Text: 1 Corinthians 15:4-20

Introduction:
  I. Many people today reject the bodily resurrection of 
     Jesus.
 II. This is done, in the main, not because they have
     examined the evidence and decided, but because they 
     have decided without considering the evidence.
III. There is no Christianity without the resurrection of
     Jesus.
 IV. There is no hope of life beyond the grave if Christ
     did not rise from the dead.
  V. Let us read the text and consider the evidence.

Body:
  I. We have the testimony of David that Christ would come
     from the grave.
     A. Psalm 16:10
     B. When Paul preached to the people at Antioch, he
        said that the words of the psalmist were fulfilled 
        (Acts 13:29-37).

 II. We have the evidence of Christ Himself.  He kept on
     saying He would come forth from the grave.
     A. Matthew 17:8
     B. Mark 14:28

III. The Apostles were witnesses who testified concerning
     what they saw.
     A. Either they were right, or they were mistaken, or
        they were deceivers.  (Why would they go to their 
        martyrdom without admitting that they were 
        deceivers since that would spare their lives?)
     B. Scriptures:
        1. Acts 1:22
        2. Acts 2:32
        3. 1 Corinthians 15:4-20

 IV. Others saw Jesus after His resurrection.
     A. Mary Magdalene saw Him.  Mark 16:9
     B. The women say Him.  Matthew 28:9-10
     C. Peter saw Him.  Luke 24:34
     D. The ten saw Him.  Luke 24:33, 49
     E. The two on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24:17
     F. The eleven saw Him a week later.  John 20:24-29
     G. The seven saw Him.  John 21:1-14
     H. Five hundred saw Him.  1 Corinthians 14:6
     I. The eleven saw Him.  Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:1-9
     J. Those all saw Jesus.  At the time the New Testament
        was being written, some of these folks were still 
        living. (1 Corinthians 15:6)  They could have been 
        asked about the matter then.  We have their claim 
        that they saw Him.
     K. Also, Paul saw Him.  Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:6

  V. The change in the brothers of Christ.
     A. John 7:5
     B. Acts 1:14

 IV. Let us now look at the empty tomb.
     A. The Swoon theory.  There have been some, through
        the years, who have said that Jesus did not really 
        die, but was in a swoon or a stupor.  They say that 
        people thought that He had died but that sometime 
        between Friday night and Sunday morning, he came to 
        His senses and went out of the tomb.
        1. If the crucifixion did not produce death, the
           spear in the side would have done so.
        2. The centurion said He was dead. Mark 15:42-45
        3. If Jesus did not really die, how in His weakened
           condition, could He have rolled the stone away 
           from the tomb.
        4. This is more difficult to believe than what the
           Bible says.
     B. Others explain the empty tomb by saying that His
        body was stolen.
        1. This is how some explained it in the beginning.
           Matthew 28:11-13
        2. The guards said this for a price.
           a. They said they were asleep and His disciples
              came and took His body.
           b. But if they were asleep, how could they know
              what happened?
           c. The rigged answer given by the guards
              reflects the seriousness of the matter.
           d. For soldiers to admit they are asleep at
              their post is a most serious matter.
           e. Yet it was accepted here at the empty tomb
              and an alibi was given for them.  Matthew 
              28:13
        3. There is much wrong with the claim that the 
           disciples stole His body.
           a. Even His disciples were surprised that His 
              body was stolen. Luke 24:4, 11
           b. They were too discouraged to take the risk 
              anyway. Matthew 26:56
     C. Some have suggested that the women found the wrong
        tomb.
        1. I remember reading a book in which the author
           claimed that he had proved, beyond any shadow of 
           doubt, that the disciples went to the wrong 
           tomb.
        2. The women knew where the tomb was.  Matthew
           27:60-61
        3. When the apostles started preaching that Jesus
           had been raised from the dead, the Jews would 
           have produced His body, which would have put an 
           end to Christianity.
     D. Some have said that the Jews stole the body.
        1. They had no reason to do this.
        2. They would have produced the body of Jesus when
           the apostles started preaching the resurrection 
           of Jesus, which would have put an end to 
           Christianity.
     E. Some have explained it by saying that the disciples
        really just had hallucinations.
        1. They were not expecting the resurrection of
           Jesus from the dead.  Remember Thomas – John
           20:24-25

Conclusion: The only logical conclusion is that Jesus Christ did 
indeed arise from the dead.  This declared Him to be the Son of 
God (Romans 1:4).  It makes our faith worthwhile (1 Corinthians 
15:14, 17).  It also makes our baptism worthwhile (1 Corinthians 
15:17 – “you are still in your sins”).  And one day, He is coming 
back and we will be raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15).  Are 
you ready in case He comes back today?