Theological Implications of the Resurrection #5

In this part of the sermon: This section details the soldiers' eyewitness account to the chief priests of the earthquake, the angel, and the empty tomb, emphasizing their unwitting role as the first public…

The soldiers' reaction to the angel and earthquake, becoming 'as dead men,' illustrates the overwhelming power of the miraculous events surrounding the resurrection.

that first Lord's Day morning, there was a great earthquake at that tomb, and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. Verse 3 of Matthew 28, his appearance was as lightning, his raiment white as the snow, and for fear of him, the watchers did quake, same word used for the earth quaking, and became as dead men. So these soldiers posted by the tomb of our Lord, the earth shaked beneath them when a great earthquake

9:58 - 10:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the Sanhedrin's plenary meeting, their decision to bribe the soldiers with 'much money,' frame a lying cover-up story, and promise immunity from Pilate, revealing…

The Sanhedrin's confidence in manipulating Pilate, despite his public declaration of Jesus's innocence, illustrates his unprincipled character and their willingness to exploit it.

If Pilate heard that some of his soldiers slept while on duty, his natural reaction would be to summon them before a military tribunal, condemn them to death, and execute them. But they said, don't worry about Pilate. We've already learned he can be handled. You see, in the whole complex of events surrounding the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, they had learned Pilate was an unprincipled, Pilate could be bought off with their shouts.

16:27 - 16:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the Sanhedrin's plenary meeting, their decision to bribe the soldiers with 'much money,' frame a lying cover-up story, and promise immunity from Pilate, revealing…

Martin quotes secular historian Philo, comparing Pilate to Felix (Acts 24) as a man known to be easily bought off, reinforcing the Sanhedrin's strategy.

And Philo, the secular historian, says that just as Felix, and this is recorded in Scripture in Acts chapter 24, Felix was a man who welcomed brides. Remember he said he wanted to see Paul, hoping to get his palm greased by Paul? And Philo, the secular historian, says that Pilate was made of the same stuff, and he was known to be a man that could be bought off quite easily. By anyone who sought to manipulate him.

17:26 - 17:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin urges listeners to behold the frightening power of willful unbelief, exemplified by the Jewish leaders who, despite overwhelming evidence and an active conscience, chose to…

The Sanhedrin's previous reactions to Jesus's miracles, such as attributing His power to the devil, illustrate their consistent willful unbelief despite overwhelming evidence.

and their scribes, witnesses of many of the miracles of Jesus. You remember on one occasion, they had seen such a miraculous demonstration of the power of Christ, they could not deny what they had seen, but they said the only way he can do it, he's in league with the devil. And that witnessing of the miraculous power of Jesus, before these religious leaders, reached its apex in the miracle that precipitated the, from the Jew's standpoint, the premature crucifixion of Christ.

26:39 - 27:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin urges listeners to behold the frightening power of willful unbelief, exemplified by the Jewish leaders who, despite overwhelming evidence and an active conscience, chose to…

The miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead is presented as the apex of Jesus's miraculous power that the Sanhedrin could not deny, yet it only hardened their resolve to crucify Him.

It was the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. For it was these leaders who said, the whole world is going after him, we've got to do something. And they couldn't deny that miracle. There were too many witnesses who said, we saw Lazarus dead and wound in his grave, he'd been in his grave for four days.

27:21 - 27:41 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the frightening power of willful unbelief.

The downcast disciples on the road to Emmaus illustrate the initial despair and lack of understanding among Jesus's followers regarding the resurrection prophecies, contrasting with the Sanhedrin's memory of them.

Command, therefore, the sepulcher be made sure. You see, the disciples at this point were full of heaviness. Remember the two on the road to Emmaus? Countenances downcast, hearts full of sadness and heaviness.

28:42 - 28:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the frightening power of willful unbelief.

The vivid image of battle-hardened Roman soldiers returning with blanched faces and trembling, reporting the earthquake and empty tomb, underscores the undeniable impact of the resurrection events.

that we don't have a situation that makes matters worse, make sure the sepulchre, make sure the sepulchre. Having done so, one can only imagine whether or not they had much rest through that Sabbath, and when that next day came they could calculate according to Jewish reckoning, this is the beginning of the first part of the third day since all this came to pass. I wonder, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder. And all of a sudden the door burst open, and in come soldiers who don't flinch

30:21 - 31:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section highlights the sheer irrationality of the Sanhedrin's lie—that armed, disciplined soldiers all fell asleep while disciples silently stole Jesus's body. Martin…

Martin constructs a hypothetical scenario where people question the soldiers after Peter's Pentecost sermon, exposing the logical absurdities and irrationality of the 'stolen body' lie.

Now I don't know what's more amazing. The inability of the Sanhedrists to come up with a better lie or the gullibility of the people that believed it. Let's try to think what it was like. Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost.

43:13 - 43:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section highlights the sheer irrationality of the Sanhedrin's lie—that armed, disciplined soldiers all fell asleep while disciples silently stole Jesus's body. Martin…

The analogy of disciples rolling back a huge stone 'silently with no more noise than a cat treading on a plush carpet' highlights the ludicrousness of the soldiers' claim of sleeping through it.

You mean they could all come, break the seal, roll back that huge stone silently with no more noise than a cat treading on a plush carpet? Wait a minute, man. You mean to tell me they could roll back that stone hundreds of pounds of stone grinding on stone and you guys were sleeping? You must have really belted down a lot of booze before you dozed off.

44:42 - 45:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section highlights the sheer irrationality of the Sanhedrin's lie—that armed, disciplined soldiers all fell asleep while disciples silently stole Jesus's body. Martin…

The rhetorical question 'Do you see in your sleep? Do you identify people's faces? In the darkness? While sound asleep?' further exposes the impossibility of the soldiers' fabricated story.

Did they leave a notice? Do you see in your sleep? Do you identify people's faces? In the darkness?

46:29 - 46:44 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men love what? They men love darkness rather than light. Doesn't say they love non-truth. They love darkness. They love sin.

The analogy of believing that 'everything emerged out of some pool of slime all on its own over millions or billions of years' is used to illustrate the irrationality of unbelief in the face of creation's order.

But to believe that everything emerged out of some pool of slime all on its own over millions or billions of years, how utterly irrational that out of chaos and disorder should come a world that from the macrocosm to the microcosm bespeaks the wisdom and the power and the handiwork of a wise and almighty God. Why do men believe the lie when it's filled with such irrationality? It's because the lie allows them still to live in their sin. This is the condemnation

49:32 - 50:16 Read in full sermon

The point: If the love of money had not been a reigning sin when they came in to talk to the members of the Sanhedrin they never could have been bought off. And this is what frightens me. The love of money can be a reigning sin und…

The example of Demas, a fellow worker of Paul who 'loved this present world,' illustrates how an unmortified love of money can lead to apostasy and betrayal of Christ.

And this is what frightens me. The love of money can be a reigning sin undiscovered for many years in the heart of a man or woman. But the moment of truth will come when the opportunity for the love of money as a reigning sin to find unusual fulfillment will come in head on collision with truth and righteousness. And if the love of money has not been put to death by the death of Jesus Christ you'll do what Demas did.

55:23 - 56:04 Read in full sermon

The point: If you don't receive a love of the truth as it is in Jesus God would be just to give you over to believe lies and sink into hell clinging to lies convinced they were truth.

The story of Joseph Smith finding golden plates and using special glasses to interpret 'Egyptian hierarchy' is cited as an example of a ludicrous lie that educated people believe due to a love for lies over truth.

But it continues unto this day the frightening influence of lies in a world where men love lies rather than truth because they love sin. When I sit and think of Mormonism the vast empire of Joseph Smith if you've been to Hawaii and visited the famous place run by the Mormons and see their huge complex there and the university if you have any idea of their holdings and their influence you say how in the world can people believe this story about him finding Joseph Smith finding these plates and then God giving them these special glasses that interpret this so-called

59:03 - 59:48 Read in full sermon

The point: If you don't receive a love of the truth as it is in Jesus God would be just to give you over to believe lies and sink into hell clinging to lies convinced they were truth.

The doctrine of transubstantiation, where bread and wine are believed to become the actual body and blood of Jesus despite sensory evidence, is presented as another example of people believing a lie.

some kind of Egyptian hierarchy. I mean it's so full of nonsense. And yet there are men with earned doctorates in difficult fields who believe every word of it. Cults, Roman Catholicism how a sane person can believe that what he holds and looks upon and knows is bread and what he knows is the fruit of the vine it smells like wine tastes like wine looks like wine but don't believe any of your senses it's the actual blood of Jesus.

59:48 - 60:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Oh God given what I was by nature I would have sat there in the Sanhedrin and I would have given my consent to that stupid ludicrous lie rather than yield to the Nazarene thank you for grace that has opened my eyes and g…

The anecdote of a couple calling Trinity Baptist Church's teaching 'Peak Frean religion' (referring to a serious cookie) illustrates how some people reject serious, truth-demanding religion because it challenges their lusts.

folks this is serious business remember the couple that after coming for three weeks and someone asked them why they wouldn't come to trinity anymore they said well it's peak freeing religion referring to that old jingle about peak freeing cookies peak freeings of a very serious cookie they didn't like the serious religion in this place dear folk we're a happy bunch we laugh with each other with our families we rejoice in God's mercy and goodness but i tell you you come to a passage like this and something of the heaviness of the day of judgement comes upon us and it ought it ought because we ...

64:46 - 65:30 Read in full sermon