Introduction: Personal Reflections & Announcements

The speaker began by expressing his joy at seeing children in the service, emphasizing their importance to the church’s future.

The speaker also reflected on the recent successes in the space program, noting with pride that one of the astronauts is a brother in Christ from a congregation in Houston. This led him to the main topic of the sermon.

He shared that during March and April each year, his spiritual focus is drawn to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He noted that everything we believe and hope for as Christians is centered on this foundational truth.

I. The Centrality of the Resurrection

The core of our faith rests on the historical event of Jesus being raised from the dead. While the early church often emphasized the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus as primary evidence, the speaker finds the evidence of the empty tomb to be the most persuasive.

Key Scripture: Matthew 28:1-20

The speaker read the entirety of Matthew 28, which details the events of the resurrection morning:

• Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb.
• A violent earthquake occurs as an angel descends, rolls back the stone, and sits on it. The guards are paralyzed with fear.
• The angel announces to the women, “He is not here. He has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” (Matthew 28:6).
• The women are instructed to tell the disciples, and on their way, they are met by the risen Jesus himself.
• Meanwhile, the guards report to the chief priests, who bribe them to spread a false story: “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.” (Matthew 28:13).
• The chapter concludes with the Great Commission, where Jesus appears to the disciples in Galilee and commands them to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

II. The Evidence of the Empty Tomb

The fact that both believers and non-believers had to account for an empty tomb is a critical piece of evidence.

• The First Explanation: The earliest argument against the resurrection was not that the body was still in the tomb, but that the disciples had stolen it. This fabricated story, which the guards were paid to tell, inherently admits that the tomb was, in fact, empty.
• Contemporary Proclamation: The apostles preached the resurrection in Jerusalem, the very city where it happened, just weeks after the event. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, could challenge his audience by pointing out that King David’s tomb was nearby and his body was still in it, drawing a sharp contrast to Jesus’s empty tomb.

III. Refuting the “Stolen Body” Theory

The theory that the disciples stole the body and fabricated the resurrection story has a fatal flaw.

Illustration Story: A Lawyer’s Experience with Criminals

The speaker drew upon his 53 years of experience as a lawyer, including representing criminal gangs. He made a powerful point: in any conspiracy, when the pressure is high and participants face severe punishment (like life in prison or death), someone always breaks. Someone will “turn state’s evidence” to get a lighter sentence.

• The Disciples’ Conviction: The apostles faced imprisonment, persecution, and ultimately, martyrdom. Not a single one of them ever recanted. They willingly died for their testimony that Jesus had risen. This is unthinkable if they knew it was all a lie they had concocted. Their willingness to die proves they genuinely believed what they saw.
• Logical Conclusion: The most reasonable explanation for the empty tomb, and the unwavering conviction of the apostles, is that God truly raised Jesus from the dead. As Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, the most important truth is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Take-Home Points & Action Items

• Be Determined to Remain Faithful: The speaker shared his personal reflection on being drawn to biblical figures who remained faithful in their old age (like Samuel and Nathan). As we grow older, we must be more determined than ever to hold on to our faith and not let it weaken. We should desire to have the simple, trusting faith of a child.
• Be Strengthened by the Evidence: Our faith is not blind; it is reasonable. The evidence for the resurrection is strong and can satisfy an honest mind. We should take comfort and be strengthened in knowing that the greatest miracle of all—the one upon which our salvation rests—is so well-supported.
• Embrace the Great Commission: The resurrection validates Jesus’s authority. His final command was to go and make disciples. This mission has been passed down to us, and it is a commission we must take seriously in our own lives.

The sermon concluded with an invitation for anyone needing to respond to the Gospel through prayer, confession, or baptism, reaffirming that the resurrection of Christ makes our new life possible.