The resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a vital doctrine of the Bible. It appears frequently in Acts. In chapter 2, Peter’s Pentecost sermon magnifies Christ’s resurrection. He proclaims, “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:24). In verses 25-28 he quotes David’s vision of the resurrection from Psalm 16, specifically, “You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay” (2:27). Accompanying this quote is Peter’s comment,
he [David] looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear (Acts 2:31-33).
Peter points out that David did indeed foresee Christ’s resurrection. Also, that he and the other Apostles witnessed this miracle, which is now their good news that they will proclaim in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and throughout the world. But where did resurrection truth begin?
Could it be possible that this resurrection overflow began before Peter’s sermon? Yes, Acts chapter one indicates that Jesus is alive. Verse two reads, “until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.” Jesus’ instructions to the 12 and His ascension infer His resurrection. That is, only living people instruct others and go places. Furthermore, in an obvious way the text gives us more resurrection proof: “To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3-5). These forty days are important. By witnessing the life, death and resurrection of Christ the men were qualified to be His witnesses. “Thus of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness of this resurrection together with us” (Acts 1:22).
Now the resurrection did not originate in Acts. In Luke’s gospel, he provides more post-resurrection narrative. Take note of the risen Jesus in this passage, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (24:39). To be sure, He plainly states, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day (v 46).
Therefore, one can conclude that the words of Christ and the book of Acts contribute to resurrection truth. Now, regarding Acts, this little paper has barely cited its employment of Christ’s resurrection. In Acts we not only see resurrection in Peter’s Pentecost sermon but also in his others. His witness to Christ’s resurrection appears in 3:13, 15, 4:2, 10, 33, 5:30 and 10:34-42. In 5:20 the resurrection is seen in the angel’s command to the 12 when he releases them to proclaim “all the words of this life.” The resurrection is inferred by Stephen’s words. As he says his last, he has a vision of the living Christ (7:55-56) then he breathes his last as a prayer to Christ (v 59). Stephen, a deacon and the first martyr, witnessed the living Lord. But the resurrection overflow does not stop there. Paul’s conversion experience with the living Jesus (9:5, 27) and His message point it out too.
And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’ (Acts 13:28-35).
Then, when Paul was before King Agrippa he says much of the resurrection, here is a snippet: “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23-24). This important teaching that began to be revealed with Moses and the prophets is carried on by Jesus and then carried on further by the Apostles. Thus, it is no surprise that Paul traces Jesus’ resurrection back to the Old Testament. Resurrection has always been on the mind of God.
It is obvious how important resurrection is in Scripture but where do you and I fit in? What are we to do with this amazing truth? First, we should not water it down to make it more believable to the world. Jesus did rise from the dead, which is a hard truth for many to believe but it was hard to believe for the world in the 1st century too. We trust that God will open hearts. Second, we must shout this glorious truth from the highest mountains. The Acts of the Holy Spirit did not stop in the 1st century, He still saves people but the gospel must be communicated to them. They must believe in the resurrection of Christ to be saved. “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9).
The resurrection is the heart of Christianity. If Christ did not rise, there is no good news to proclaim, no power, no life for us, no church, and no Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God that Christ is risen! As we approach Easter, may this amazing truth empower you and transform you to be who God wants you to be. I pray that this little paper about the resurrection will give you cause to tell others about our risen Lord.
