religiousaffections

October 2, 2009

I started working through the book of Acts this morning and I think I am going to chronicle what I am learning here. Likely nothing original, but surely there is much profound truth for me to learn in working through this book considering the season of church planting that we are in. I’ve been encouraged by James Montgomery Boice’s remarks on Acts 1:3 this morning:

When Luke writes of Jesus’ resurrection, he says that Jesus “showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.” That is a very important sentence, for it indicates that Jesus did not merely give his disciples certain ideas that they were then to carry into the world.  He appeared to them as one who had risen from he dead. They knew he had died. Some of them stood at the cross. They had heard the blow of the hammers…But then Jesus rose and began appearing to them. His appearances were sufficient to draw them together again.

The resurrection has been demonstrated by many convincing proofs, and it is proof of everything else that needs proving. Here is the way the argument goes:

1. The resurrection is a fact. The disciples knew Jesus had been raised from the dead.

2. If the resurrection is a fact, it proves the deity of Jesus. Christ claimed to be divine before his crucifixion. If that was true, it was a great truth. If it was false, it was blasphemy. Moreover, JEsus said that God, his Father was going to raise him from the dead after his crucifixion. That was a nearly impossible claim. Yet Jesus’ resurrection from the dead after 3 days proved his deity, for it is impossible that God would have raised him from the dead if his claim to deity had been false.

3. A divine Christ must speak truth, because God is truthful and must speak truthfully.

4. If what Jesus says is true, then we can trust everything he teaches. We can trust the Bible, because Jesus taught that it was the Word of God. We can believe that God has forgiven our many sins, because Jesus taught that God would do that for all who believe in him.

I’m thankful for the risen Christ this morning for the implications are great!