Daily Devotional
Any proof Jesus rose from the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:13-17
April 22, 2019
Ponder This
Paul isn’t saying, “If Jesus is still in the grave, then we’re mistaken.” He’s saying, “If Jesus is still in the grave, then we’re telling a lie.”
It’s one thing to be mistaken; it’s another to be a false witness.
Now you have to ask: Were the disciples liars when they said Christ was risen? If so, why would they lie? What did they have to gain?
All of them except John died as martyrs. They were tortured, persecuted, stoned, crushed, humiliated, burned at the stake. They were killed by lions.
Hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff. People tell lies to get out of trouble, not into trouble. A person might live for a lie, but few will willingly die for a lie.
The disciples said, “Listen! We’ve seen Him! We’ve touched Him! We’ve handled Him!” Tradition says Simon Peter was crucified upside down. Was he a con man? Was the apostle John a crook? Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament—was he a known perjurer, deceiver, and false witness? These men would die for a lie?
Of course not. Jesus has indeed risen as they said!
Practice This
If someone were to ask, “What proof is there that Jesus really rose from the dead?”—what would you answer? Are you prepared with a well-thought-out, logical answer?
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
