Jesus' Resurrection Kathryn Kuhlman The Apostle's Creed #5

I have been bringing you a series of messages on the Great Christian Pledge, or perhaps it is better known as the Apostles' Creed, and this is the fifth in the series of messages that I have been bringing you. Every cardinal doctrine of historical and evangelical Christianity is emphasized. in this great Christian pledge. The third day he rose again from the dead. Everything hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His resurrection proves beyond a shadow of doubt his deity, and his divinity. The makers of the creed followed an orderly arrangement in associating the triumph of Christ over the tomb with his visit to Sheol. Departure from this life to early Christians was not a plunge into darkness. No, believe me. They understood conditions on the other side, and they sought to prepare accordingly because they had the word of the master. He had promised them. They believed every word that he spoke. Death was a portal through which they stepped into a better world. The resurrection of the master was fresh in the thinking of everyone, and this provided hope. This provided assurance of victory over death. He was the great example. He was their example. He the first fruits of them that slept. Life after death is a certainty. A certainty for the very reason that Jesus Christ came back from the grave. Because he recognized his friends during the period between the resurrection and his ascension, we know that we too shall recognize our loved ones. There is no doubt about it. The answer is here, to the question in the heart of anyone listening to me as to whether or not we will know our loved ones after death. Remember something. Jesus recognized his friends. He recognized his loved ones during the period between the resurrection and the time that he ascended into heaven. Therefore, we know that we too shall recognize our loved ones. Mary knelt beside the tomb weeping. She heard a voice. Thinking it to be the gardener, she turned to inquire about the body. Instead of the gardener, the Christ himself spoke and he said, Mary. And she replied, Master. This was recognition after the resurrection. Thomas was an honest doubter. I believe that just as surely. Thomas was absolutely a sincere and honest doubter. He refused to believe that Christ had risen until opportunity should be provided to examine the nail prints in the hands of the Lord and a sword thrust in the side. Jesus appeared unto him, saying, Behold my hands and my side. Immediately Thomas answered, My Lord and my God. This was recognition after the resurrection. Our Lord had prophesied his tomb experience several months earlier and said, And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected and be killed and after three days rise again. The fulfillment of this prophecy transformed the little band of timid followers into flaming evangelists. It filled them with boldness. They went out to face persecution and opposition the like of which human beings never before or since encountered. Anna made it with a knowledge that even death assured them of entrance into the presence of the one whom they loved. Nothing was able to stop this group in the grand march of proclaiming gospel truth. Oh, sure. Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph o 'er his foes. He arose, a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever with his saints to reign. He arose. Beloved, he arose. Hallelujah. Christ. arose. The third day he rose again from the dead. I repeat, everything, absolutely everything depends on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now pause just a few minutes. And you and I are going to continue this little heart -to -heart talk about something that to me is very precious. Because Jesus said on the day when Peter confessed, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Verily, I say unto you, there be some standing here. which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. That there are those who contend that the fulfillment of those words required the return of Jesus and the setting up of the kingdom during the lifetime of the disciples. And that therefore, because no literal kingdom was set up during the lifetime of the disciples, that Jesus must have meant a... spiritual kingdom, which they claim was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost and that Jesus now reigns through the church. Is this true? If not, what is the explanation of Jesus' words? Here we see the misleading character of the chapter divisions in the King James Version of the Scriptures. There should be no chapter division between Matthew 16 and 17th chapter. The passage should read, Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, standing there in his presence, which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Continue now. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. In this transfiguration scene, we have a fulfillment of Jesus' words that there were some, only three, Peter, James, and John, of his disciples, who should not taste death until they saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. For remember something, the transfiguration scene was a rehearsal, a grand and glorious rehearsal of the second coming. Oh, to me, that's marvelous. It was a revelation of Christ's second coming, that they should have no doubt whatsoever as to that which he said was truth. Like as John, and had revealed to him in the book of the Revelation the things which are to come to pass in the latter days, so Peter, James, and John had a foreview. on the Mount of Transfiguration, of the coming of Christ in his glory. In that scene, the Transfiguration scene, Moses was a type of the first resurrection saints. Elijah of those who should be caught up without dying. and their glory on the holy mount is a sample of the glory of the saints at the rapture. Oh, to me, that's very marvelous. But let's go on a little further. Jesus has left no doubt in the heart and mind of anyone that the things he spoke book were truth as surely as he left a rehearsal of his own second coming which is yet future he also left a rehearsal of the resurrection of the saints and this took place after after his own resurrection. Turn, if you will, please, to the 27th chapter of Matthew. We have here the crucifixion. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Continue. And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. Now, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Many are laboring under the false illusion that immediately after Jesus dismissed his own spirit, immediately after the veil of the temple was rent in twain, some talked about him, that many who had died and were buried arose from the dead and appeared to their loved ones in the city. No. The graves were not opened. These bodies of the saints did not rise from the dead until after the resurrection of Christ's own body from the grave. And why were the graves opened? And why did many of the bodies of the saints, and remember it said, bodies of the saints which slept. In nowhere do we have a scripture telling us that those who died without hope in the Lord arose. No. Many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves. After his resurrection, what was it? A glorious rehearsal of the resurrection of the saints. The bodies of the saints. He gave us an actual example. after his own resurrection, a literal example of four of you, of bodies being resurrected from the grave. And again, they appeared unto their loved ones and were recognized. Because... He lives. We too shall live. Because he arose from the dead in bodily form. One day, this which is corruption will become incorruption. This which is mortal will become immortality. I thank God for our glorious hope in Christ Jesus. Amen.