is that they have discovered the family tomb of Jesus Christ. Is this really the tomb of Jesus or his family? There are many good reasons to believe this tomb has no relationship at all to Jesus and his family.

Many are asking what to think about these claims. First I want to review the history of this tomb that was discovered. The tomb in question was first discovered in 1980.

Back then, Israeli construction workers were digging the foundation for a new building in a Jerusalem suburb. Their digging revealed a cave with ten limestone ossuaries. Archeologists removed the limestone caskets for examination.

When they were able to decipher the names on the ten ossuaries, they found: Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua.

At the time, one of Israel’s most prominent archeologists (Professor Amos Kloner) didn’t associate the crypt with Jesus. He rightly argued that the father of Jesus was a humble carpenter who couldn’t afford a luxury crypt for his family.

Moreover, the names on the crypt were common Jewish names.

None of this has stopped Cameron and Jacobovici from promoting the tomb as being the family tomb of Jesus. They claim to have evidence (through DNA tests, archeological evidence, and Biblical studies) to prove that the ten ossuaries belong to Jesus and his family. They also argue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene might have produced a son named Judah.

However, a number of biblical scholars say this is really just an old story now being recycled in an effort to create a media phenomenon that will sell books and guarantee a large audience for the television special.

There are several things to consider:

First, does it really make sense that this would be the family tomb of Jesus? Remember that Jesus was in Jerusalem as a pilgrim and was not a resident.

How would his family be able to buy this tomb? As we already mentioned, Joseph (who had probably already died in Galilee) and his family did not have the funds to buy such an elaborate burial site.

Moreover, they were from out of town and would need time to find this tomb location. To accept this theory, one has to believe they stole the body of Jesus and moved it to this tomb in a suburb of Jerusalem all within about a day’s time.

Second, if this is the family tomb of Jesus and his family, why is Jesus referred to as the “son of Joseph?”

As far as we can determine from history, the earliest followers of Jesus never called Jesus the “son of Joseph.” The record of history is that it was only outsiders who mistakenly called him that.

Third, if this is the family tomb of Jesus, why do we have the name of Matthew listed with the rest of the family?

If this is the Matthew that traveled with Jesus, then he certainly was not a family member.

And you would have to wonder why James (who remained in Jerusalem) would allow these inscriptions as well as allow the family to move the body from Jerusalem to this tomb and perpetrate a hoax that Jesus bodily rose from the grave.

Also, the fourth-century church historian Eusebius writes that the body of James (the half-brother of Jesus) was buried alone near the temple mount and that his tomb was visited in the early centuries.

Fourth, there is the problem with the common names on the tombs. Researchers have cataloged the most common names at the time. The ten most common were: Simon/Simeon, Joseph, Eleazar, Judah, John/Yohanan, Jesus, Hananiah, Jonathan, Matthew, and Manaen/Menahem. These are some of the names found on the ossuaries and thus suggest that the tomb belonged to someone other than Jesus of Nazareth and his family. In fact, the name Jesus appears in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries.

Finally there is the question of the DNA testing.

Apparently there is evidence that shows that the DNA from the woman (in what they say is the Mary Magdalene ossuary) and the DNA from the so-called Jesus ossuary does not match. So they argue that they were not relatives and thus must have been married.

But does the DNA evidence really prove that? It does not prove she is his wife. In fact, we really don’t even know who in the ossuaries are related to the other.

Moreover, we do not have an independent DNA control sample to compare these findings with. At best, the DNA evidence shows that some of these people are related and some are not.

All of this is really nothing more than sensationalism from an author wanting sell a book and a film maker who is trying to promote his television program.

The publicity is certain to sell books and draw a television audience, but it is not good history or archaeology.

So, this morning I want us to look closer at this most important doctrine to our faith–the doctrine or teaching of Christ’s Resurrection.

I.          THE FACT OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION. (1 Corinthians 15:4)

2 Timothy 2:8–“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:”

The resurrection of Christ is in many respects the most important fact of Christian history. It is a rock of certainty when it comes to Christian evidences.

R.A. Torrey said, “If the scriptural assertions of Christ’s resurrection can be established as historic certainties [and they can], the claims and doctrines of Christianity rest upon an impregnable foundation.”

There are certain unquestionable facts of history that demand the resurrection of Christ to account for them.

             A.         Beyond a question, the foundation truth preached in the early years of the Church’s history was that of the Resurrection of Christ.

                          1.          Why would the apostles use this as the cornerstone of their creed if it was not well attested to and firmly believed?

                          2.          If Jesus had not risen there would have been some evidence early on that He had not.

However, the apostles went up and down the very city where He had been crucified and proclaimed right to the face of His slayers that He had been raised and no one could produce evidence to the contrary.

The best they could do was to say that the Roman guards went to sleep and the disciples stole the body.

But, if the disciples had stolen the body, they would have known about it, and the great moral transformation that took place in the lives of the disciples would remain unaccounted for.

             B.         Another thing to consider is the change in the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.

                          This was changed, not by an explicitly stated decree, but by general consent.

In Bible days, we find the disciples meeting on the first day of the week.

Acts 20:7–“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”

1 Corinthians 16:2–“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

             C.         The drastic change in the disciples. 

They went from fear and utter despair at the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus to a boldness and courage that nothing could shake after having seen him for the 40 days He walked this earth in after He arose and before He ascended to Heaven.

Acts 4:19-20–“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

Acts 5:29–“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

                          Such a radical change demands an explanation.

                          Nothing short of the fact of the Resurrection will explain it.

These unquestionable facts are so impressive and so conclusive that even infidel and Jewish scholars admit that the apostles believed that Jesus rose from the dead.

             THE FACT OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.

II.         THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.

             A.         Its Importance In The Scriptures.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is mentioned directly 104 or more times in the New Testament.

[raised (37), raise (1), rise (10), risen (21), rose (6), rising (1), life (1), alive (2), liveth (6), brought again (1), quickened (3), begotten (1), resurrection (11)]

             B.         Its Importance In The Apostles Testimony.

                          (1 Corinthians 15:11-15)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ had a prominence in the apostolic teaching that does not have in much of modern day preaching.

                          (Acts 1:21-22; 2:24, 29-32; 4:33; 17:18; 23:6)

             C.         The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ Is One Of Three Fundamental Truths Of The Gospel.

                          (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4)

Christ was crucified, buried, and rose again.

                          His crucifixion loses its meaning without the Resurrection.

                          A dead Saviour doesn’t do anyone any good.

Without it, Christ’s death would only be the heroic death of a noble martyr.

                          With the Resurrection, it is the atoning death of the Son of God!

The Resurrection shows His death to be of sufficient value to cover all our sins, for it was the sacrifice of the Son of God.

             D.         Disprove The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ, And Christian Faith Is Vain. (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17)

The word “vain” means “empty” and “forceless.”

On the other hand, if Jesus Christ did rise, Christian preaching and faith rest upon a solid and unassailable foundation of fact.

             E.         The Doctrine Of The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ Has The Power To Save Anyone Who Believes It With The Heart.

                          (Romans 10:9-10)

             F.         To Know The Power Of Christ’s Resurrection Is One Of The Highest Ambitions Of The Intelligent Believer.

                          (Philippians 3:8-10)

Conclusion

We’re going to drive a peg up here and come back next week, Lord willing, and see some other things about the Resurrection Of Jesus Christ.

We’ve seen:      THE FACT OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.

You can choose to believe the facts or refuse the facts, but you cannot change the facts.

                          THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.

It was important for our salvation! Without it we would not have the promise of life after the grave!

You will not get saved apart from believing in your heart that Christ died for your sins, He was buried, and He arose on the third day!

Don’t let the world and the devil and his cohorts play tricks on you!

No one has disproved the Resurrection. You want to know something else?

They never will! Why, because it really did happen!

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