Dr. Cecil A. Fayard - 2001 Sermons
Easter Sunday, April 15, 2001   

INTRODUCTION: The resurrection is at the very heart of Christianity. We could say it is the very heart of Christianity for, "if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain" (I Corinthians 15:14). Then in I Corinthians 15:17, we read: "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins."

Thank God for the many infallible proofs of the resurrection. One of which is found in Matthew 28:5-6.

The resurrection is the keystone to the arch of divine truth. It holds all the faith of the Gospel together. The resurrection is the foundation of the church. The Bible has many infallible proofs of the resurrection.

1. THE WORD OF CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD
   1. Jesus Christ spoke of His resurrection; He spoke of His coming forth out of the grave. Jesus is God, and God cannot lie.

   2. Six times Jesus said that He would rise:
      1. Early in His ministry, at the temple (John 2:18-22).
         
      2. When Jesus was in Galilee, He spoke of His resurrection (Matthew 12:38-40).
         
      3. In Matthew 16:21, Jesus tells His disciples that it is in the sovereign plan of God the Father that He go to Jerusalem, be killed, and rise again.
         
      4. Now in Matthew 17:22-23, Jesus tells of the betrayal that will take place leading to His crucifixion and resurrection.
         
      5. In John 10, Jesus tells the disciples that He is the Good Shepherd that will lay down His life and take it up again (11, 18).
         
      6. Matthew 20-17-19 tells of Jesus going to Jerusalem to be condemned to die and rise again the third day.

2. THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES
   1. The Apostles over and over speak of themselves as being eyewitnesses of the resurrection'.

   2. They did not base their preaching and teaching on the reports of others; they had seen the resurrected Christ.
      
      1. Scriptures that say that Jesus was seen by the Apostles (Luke 24:33-36; John 20:19, 26; 21:24; Acts 1:3).
         
      2. The church needed to elect an Apostle to take the place of Judas Iscariot, one of the pre-requisites was to have seen the resurrected Christ (Acts 1:21-22).

3. THE TESTIMONY OF MORE THAN FIVE HUNDRED
   1. The Bible says that more than five hundred folks saw the resurrected Lord Jesus (I Corinthians 15:3-8).

   2. The Old Testament requires only two or three witnesses to establish a fact (Deuteronomy 17:6).

   3. The church is to have two or three witnesses to establish a case (II Corinthians 13:3; Matthew 18:16).

4. THE TESTIMONY OF THE EMPTY TOMB
   1. The women came to the empty tomb and saw the angels and received their testimony of the risen Lord (Matthew 28:1-8).

   2. Peter and John ran to the empty tomb finding the linen clothes lying there (John 20:3-1 0).

5. THE TESTIMONY OF MARY AND OTHERS
   1. Jesus appeared to Mary in the garden (John 20:11-18).

   2. Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-33).

   3. There are many instances of our Lord appearing to the disciples