Tuesday, February 20, 2018

THE DAY, THE EVENTS, AND THE TESTIMONIES, CONCERNING CHRIST'S RESURRECTION!

Why do you suppose the four Gospel accounts of the events which occurred on the first day of the week following the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, differ from one another?  Two of the accounts were written by members of "the eleven":  Matthew and John.  Mark and Luke learned of the events by word-of-mouth sometime later.  I suspect that, like modern-day mysteries (Castle, Bones, C.S.I., Law and Order, etc.), when witnesses testify and their story is exactly the same, it is clear they are lying.  Perhaps another explanation is that, in the excitement of those relaying the actual events, those listening heard the main points and they were so focused upon them, that the rest of the information was "kind of a blur."  A perfect example of differing accounts of the same event, is Saul's conversion found in Acts 9:1-8; 22:1-11; and 26:1-20.  In Paul's case, it was the same person giving them!  Highlighted below are the points all four Resurrection accounts have in common:

Matthew 28:1-6 - In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.  And, behold, there was a great earthquake:  for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.  And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye:  for I know that ye seek Jesus, Who was crucified.  He is not here:  for He is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Mark 16:1-6 - And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun.  And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?  And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away:  for it was very great.  And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were frighted.  And he saith unto them, Be not frighted:  Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified:  He is risen; He is not here:  behold the place where they laid Him.

Luke 23:55-24:7 - And the women also, who came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher, and how His body was laid.  And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment....Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.  And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.  And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord JesusAnd it came to pass, as they 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:  remember how He spoke unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

John 20:1, 11-17 - 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....But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping:  and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lainAnd they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?  She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.  And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?  Whom seekest thou?  She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.  Jesus (the risen Lord) saith unto her, Mary.  She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.  Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father:  but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, explained the significance of believing the Gospel.  He gave us a "bare-bones version" of the Gospel in his first letter to the church in Corinth:

Romans 1:15-16 - So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also, for I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ:  for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. 

Romans 10:13-14, 17 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard....So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word (the Gospel) of God.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand....For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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....

I KNOW THE GOSPEL IS TRUE; IT TOTALLY CHANGED MY LIFE!



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