More indescribable was the suffering He knew as He bore our sins in His own body on the tree (3). When He had finished the work of suffering for sin, He gave up His life as a sacrifice to God (4). The truth is, He had been dead for three days and buried in a tomb, but now He was alive from the dead!
Many have asked: How do we know that this is true? Luke tells us again that there is unchallengeable proof! (1). He was seen on at least eleven different occasions stretching over a period of forty days. These eye-witness accounts were sometimes by individuals, but often by groups of people, and, on one occasion, by over five hundred men at the same time! (5) Sometimes they were reluctant to accept that others had actually seen Jesus alive. Thomas, one of His disciples, said: “Unless I see ... I will not believe.” Eight days later, Thomas did see the risen Christ and bowed to confess: “My Lord and my God” (6). When these momentous truths were first written down, the majority of those eyewitnesses were still alive and their stories could be easily verified (7). There can be no doubt about this, because He showed Himself alive.
So let us ask now: What are the implications for me? Firstly, it means that death is not the end. Jesus is beyond death in the glory of heaven and says: “I am alive for evermore” (8). He wants others to be with Him there, but it doesn’t just happen automatically. Paul, the apostle, tells us: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (9). Have you believed that He died for you and rose again to become the Lord of your life? Next, we must realise that He is coming again. His own promise was: “I will come again” (10). It could be today, and if it were today, would you be among the believers who will be taken to be with Him for ever? Another solemn consequence of His resurrection is the judgment of this world. God, we are told, has given assurance that this will happen because He has raised Christ from the dead, and He will be the judge (11). What amazing implications, and all because “He showed Himself alive!” Will you receive the risen Christ by faith today?
Bible references:
1. Acts ch. 1, v. 3
2. Hebrews ch. 12, v. 2
3. 1st Peter ch. 2, v. 24
4. John ch. 19, v. 30
5. 1st Corinthians ch. 15, vv. 5 - 8
6. John ch. 20, vv. 25 - 28
7. 1st Corinthians ch. 15, v. 6
8. Revelation ch. 1, v. 18
9. Romans ch. 10, v. 9
10. John ch. 14, v. 3
11. Acts ch. 17, v. 31
