Sunday, May 18, 2014

Seven Things the Resurrection Proves about Christ

Good evening, my friends. The following is the outline to a recent Bible study I presented. The text is from the Gospel of John chapter 1, which you will find quoted below. After that you will find the outline. My title for the study was "Seven Things the Resurrection Proves about Jesus Christ."

 

You are welcome to use the outline for Bible studies, Sunday School lessons, or other programs that require you to teach the Bible. Be sure to give credit to the author in spoken or written reproductions of this outline. Other than that, there are no copyright restrictions at all. I hope you and those who hear you teach will be blessed.

 

John 1

King James Version (KJV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Seven Things the Resurrection Proves about Jesus Christ.

Christ was raised from the dead as the Bible teaches in the New Testament. In light of that fact, there are certain facts about Christ that are confirmed. Some of those facts, at least seven of them, are found here.

1. The Bible is the written word but Christ Himself is the living Word. He was with God in the beginning and participated with God in the creation of the world. As the 2nd person of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), Christ is co-equal with God the Father.

2. In Christ is the gift of life, eternal life, that begins now and extends beyond this life into the next. All who come to Him in repentance and faith are given this life.

3. Christ is the light that shines forth the word of hope into a world of darkness. The world is held hostage by darkness and spiritual death. The forces of evil, all embodied in Satan, hold sway over most of the world. But Christ shines light into that darkness wherever that Holy Name is uttered, preached, and taught. Like vermin flee when the light is turned on, evil and its darkness flee when the light of Christ is shined on it.

4. Many in their ignorance turn Christ away. Their eyes have been blinded by the forces of evil. Even Christ's own people, the Jews, turned him away, except for a few. The world as a whole continues to turn Him away to this very day. Evil and darkness hate the holiness, purity, and light that Christ brings. Thus, Satan doubles his efforts to blind the eyes and deafen the hearing of most of the people of the world. He knows that if they come into contact with that light and life, his domain of evil begins to shrink. Yet after 2000 years of this opposition, the Gospel of Christ still stands. Nothing has been able to stamp it out. This, in itself, is a miracle.

5. Christ is so powerful that anyone who comes to Him in faith, receiving His offer of life, hope, forgiveness, and love, will become sons of God, children of God, born into God's family where a different path is followed. Multimillions of changed lives through the centuries have proved the power of Christ to change lives no matter how hopeless they may seem.

6. Being "born of God" and not of man is often called in Christian circles, "the new birth." Jesus said, "You must be born again." This new birth is not a physical birth but a spiritual one. And only Christ can give it through the power of a loving God who wishes to redeem His imperfect creation.

7. This living, breathing, eternal Word (Christ, the Son of God, 2nd person of the Trinity) became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and lived and taught among us. He was able to feel our pain, our hopelessness and despair, and the temptations we face, because He was a man. But because He was also God, the God-Man, He could show us the way to new life and hope. Further, He died for our sins, taking our punishment for us. And then He rose from the dead victorious over the grave. This way we as human beings could experience His glory, His grace and truth, up close and personal. He lived and moved among us, and we saw Him, experienced Him, and beheld His eternal glory.