The title of the sermon this morning is
Many Infallible Proofs of the Resurrection.
Maybe you don't know what the term infallible means,
so I'll just define that for you really quickly.
Infallible means that you're incapable of making mistakes or being wrong.
Infallible again means that you're incapable of making mistakes or being wrong.
So the Bible says, look at verse number 1 in Acts chapter 1,
it says,
1.
The former treatise have I made both theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
until the day that he was taken up,
after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had
chosen,
2.
Also, he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs.
So he showed himself alive after he died on the cross.
That's of course why we celebrate Easter because without the resurrection we're all doomed.
But the Bible says right here, and the Bible is infallible, is it not?
So if the Bible is infallible and it says that he showed himself alive after his passion
by many infallible proofs,
doesn't that mean that the Bible is true and right?
Everything it says about the resurrection is going to be true and right?
And so people would say, well, that's a circular argument.
Well, I'm sorry, but the Bible is true.
Sorry, not sorry.
It is true.
And so I just wanted to show you some infallible proofs that the Bible teaches.
I'm not going to be able to show everything to you because it just would make the sermon
too long.
But one thing that didn't really make it in that is important is that when Jesus resurrected
from the dead, he was able to appear in the midst of the disciples.
His body is a spiritual body now, and so that body is also physical, but it's also spiritual
at the same time.
So he was able to go through doors and just appear in the midst of them.
He was able to just vanish away from people while he was talking to them and things like
that.
So that is another infallible proof is that these things are recorded in the Bible for
us to know that Jesus, he was resurrected, but his body is different now.
So it is a physical body because the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that it was just a spiritual
body alone, and it didn't have any physical aspect to it.
And if you don't believe that Jesus Christ has rose from the dead physically, then you're
not saved.
It's plain and simple.
So that's why every door that they knock, they're just trying to send people to hell,
whether they know that or not.
So I just want to start with infallible proof number one.
Jesus showed himself alive for 40 days.
It wasn't just like he showed himself that morning.
He showed himself for 40 days until the time we see here in Acts as he went up into heaven
and then was taken away by a cloud.
He's even instructing them as he's about to go.
The last thing he's saying is that he wants them to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.
So what does that mean?
He wants the whole earth to know about him.
He wants the whole earth to know that there's a savior that's been risen from the dead,
and he has the power to save every individual on this planet.
So infallible proof number one.
Jesus showed himself alive for 40 days.
Look at our verse in verse number three, at the second half of it.
It says, being seen of them 40 days.
So he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them
40 days.
And speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
So I just want to go through a couple scriptures on this.
A few places we'll turn.
Let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, because what would the resurrection Sunday be without
going to the resurrection chapter, where it explains a lot of things.
And obviously it's a great chapter, and it explains a lot of things about the resurrection
and even our resurrected bodies in the future.
But I want to point you to verse number three, where it says,
For I delivered unto you first of all, this is the apostle Paul talking, that which I
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that
he was buried, and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
The Bible says that he would rise again.
Jesus told the disciples plenty of times that he was going to rise again.
Even the Pharisees and Sadducees knew that he had said that he would rise from the dead.
So when they're doing this trial with him, they're saying that he said that the temple
would be destroyed and he would rise again in three days.
But they knew what he was actually saying.
I'll show you that later on in the sermon.
I believe that they knew that, and they were just trying to falsely accuse him with their
false witnesses.
But look what it says.
He rose again according to the scriptures, and what he was seen of who?
Cephas, that's Peter.
Then of the twelve, after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once.
That means there were five hundred people at one time that saw the resurrected Christ.
It wasn't like Weekend at Bernie's where they stole the body and they're pretending
to bring him around to everybody.
Jesus showed himself alive.
He talked, he ate, he discipled them even after his resurrection and appeared to them
multiple times and above five hundred brethren at once.
That means five hundred saved people at one time, of whom the greater part remain unto
this present, but some are falling asleep.
Some of them were still alive at the time the Apostle Paul wrote this, but some had
fallen asleep, which means a Christian death.
We don't truly die.
Anybody that's saved does not die and go to hell or spend one second in hell.
There's no such thing as purgatory.
If you're saved, your soul is going straight to heaven, your spirit and soul are going
straight to heaven, your body rests in the earth, or wherever it is, until the coming
of the Lord.
So look at verse seven, it says,
And that he was seen of James, and then all the apostles.
So all the apostles saw him, because Jesus didn't just ordain twelve apostles, he ordained
seventy other apostles also.
And Matthias kind of, if you noticed, Matthias kind of slips in there and becomes part of
the twelve, based upon their reasoning, but you know, I believe the Apostle Paul was actually
the twelfth apostle that was chosen by God.
And so that's why it says in verse eight,
And last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time.
So the Apostle Paul, actually, that wasn't a vision that he saw when he was on the way.
He was knocked off his horse and blinded.
That was the actual risen Savior that appeared to him.
And he's one born out of due time.
So multiple witnesses saw him.
It's funny how people say that the Bible is a book written by men, and they'll just sit
there and laugh about that, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and they'll just make fun of Christianity
and things like that, but look at what they believe.
They believe that a rock gave them life.
A rock that was rained on for billions of years.
And it became toxic sludge, or non-toxic sludge, or whatever, this primordial soup.
They can't explain how life happened because life does not come from dead matter.
But yet, miraculously, something happened, I don't know, a lightning bolt hit it or something,
and then it crawled out of the sludge and then found something to marry, and that became
everything else.
You know, we're related to banana trees and everything else.
It's crazy.
I mean, look at what they believe.
It's stupid.
And you know what?
They believe in books written by men, and they're always adding new details to it.
It wasn't 4.5 billion years ago.
They can't settle on ages.
They can't settle on years.
They're like, well, we're always learning.
Yeah, ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The truth is the Bible.
The truth is that God created the heaven and the earth, and He didn't stutter when He said,
let there be light.
He said, let there be light, and the world broke forth in light.
He separated the light from the darkness.
He created every animal, every human being on the planet.
Obviously, there was only two at the beginning, but yeah, they believe in books written by
men.
See, the book that we believe in is written by men by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost,
who is God, and God is infallible.
His word is infallible.
Now, you're like, well, Pastor Thompson, there's like 400 and some odd English Bible versions.
I know.
I know there is, but the other ones are not right.
One of them can only be right.
They can't all be right.
They can't all be perfect.
So the NIV doesn't even have the word Easter in it.
Probably millions of people are at church where the NIVs preach today, and they're going
for Easter services, and the word Easter isn't even in their Bible.
That's weird.
So anyway, turn to Acts chapter 10, verse 39.
What are we talking about?
Infallible proof number one, Jesus showed Himself alive 40 days.
And Paul gives us this list.
It doesn't include the women that saw Him.
And I'm not showing the order of every single person at every single time.
I just don't have time for that this morning.
But look at Acts chapter 10, verse 39.
It says, and we are witnesses.
See it was important that there were witnesses that saw the resurrected Christ.
They worked with Him.
They ministered with Him.
They got people saved with Him.
And they heard His preaching.
And they also saw Him resurrect His resurrected body and Him with them for 40 days.
It says, Him God raised up on the third day, verse 40, excuse me.
For God raised up the third day and showed Him openly.
See it showed Him openly.
But look what it says here.
Not to all people.
Not to all the people.
So He didn't show Himself to every single person on the planet.
He didn't show Himself to every person that crucified Him in Jerusalem.
What does it say?
But unto witnesses chosen before God.
So He didn't show Himself to everybody.
He didn't show Himself to the high priests.
He didn't show Himself to all these people that hated His guts.
He showed it unto witnesses that would tell the truth about His resurrection.
Look at what it says.
Even to us who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead.
The fact is that He showed Himself openly, but not to everybody.
He showed Himself to witnesses chosen before God.
And it says even to us.
So that's infallible proof number one that He showed Himself alive for 40 days.
And then He went up to heaven where He still is right now at the right hand of the Father.
And He is going to come back.
He promised that He'd come back and He would receive us unto Himself that where He is we
might be also.
But He's waiting.
What's He waiting for?
People to get saved.
He's long suffering to us.
Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
He wants people to be saved, as many people as possible.
And when that door closes, when the appointed time comes, then all hell is going to break
loose on this planet.
And we can already see this spirit of Antichrist just coming towards us and just all this weird
stuff happening, all these different laws being put into place that are just crazy.
But I'm not preaching about that this morning.
I'll preach about that next week.
So we're in Genesis chapter 18.
I'm still going to finish that chapter, so you know what happens in the rest of that
chapter and then Genesis 19.
So it's going to be a couple smashing sermons on Sunday nights in the weeks to come.
But infallible proof number two, Jesus spoke to the people Himself.
He spoke to the people Himself.
It wasn't just like I said, because the Romans actually and the Jews accused Him of the disciples
of just stealing the body out of the tomb.
But see, the fact that He spoke to people, that's a proof.
That's an infallible proof that He was alive, you know, because if you're alive, that's
when you can talk to people.
But if you're not alive, you know, you don't see a lot of people that are dead talking
to people, do you?
So He was alive.
So it's an infallible proof.
Look at verse number four in our text in Acts chapter one.
It says,
And being assembled together with them...
We're going to come back to Acts chapter one several times, so you might as well put a
bookmark or something there.
And being assembled together with them commanded them...
So to command someone, don't you have to say something to them?
That they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which
saith He, He hath heard of me.
So it says saith He.
So He's talking to His disciples.
He's talking to the people that He appears to.
And so the fact that He's talking to people proves He was alive, right?
Look at verse number five.
For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not
many days hence.
So He's instructing them, hey, wait in Jerusalem, wait for the power of the Holy Ghost.
See, they already had the Holy Ghost in them.
Jesus already gave them the Holy Ghost, but the power of the Holy Ghost is what they were
waiting for when they were going to go forth and do all these great works.
So they were waiting for the power of God to come upon them.
Look at verse six.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this
time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
And He said unto them, He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the
seasons which the Father hath put in His own power.
Now look at John chapter 21.
Turn to John chapter 21.
See Jesus, He didn't just show Himself, like He was this misty ghost specter or something
that said, Oh, I saw Jesus.
He spoke to them.
He dined with them.
He spoke the words that He needed to speak to them before He left this earth, and He
did that for 40 days, didn't He?
Look at verse 15 in John chapter 21.
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more
than these?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.
He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
So Jesus has something specific He wants to get across to the apostle Peter here.
So Peter denied him three times, so Jesus is kind of pushing back on him a little bit,
and he asks him three times if he loves him.
Look at what it says in verse 16.
He saith to him again the second time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.
He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?
And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
So he tells him three times.
He's trying to get a message across, hey, you denied me three times, but now you need
to affirm me three times.
Of course Jesus knew his thoughts.
He knew his heart.
He wouldn't have sent Peter to be this apostle if he didn't know that he did love him.
Peter had a failure.
He had a failure in life, and you know what?
A Christian does have failures in life, but you get back up on the horse and you do the
best you can like Peter did here.
And it says, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself
and walkest whither thou wouldest.
But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee
and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
So in verse 19 it explains why he says this.
This spake he signifying by what death he should glorify God.
And when he hath spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
So he's basically telling him that when he's old, when he's done, he's going to get martyred.
And so someone's going to grab him and take him where he doesn't want to go, and that's
why it says it's signifying what death he should glorify God.
So he was martyred.
Peter was martyred, but he wasn't the first pope.
He wasn't infallible.
When he spoke the word of God, that's infallible.
No man on this earth is infallible.
Only Jesus was.
Now look at Luke chapter 24.
What am I talking about?
The infallible proofs, and the infallible proof that Jesus spoke to the people he showed
himself to.
He spoke to the people he showed himself to.
Look at Luke chapter 24 verse 25.
It says, Then he said unto them, and he's talking to these two guys on the road to Emmaus,
and they're like, you know, one of these women, they said that they saw him risen.
We're not really sure.
And Jesus kind of rebukes them here.
He says, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself, which is probably a lot of things.
He probably spent some good time with these two guys on the road to Emmaus.
And what did he do?
He was talking with them.
He was expounding upon scripture.
He was literally alive, like the Bible says, and he was able to functionally talk and speak
to these people.
Now let's look back at our text back in Acts chapter number 1, and it says in verse 8,
this is him again telling them, But ye shall receive power.
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
So he says, ye shall be.
That means that it's going to happen.
So not only was the things he was saying, he was expounding on scriptures, but he was
also commanding them, but he was also saying, this is what's going to happen.
You're going to receive this power.
And when you do, you're going to be witnesses unto me.
And you know what?
Today we have witnesses in this room that can attest to the fact that the power of God
has come upon them in their lives, and we have done many great works in this church
together as a church family.
Yesterday we were out on a very nice day, and we were out on the highways and the hedges
getting the door slammed in our face and all kinds of stuff.
But you know what?
We walked away with eight salvations yesterday, and those people's destiny has eternally changed
because of that.
Why?
It's because of the power of God upon our lives.
That we actually believe, the Bible is true, we believe that Jesus said, we're going to
be witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth.
And obviously we all live here, but you know, Hawaii is the uttermost parts of the earth,
isn't it?
And so is England, where we have a church.
And so is Surrey, B.C., and we have a lot of dreams and hopes that we can reach a lot
of nations in this world.
Our church is still young.
We can still reach a lot of people.
We're trying to reach the Yakima nation.
We're trying to go to the uttermost parts of the earth for people to be saved.
And Jesus said that was going to happen.
We're going to receive that.
Now obviously we don't have the power to do miracles and all those things.
Those things died out after the apostles.
So all these charlatans that you see healing people and making people's legs longer and
all this weird stuff, this Todd White, the predator, whatever, that's garbage.
It's not true.
People whipping each other with coats and they're like, ah, you know, it's like the
Street Fighter, you know, church edition.
That stuff's a bunch of garbage that's not true.
It's trash.
So there's a lot of people that follow that.
They want to follow signs instead of following what the Bible says for them to do.
So did the apostles receive power?
Yes they did.
Acts 2 clearly shows this.
And did the apostles become witnesses of Christ?
Yes they did.
Even when they were beaten, even when they were threatened to be beaten, even when they
were killed and threatened with death, and for the last 2000 years people have been dying
for the name of Christ.
Actually for the last 6000 years people have been dying for the name of Christ.
Abel died for the name of Christ.
If you think about it, he was the first martyr that was killed by his own wicked brother.
So people have been dying for Christ for a long time.
If people didn't believe that Jesus was really resurrected, why would they go out and risk
their lives?
You know, honestly, we do go out and risk our lives.
Someone could pull a gun out and shoot us at any point.
That's why we teach you to knock on the left side of the door and to step away.
If you're going to knock on the door really loud and you think it's the police, you know,
you might want to step out of the way of the gunshot, right?
But that's why you shouldn't just like beat on people's doors, like, police, we got a
search warrant, you know.
Sometimes people will shoot through that door, so be careful.
Anyway, so, you know, infallible proof number three, let's move on to the next proof.
The disciples saw the resurrected Christ ascend.
They saw him ascend.
They didn't just see him resurrected, but they saw him as a resurrected man going up
into heaven.
Look at our text in verse number nine, it says,
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld,
he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
So infallible proof number three is that the disciples saw the resurrected Christ ascend
into heaven.
Who saw Mohammed go into heaven?
He didn't go into heaven, he went to hell, so that's probably why nobody saw him ascend
up into heaven.
Because that pedophile is burning in hell right now, where he belongs.
So he, and he was a pedophile.
If you have questions about that, just see me after the end of the service and I'll explain
that to you.
Mohammed was a pedophile, he married a six year old girl, he consummated the marriage
at nine, he's a pedophile, he's roasted in hell.
So anyway, but see we have witnesses that saw the resurrected Christ go up to heaven.
Mohammed, no.
Christ, yes.
It says in verse nine,
While they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Look at verse 10,
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up,
I mean just imagine being there at that moment, you're like all of a sudden he's telling you
to go to the uttermost parts of the earth and then he just starts like rising up.
I mean that must have been a tremendous sight to see.
But it says that they steadfastly looked toward heaven as he went up.
Behold two men stood by them in wide apparel, which also said,
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as
you have seen him go into heaven.
So when he comes back, he's going to come back in the same manner.
When he actually comes back and sets his feet, he's going to set his feet on the Mount of
Olives and a great earthquake is going to happen and all these real estate properties
are going to go in a bad way.
But they saw him, they saw the resurrected Christ rise up into heaven and that is an
infallible proof of the fact that they saw the resurrected Christ.
And the Muslims don't have that.
They think that Jesus' face was just made to look like he was on the cross and that
someone switched the bodies and that Jesus didn't really die on the cross.
It was somebody else.
They believe in Jesus.
They just don't believe that he was a prophet or they don't believe that he was the son
of God.
They say that Allah has no God or no son and they are right about that because Allah is
the devil.
He actually might have sons too, but they are bad, they are not good.
Infallible proof number four, the empty tomb, the stone and the sepulcher.
Look at Luke chapter 24, verse number one.
We've already been in Luke chapter 24, but let's go back there again and keep your place
where you're at.
Luke chapter 24, Matthew, Mark, Luke chapter 24, verse number one.
The Bible says, now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they
came into the sepulcher bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain others
with them.
So they weren't allowed to go to the tomb until Sunday because it was the Sabbath and
all that stuff.
Look at verse two, it says, and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.
Now there was a stone that was placed in front of the tomb of Jesus and a sepulcher is like
a grave that's been carved out of rock.
So when he was buried, he was actually buried in a spot where there was a rock that was
kind of just carved out and that stone rolled in front of it.
And I'll show you later just how secure that stone was.
It wasn't just like anybody could have moved it, but it says, and they entered in and found
not the body of the Lord Jesus.
Remember, he said he was going to rise again after three days to meet them in Galilee,
right?
But look at verse four, it says, and it came to pass, as there were much perplexed thereabout,
behold two men stood by them in shining garments, and as they were afraid and bowed down their
faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen.
So he is not here, but he is risen.
There is a very famous verse in the Bible, and the reason why is because it is such a
great verse.
It is so great because it is saying, hey, Jesus isn't here anymore.
He is not dead anymore.
They came and they were upset, they were sad, but what did they do?
They found this empty tomb, this sepulcher, where Jesus was supposed to be, but he wasn't
there.
And these men were obviously probably angels.
It says, He is not here, but is risen.
Remember how He spoke unto you when He was yet in Galilee.
See, Jesus already told them this was going to happen, but see, if someone told you right
now, I am going to die, and three days later I am going to rise from the dead, you would
probably be like, yeah, I don't really know about that.
But this has never happened before.
This is an event that has never happened before, like in this manner.
Look at what it says in verse seven, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the
hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And what?
They remembered His words.
So for some reason the disciples forgot a lot of the things that Jesus told them.
We sit here and we look at them and we are like, how could they be so dumb?
But a lot of the things that Jesus said, He said to them in dark sayings and dark sentences,
and a lot of things just went over the top of their head.
But see, after He was risen, and someone brings it to their attention, they are like, oh yeah,
I remember when He said that.
So they remembered His words, how He said that this was going to happen.
This is an infallible proof that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, that the tomb was empty
when they got there.
The tomb was empty when they got there.
Now turn to Matthew chapter 27, verse 62.
Matthew chapter 27, verse 62.
Matthew Mark, it's just Matthew.
Matthew chapter 27, verse number 62.
Matthew 27, verse 62, the Bible says,
Now on the next day that followed the day of the preparation,
the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate.
So the next day after the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together
unto Pilate.
So Pilate is the guy that ultimately allowed him to die,
even though he washed his hands, it doesn't mean he still didn't do something wrong.
But look what they said.
They said,
Sain, sir, we remember that the deceiver said, while he was yet alive,
after three days I will rise again.
See there's the proof right there that they knew that when he was saying that he would
rise up in three days, that he was talking about the temple of his body.
And they knew that.
See that's the proof right there.
The Bible explains that to us and it says,
Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day,
lest his disciples come by night and steal him away,
and said unto the people, He is risen from the dead,
so the last error shall be worse than the first.
So they're basically saying command the sepulcher be made sure until the third day.
So what do they do?
Well, Pilate's going to allow this tomb to be guarded.
Pilate said unto them, You have a watch,
so he's given them soldiers to watch the tomb,
go your way, make it as sure as you can.
So not only is the stone there,
but they said to make it as sure as you can
so that nobody's going to be able to roll this stone away.
So they went and made the sepulcher sure,
sealing the stone and setting a watch.
Now I don't know what they used to seal the stone,
but have you ever seen where like rocks are like crumbling away on the side of a highway
and they put this concrete over the top of it?
Have you ever seen concrete used to seal something before?
And concrete's pretty strong.
I don't know exactly what they used, but whatever they did,
they sealed this stone unto the sepulcher
so that people couldn't just roll it away.
You couldn't just like get a couple guys or the twelve disciples
to just roll this rock away from the tomb.
And the other thing is that there are soldiers there
to stop them from doing this.
So they're like, hey, make sure this tomb can't be broken into,
make sure it's sealed, I'm going to give you a watch.
But you know what, that didn't stop the Lord Jesus
from rising from the dead and that stone being rolled away.
The fact that that stone rolled away
is an invaluable proof that he rose from the dead.
Look at Matthew chapter 28, verse number 11.
Matthew chapter 28, verse number 11.
It says, Now when they were going, behold,
some of the watch came into the city and showed unto the chief priests
all the things that were done.
This is after the resurrection.
So these watch, these guys that were soldiers,
they came to tell the chief priests, hey,
he rose from the dead anyway, nothing we could do to stop it,
the stone rolled away, and Jesus is gone.
So look at what it says in verse 12.
And when they were assembled with the elders
and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers.
So this is a conspiracy.
So they're conspiring to cover up the fact,
they don't want people to believe that Jesus rose from the dead,
so they conspired and lied about it.
And they gave these soldiers money,
a large, large money unto the soldiers,
saying, Say ye his disciples came by night
and stole him away while we slept.
So this is their narrative, that Jesus,
and I'm sure people have heard that,
that they think that Jesus was just stolen away by his disciples.
But that's the lie that they made up.
That's the conspiracy they made to try to cover up the fact
that Jesus rose from the dead.
He did rise from the dead.
And it says, And if this come to the governor's ears,
talking about Pilate, we will persuade him and secure you.
So this is a conspiracy.
And so why do they have to make this conspiracy?
Because Jesus really did rise from the dead.
The stone was really rolled away.
And this shows that the soldiers were
complicit in the cover up of the Lord Jesus Christ's resurrection.
Look at verse 15.
So they took the money and did as they were taught.
And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews
until this day.
And so at the time of this rioting,
the Jews are reporting this same lie.
And you know what, they're still reporting it today.
They're still saying that Jesus, you know,
they say all manner of blasphemy against Jesus.
The Jews' eyes are blind.
They can't see the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.
They don't want to call him their savior.
They spit on the ground three times
at the mention of his name.
Very wicked.
But this conspiracy still holds true to this day,
where they'll say that Jesus was a black magic sorcerer
and that he was the bastard son of a Roman soldier
and all this other garbage, this blasphemy.
But the fact that the tomb was empty when they got there
and the great lengths that had to have been done to move
that rock out of the way, that proves the resurrection.
Now look at John chapter 20, verse number 1.
John chapter 20, verse number 1.
Infallible proof number 5 is the napkin in the tomb
seen by Peter and John.
The napkin actually and the burial clothes
that were seen by Peter and John is an infallible proof.
Now look at John 20, verse 1.
It says, the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early
when it was yet dark unto the sepulcher
and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher.
So the stone was taken away.
It was early the first day of the week, so Sunday.
And it was before it even was light outside.
And it says in verse 2, then she runneth and cometh
to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved,
which I believe is John, and saith unto them,
they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher
and we know not where they have laid him.
Peter therefore went forth and that other disciple
and came to the sepulcher.
So they ran both together.
So John and Peter take off running towards the tomb, right?
And the other disciple did outrun Peter.
So obviously we know who was faster,
who ran a better 40-yard dash.
And it came to the sepulcher, and came first
to the sepulcher, excuse me.
And he stooping down and looking in,
saw the linen clothes lying, yet went he not in.
So he looks into the tomb and he sees the linen clothes
that he was wrapped in upon his burial, before he was buried,
lying there on the ground.
And verse 6 says, then cometh Simon Peter following him
and went into the sepulcher and seeth the linen clothes lie.
So both of the apostles here, Peter and John,
both see these linen clothes lying on the ground.
And verse 7 says, and the napkin that was about his head.
So apparently there was a napkin that
was wrapped about his head, not lying with the linen clothes.
This is great detail that's given.
Who would think to just make these things up?
Nobody would.
That's why it just rings true, doesn't it?
Not lying with the linen clothes,
but wrapped together in a place by itself.
So he takes this napkin off of his head,
folds it up really nice and neatly,
and puts it on a place by itself.
Takes the linen wrapping off of him.
It says, not lying with the linen clothes,
but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Then went in also that other disciple,
which came first to the sepulcher,
and he saw and believed.
Why is this an infallible proof?
Because that's just a detail that's given to us.
That it doesn't make sense that they
would put that detail in here without it needing to be there.
Why did it need to be there?
Just to show us, first of all, the Shroud of Turin,
which people try to say has Jesus' picture.
You know what I'm talking about?
The Shroud of Turin?
They say that Jesus' face is on it,
and it shows the wounds and all that stuff.
He's lying there.
But here's the thing.
He wasn't wrapped in a shroud.
He was wrapped in linen cloths,
and he had a napkin about his face.
If the print was going to be on anything,
it was going to be on the napkin that was wrapped around his face.
Proving that the Catholic Church is carrying this rag around,
trying to get people to pay money to see it when it's not even legit.
But it is a fact of the Resurrection that Jesus Christ
took the time to take this off, wrap it in a place,
stick it in the corner, or wherever,
and then take his linen cloths off and put those in a different spot.
The Bible gives us this detail so that we could believe it.
Look what happened.
It says in verse 8,
Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulcher,
and he saw it and believed that the Resurrection happened.
So that is why I believe that this is an infallible proof.
And infallible proof number 6,
Thomas seen the wounds of Jesus.
Now look at John chapter 20 verse 24.
You're already in John 20.
Look down at verse 24.
It says,
But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So Jesus came into the midst of them and Thomas wasn't there.
Look at verse 25.
It says,
And other disciples therefore said unto him,
We have seen the Lord.
But he said unto them,
Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails,
and put my finger into the print of the nails,
which is, I don't know, kind of a weird thing to say,
and thrust my hand into his side,
I will not believe.
So Thomas, why is he called Doubting Thomas?
Because he doubted the Resurrection.
Look at what it says in verse 26.
And after eight days again his disciples were within,
and Thomas with them.
Then came Jesus,
the doors being shut, and stood in the midst,
and said, Peace be unto you.
So see how it says the doors were shut,
and he stood in the midst.
So that means that he went through the doors
without opening them.
I think that's another very good detail for us to look at there.
It says,
And stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Then saith he to Thomas,
Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands,
and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side,
and be not faithless, but believing.
So imagine being Doubting Thomas at that time,
and you're just like,
you said all this stupid stuff,
and eight days later the Lord comes,
the resurrected Christ comes back.
He says, hey.
So that means that Jesus heard everything that Thomas said, right?
That's pretty interesting too.
Like he knows his mind, everything that he believes.
I believe Thomas was saved.
I think he just had a moment of doubt.
He didn't want to believe it.
But look what he says.
And Thomas answered and said unto him,
My Lord and my God,
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas,
has thou hast seen me, and thou hast believed.
Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet believe.
We haven't had the chance to put our hands
in the prints of the nails in his hands.
We haven't had a chance to examine the risen Savior
and the wounds that he still has in his body,
in his resurrected body.
But Thomas did.
But you know there's a special blessing
on each and every person in this room
that believes even though they have not seen.
It takes an extra measure of faith, doesn't it?
So and that's why he said that they are,
that we are blessed because we have not seen
and yet have believed.
There's a blessing on you.
You know what that blessing is?
Everlasting life.
That blessing is that you get to go to heaven
and spend all eternity with God.
And we get massive rewards for everything that we do.
He's got the best reward system in the galaxy.
So it's better than 7-Eleven Safeway.
You know your rewards card at Fred Meyer.
It's better than all that stuff.
Because you know what?
It's eternal rewards that never end, right?
So it says in verse 30,
and many other signs truly did Jesus
in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book.
But these are written that you might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that believing you might have life through his name.
Notice it says these are written that you might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Because salvation is by faith alone.
So if you're here today and you don't understand this part,
you have to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved.
People are like, well yeah, I know that.
But look, if you don't believe in eternal security
of the believer, not saved.
And so if you're here and you're not 100% sure
that you're saved, I would invite you to come talk to me
or any of the men or ladies at this church,
and we could all, any of us pretty much could show you
what the Bible says it takes to be saved.
I wanted to make sure to mention that in my sermon,
because these things were written so that we could believe,
so that we could be saved.
And that's why the book of John
is written for us like that.
And follow proof number seven,
Jesus ate food in their sight.
You're like, well, what's the big deal about that?
Well, dead people can't eat food.
In case you didn't know.
Now turn back to Acts chapter 10, verse 41.
I thought this was a great verse.
I just happened to be reading this in my daily Bible reading
while I was prepping for this sermon.
And I thought it was a neat verse.
So I already used it once, I'm gonna use it again.
Not to all the people, verse 41,
but unto witnesses chosen before of God,
even to us, who did eat and drink with him
after he arose from the dead.
So when did he eat and drink with them?
After he arose from the dead.
So he was what?
Alive.
You have to be alive to eat food, right?
Look at Luke chapter 24, verse 41.
Here's an example.
Luke chapter 24, verse 41.
I know I'm having you turn to a lot of Bible,
but we are in church today, so.
It'd be kind of weird if we
probably got up and preached and didn't use the Bible.
I know that that happens in a lot of churches, though.
So if you're just weary from all the Bible verses,
you'll get used to it.
But it's good to actually use the Bible
to make your points, right?
I'm not up here to tell a poem
and have a 15 minute sermon, okay?
So Luke 24, verse 41 says,
and while they yet believed, not for joy,
and wondered and said unto them,
have ye here any meat?
This is Jesus talking to the guys on the road to Emmaus.
In verse 42 it says,
and they gave him a piece of broiled fish
and of a honeycomb.
So he had fish and honey.
I don't know how good that goes together.
Maybe it goes together pretty good.
But it says, and he took it and did eat before them.
So Jesus, the resurrected,
I think that he ate before them
just to show that he wasn't just some kind of apparition
or some kind of ghost or some kind of thing like that,
that he actually did have a body
that functioned and could eat food.
So that just proves that he wasn't just a spiritual,
it's not just a spiritual body.
There is a physical aspect to this spiritual body.
It says he took it and did eat before them.
And so there's an example right there
of Jesus eating in his resurrected body.
Now turn back to John chapter 21.
Turn to John chapter 21.
And this is another example of Jesus eating food,
which I believe is an infallible proof of his resurrection.
John 21, verse one.
The Bible says, and after these things,
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples
at the Sea of Tiberias,
and on this wise showed he himself.
There were together Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee,
and the sons of Zebedee, and the two other of his disciples.
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a-fishing.
They saith unto him, we also go with thee.
See, they're not supposed to be doing this.
They're not actually supposed to be serving the Lord.
But it says they went forth
and entered into a ship immediately,
and that night they caught nothing.
And when the morning was now come,
Jesus stood on the shore,
but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
So here's the resurrected Christ.
He's standing on the shore.
They don't realize it's him.
Then Jesus saith unto them,
children, have you any meat?
They answered him, no.
And he said unto them,
cast the net on the right side of the ship,
and ye shall find.
They cast therefore,
and now they were not able to draw it
for the multitude of fishes.
So they're fishing all night.
They don't catch anything.
Jesus says, hey, you have any meat?
You got any food?
And he tells them to cast on the right side of the ship.
And they do it, and they can't even draw in
all the multitude of the fishes.
Look at verse seven.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved
saith unto Peter, it is the Lord.
Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he girt his fisher's coat unto him,
for he was naked and did cast himself into the sea.
And the other disciples came in a little ship,
for they were not far from land,
and as it were 200 cubits,
dragging the net with fishes.
As soon as they, excuse me,
as soon then as they were come to land,
they saw a fire of coals there,
and fish laid thereon and bred.
So Christ has already made them something to eat.
And it says, Jesus saith unto them,
bring of the fish which you have now caught.
Simon Peter went up and drew the net
to the land full of great fishes,
150 and three, and for all that were so many yet
was not the net broken.
Jesus saith unto them, come and dine.
Now of course you know that famous song that we sing,
come and dine, the master calleth, come and dine.
And it says, and none of the disciples just asked him,
who art thou, knowing that it was the Lord?
Jesus then cometh and taketh bread
and giveth them and fish likewise.
This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself
to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead.
And you're saying, well, it doesn't say
that Jesus ate anything.
Well, back up just a little bit and look back at Acts.
I'll just read for you, Acts 10, 41.
Not to all the people, it didn't appear to all the people,
but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us.
So this is Peter talking, who did eat and drink with him
after he rose from the dead.
So did he eat with the disciples or not?
Yes, he did.
So that proves right there that even though
it doesn't say he ate with them,
I believe he did eat with them.
So otherwise the disciples wouldn't be able to say that.
So infallible proof number eight, we're almost done here.
Infallible proof number eight,
look at Acts chapter 22, verse 22.
Acts chapter two, verse 22.
Jesus rose from hell as the Bible says.
This is an infallible proof to me.
And a lot of people dismiss this
and they don't wanna include this into what the Bible says
about Jesus rising from the dead,
but this is specifically talking about the resurrection.
So it's very important.
And so if people don't believe that Jesus rose from hell,
well, here's where the Bible is gonna correct you
and your understanding of the resurrection.
Look at verse number 22 in Acts 22.
It says, you men of Israel, hear ye these words.
Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God,
among you by miracles and wonders and signs
which God did by him in the midst of you,
as ye yourselves also know.
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel
and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.
This is Peter's famous address to the people,
very famous sermon that he preached.
It says, whom God hath raised up,
having loosed the pains of death.
So what's it talking about?
God raising Jesus up, having loosed the pains of death.
And look, if he was dead, where was he?
He was in hell because that's where the dead go.
There's a difference between someone that sleeps
and someone that's dead.
And when it's saying that he was loosed
of the pains of death, that means that he was in hell.
And it's like, people just get so hung up on this,
but it's like, look, he's not still there.
I'm not teaching he's still there.
I'm teaching he rose from hell.
You know, what's the Bible teaching?
That's what's important.
What does the Bible say?
Not your preconceived notions,
not whatever you think is right,
but what the Bible says is actually
what we need to understand and believe.
Because it was not possible that he should be
holding of it, holding of what?
Death.
It wasn't possible for Christ to be holding
in death, in hell, because why?
Because he personally did not deserve to go there.
But he became sin.
He wasn't a sinner, but he became sin
so that all of our sins could be laid upon him.
And so that's why he had to go to hell.
And obviously he died for us on the cross of Calvary.
He paid the ransom for us by shedding his blood.
But if our destiny is also that we deserve hell,
Christ still did go to hell to be punished
just like we would be punished in hell if we died.
So if he didn't go to hell, then he didn't die.
Does that make sense?
He wasn't really dead.
So look what it says.
For David speaketh concerning him.
This is David, the king of Israel,
who is a picture of Christ, speaking concerning him.
I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
for he is on my right hand,
and that I should not be moved.
So who's he talking about?
He's talking about the Lord.
He's talking about the resurrection.
This is referencing David speaking concerning him,
not concerning himself.
Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad.
Moreover, also my flesh shall rest in hope.
Not rest in hell.
He didn't bring these captives,
all these Old Testament people from hell up to heaven.
They never spent a second in hell.
They went straight to heaven just like everybody else does.
Because thou will not leave my soul in hell,
neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption.
Now I ask people this at the door sometimes.
I'll say, if his soul wasn't left in hell,
then where did it have to be in order,
it had to be in hell in order to leave it?
Because God didn't leave his soul in hell.
He rose in from the dead.
So he was in hell.
He was in the heart of the earth for three days
and three nights, like the Bible says.
And it says, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one
to see corruption.
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life.
Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you
of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried.
And his sepulcher is with us unto this day.
Therefore, being a prophet and knowing
that God had sworn with an oath to him
that the fruit of his loins according to the flesh,
he would raise up Christ to sit on the throne.
Raise him up from where?
From the death, right?
From death and hell.
And look at it, it says it again.
Just in case you missed it the first time,
look at verse 31.
He seen this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ,
that his soul was not left in hell, okay?
So when Jesus died, people will ask this,
and so I think Brother Shawn asked this yesterday,
well, where did Jesus, where do you think Jesus went
after he died?
And they're like, heaven.
People always say that.
It's because they're not getting taught this doctrine.
This doctrine's very clear.
And they're like, well, it's talking about Hades.
That's what it says in the Greek.
It's talking about Hades, that Hades, you know,
look, you don't speak Greek.
You couldn't even order a gyro on a corner in Greece
anywhere in this world.
Some guy tried to bring up the Hebrew to me yesterday.
I was like, bro, you don't speak Hebrew.
Come on, man.
Don't try to bring the Hebrew into it.
You know, you couldn't order flatbread,
you couldn't order flatbread in Jerusalem if you wanted to.
Anyway, look at what it says.
He seen this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ.
What's he talking about?
The resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not
left in hell.
Neither his flesh did seek corruption.
So if that's a new teaching to you,
that's something that you've never heard before.
Maybe your pastor at a different church
has explained it to you in a different way and said,
well, hell doesn't really mean hell.
It's talking about Abraham's bosom.
No, hell means hell every instance.
Hell is a place of flaming fire.
It's a place where people go forever.
Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life
was cast into the lake of fire.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ,
you know, that person is going to be saved, right?
So anyway, the last thing, and I'm
going to use the Bible verse at the end,
but the last infallible proof, I believe,
is the fact that 2,000 years later, people
are still getting saved by the preaching of his word.
I think that's an infallible proof.
You're like, well, all the other religions,
they're still going strong too.
Do they have a god that died for them
that went to hell for three days and three nights
and rose for them?
No, they're saying you have to be like his minion
and you have to do all these works.
And most of these older religions
taught that you had to sacrifice human beings to these gods.
So believe it or not, it's happened throughout the world.
People used to do cannibalistic rituals
and all kinds of weird stuff.
Our God is not like that.
He died for us.
He rose from the dead for us so that we could be saved,
and that's why we celebrate Easter.
And 2,000 years later, people are still
getting saved by his preaching.
People are still following him and serving him.
People are still, Jesus Christ changed the whole world.
You know, why is it 2,000 years?
It's 2,000 years after Christ died.
Why are we in the year 2021?
Because 2,021 years after the death of Christ
or the birth of Christ, I can't remember which one it is,
but he changed the calendar.
Why do we have a seven-day week?
Because God created the heaven and the earth
and he made it a seven-day week, all right?
So everything basically revolves around the fact
that God is real and the fact that his son
resurrected from the dead, God's son,
his only begotten son resurrected from the dead.
And people have been killed for this truth
of the gospel in horrible ways.
If you didn't get baptized, you know,
when the Roman Catholic Church was in power,
if you didn't get your kid baptized,
they would come and kill your whole family,
including your children, including the baby
that didn't get baptized.
So they would, I guess they'd rather, you know,
they'd let them die as a heretic or whatever
instead of just letting them live their life.
It was so important, the baptism was so important to them
that like they knew when people were born,
and so if you didn't get your baby baptized,
they figured you're probably not Catholic
and they'd just come and kill you and your whole family.
So there's been people that have just,
through the last 2,000 years and even before that,
that died for Christ, but you know what?
Who's gonna die for something
that they don't even believe is true?
I mean, how many Buddhists do you know
that die for their faith?
How many Hindus do you know that die for their faith
unless they were sacrificed to their false gods?
I mean, then they died for their faith.
But all these religions around the world, you know,
are just, they're not true.
They're whack, they're weak,
and they're not, the truth is
is that the resurrection was infallible.
The resurrection is what's true
and the fact that Jesus gave his life for us,
the fact that he lived a perfect life for us.
And guess what?
We still have the words of Jesus in our hands.
If you've been following along with your Bible,
the words of Jesus are in your hands in the Bible.
Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my word shall not pass away.
And guess what?
That's still in the Bible.
So we know the Bible's true.
And there's this guy named,
I think his name is Josh McDowell or something,
and I'm not endorsing him in any way, shape, or form,
but he does have something that I believe is a truth.
And he has this book,
I forgot what the name of the book is.
Does anybody know the name of the book or the bill?
No?
I thought he was your favorite author.
Anyway, no, I'm just kidding.
But he basically puts this forth
that either Jesus had to be a liar,
a lunatic like he was insane,
or he was who he said he was, the Lord.
And so I believe, obviously, he's the Lord.
If he was a liar, then I guess we're just living a lie.
But you know what?
I'd rather die thinking I lived a lie
and try to live the best life I could,
but I know that that's not true.
I know that he didn't lie.
I know the disciples didn't really steal his body away,
like they try to say.
We saw the conspiracy.
We saw it written down.
The Bible lays it out very clear for us
that Jesus did resurrect from the dead.
You know what?
And he's still alive today, and he's alive forevermore,
and ever liveth to make intercession for us.
And then the other option is that he was just insane.
He was either a liar or he was insane.
And I know he wasn't insane.
The things that he said were spirit, and they were life.
And obviously, nobody's gonna follow some crazy person.
I mean, if you're unsaved,
you're gonna follow a crazy person off the cliff,
but saved people, they're not gonna listen to some rubbish.
This Bible is true from the beginning to the end,
and it makes clear everything for us.
And hey, if you have other questions,
like why wasn't this book in the Bible?
Hey, why don't you just focus on the books
that are in the Bible and start reading those
and quit worrying about the book of Enoch
and Jasher and Thomas II or whatever.
That stuff doesn't matter.
Hey, why don't you just read the Bible for what it is
and just trust that God put the right books in there for us.
Because he said that he would never leave us
nor forsake us, and he also said
that he would preserve his word forever.
So that's something you can trust in.
So if he wasn't lying, if he wasn't insane,
then he is the Lord and he was telling the truth
in this Bible and everything, and it's true.
Acts chapter one, eight, I'm gonna close on this.
Back in our text.
Acts one, eight says, but ye shall receive power.
After that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you.
And if you're saved today, you've received power
from the Holy Ghost, you've received your gift
from the Holy Ghost, and yeah, you probably
aren't gonna raise anybody from the dead.
All those signed gifts are gone, but you know what?
The power we have is to get other people saved
and to bring them of the knowledge of the truth of God.
And obviously we have other gifts too,
but we have this power, you have, the Holy Spirit
has sealed you until the day of redemption,
and he's given us power to do great works also.
It says, and ye shall be witnesses unto me,
both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria
and the uttermost part of the earth.
And I believe that if you're a true believer,
you're gonna want to see other people saved.
You're gonna want to start in your own Jerusalem
and your own Judea, and you wanna go out to your Samaria,
and you're gonna wanna go to the uttermost parts
of the earth, why?
So that people could be saved just like you are.
So the resurrection was infallible, is infallible.
The story of the resurrection is absolutely true.
The Bible's absolutely true.
And thank God that Jesus Christ arose from the dead for us.
Amen, let's pray.
Lord, we thank you so much for the resurrection
and for the truth of the Bible.
Lord, I pray that you'd help us to always be a church
that is just trying to do your will and serve
in whatever capacity we can for you, Lord.
Most of all, that we would go forth
and preach the gospel everywhere
and unto the uttermost parts of the earth, Lord.
Pray that you just bless today,
bless the food that we're gonna receive after the service,
bless the soul wanting that takes place, Lord,
and the men as they begin to preach in the second service.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.