The Single Most Important Event

I believe the single most important event ever recorded in human history is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the only hope in this despairing world. It also looks forward to the next major climax due to take place in human history - when He comes again to establish His Kingdom on earth!

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so seriously disturbing and unbelievable that it gives rise to what is commonly known as the Gnostic Gospels. The word "Gnostic" comes from the Greek word for knowledge (gnosis). The Gnostics believe that knowledge is the way of salvation. Examples of Gnostic Gospel are the "DaVinci Code", gospel of Judas, gospel of Philip, gospel of Mary and gospel of Thomas, just to mention a few. In all there are about four dozen others. The most recent one is "The Lost Tomb of Jesus". It is a made-for-TV documentary of Discovery Channel. They claim that the tomb contained the remains of Jesus of Nazareth, as will as his mother Mary, his father Joseph, and other family members. According to the filmmakers, their "discovery" supports claims that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and may have had children. Without going into details, we can say that the Gnostic Gosepel is one of the greatest deceptions in recent time. Notice that Christianity stand or falls depends on the resurrection of Christ. Therefore if it can be proven that Jesus' remains can be found in His tomb, then He is not resurrected and all Christians believed in vain.

Paul said, "And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished" (1 Cor. 15:17, 18, NKJV).

Paul also warned Timothy against false knowledge and teaching:

"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in doing have wandered from the faith" (1 Timothy 6:20, NIV).

According to the Scriptures

Paul said, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ...." (1 Cor. 15:1 -4, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. The gospel that Paul preached is centered in the Person of Jesus Christ. You can't take away Jesus Christ and still have the gospel.

2. The gospel centers in three great, but simple, historical facts that relate to Jesus Christ - He died, He was buried and He rose again the third day. Christianity is rooted in human history. If history is true then Christianity is true.

3. The gospel therefore, is not a set of human opinion; it is not a system of theology or philosophy. It is a set of historicl facts based on the infallible Scriptures. Paul mentioned "According to the Scriptures" twice.

4. The Scriptures that Paul referred to are Old Testament Scriptures because the New Testament Scriptures have not been completely written yet in Paul's time. Therefore, the Gospel of Jesus Christ must have been foretold or predicted by the Old Testament prophets.

Principle that brings forth the truth

The principle that brings forth the truth in Old Testament prophecy is explained by Peter:

"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:10 -12, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. The Spirit of Christ the Messiah, in the first person, spoke through the Old Testament prophets.

2. The Spirit of Christ in them predicted two main phases in the experience of Christ - One, His suffering and two, His glory.

3. By the anointing of the Holy Spirit the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached to us.

According to the prophetic utterance of David

Although David did not hold the office of a prophet, the Scripture reveals at least two examples of prophetic utterance when he spoke of Christ in the first perosn - he spoke as if Christ Himself was speaking:

1. Prophecy concerning Christ's suffering and crucifixion

"For dogs have surrounded me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (Psalm 22:16 - 18, NKJV).

"Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" (Psalm 69:20, 21, NKJV).

In the New Testament the above Scripture passages were fulfilled (Matthew 27:34, 35).

2. Prophecy concerning Christ's resurrection and ascension

"I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:8 - 11, NKJV).

The above prophecy became a historical fact as confirmed by Luke (the writer of Acts) as a witness to Peter's sermon (Acts 2:30 -32).

Another passage of Scripture concerning Christ's comfort received from the Father, as spoken through David (in the first person) can be found in Psalm 71:20, 21.

According to the prophecy of Isaiah

Again Christ (by the Spirit of Christ) spoke through Isaiah in the first person concerning His suffering:

"The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard: I did not hid My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:5, 6).

Matthew testified that the above prophecy was fulfilled (Matthew 26:67).

According to the prophecy of Hosea

Hosea spoke of the experiences of Jesus Christ and our identification with Him:

"Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:1 - 3, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. The phrase "He is torn, but He will heal us" speaks of "by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24).

2. Believers are identified with Jesus in resurrection. Hosea was the only Old Testament prophet predicted Christ would be resurrected on the third day. Because of Christ's resurrection we would be resurrected - "He will raise us up".

3. The revelation knowledge after Christ's resurrection is only for those (believers) who follow on to "pursue the knowledge of the Lord". Prior to that time, the earthly life of Jesus were witnessed by all alike - believers and unbelievers, friends and enemies. But from the moment of His resurrection onward revelation knowledge is only granted to true believers.

4. Christ's going forth from the tomb compared the morning sunrise with the resurrection.

5. After resurrection and glorification, Jesus would "come to us like the rain, ....". This speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:23). This was culminated on the day of Pentecost.

6. Hosea's prophecy concerning believers' sharing with Christ in His resurrection was fulfilled in the New Testament.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ..." (Eph. 2:4 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).

The word "together" is mentioned three times indicating the three experiences!

Notice that the outward act of the believers' identification with Christ is Water Baptism:

".... buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Col. 2:12).

The witnesses who saw Him alive after His resurrection

By Jewish law which was enforced in the time of Jesus and the apostles required that in order to establish the truth of a statement in a court of law, it was necessary to produce 2, or preferably 3 male witnesses.

Paul said, "... And that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, after that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out ot due time" (1 Cor. 15:5 - 8).

Obviously, the number of witnesses exceeded by many folds the minimun number required.

Common features of all withnesses

1. They were men who had never failed to record their own weaknesses and failings. They were humble and not boastful.

2. They were all changed from unbelief to belief. In Paul's case, not only he was changed from unbelief but from active opposition.

3. Their change was permanent, total and complete. Their life was never the same again after they had received the revelation knowledge of the resurrection of Christ.

4. No amount of persecution or threat of death could ever cause them to go back on their testimonies. They had to speak what they saw and what they knew.