Should the ressurection be considered as a sign of the gospel?

Should the resurrection be considered one of the signs of the gospel?

Absolutely! Without the acknowledging of the resurrection, there is no life then. So what would be the point of continuing to follow Jesus if there is no life? We would be just like Islam with some crazy idea of receiving a group of virgins, or pick your reward with our humanly mind. We wouldn’t have to maintain any significant life, we could go and kill and rape and do what we please. We would have the Sanhedrin or Pharisee or Roman lifestyle. No thank you. The resurrection is life eternal, it is a supernatural occurrence, a gift for those who believe and keep the Father’s commandments. Just think how much of the bible would be eliminated if we didn’t hold that resurrection as a sign. What would happen to the ascension? What would be the point? If it were not one of the signs, then why write about it? According to Dr. Towns on page 199 of his book “Believe and Live” “The resurrection is the basis of eternal life that is promised to all who believe in Jesus Christ” (Towns, 2002).

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Paul tells us that our preaching would be in vain and that we as men would be most miserable, our faith would be in vain. The resurrection is a significant event and it bears all of the attributes that define a sign, to say that it is not, would be to deny Jesus and claim the resurrection a hoax. Scholars and theologians can pettily argue all they want about whether the resurrection is a sign, does it not say in Revelation 22:19 “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Scofield, 1909).

With the Father and Jesus’ ministry, everything that the two of them have done together and accomplished together is all based on resurrection, the healings, the lifting up of those who are afflicted, the feedings, the raising of the dead, the things to come, the bringing in of the holy city in Revelation. Morris points this verse out John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (Scofield, 1909). How could it not be a sign? Within my heart, I shall always hold the resurrection as a sign because Jesus tells us in John 2:18-22 “Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? (19) “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (20) Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? (21) But he spake of the temple of his body. (22) When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said” (Scofield, 1909). John Macarthur concurs with this view and the scripture quotes concerning what Jesus said in John 2:19 (Macarthur, 2009). In Matthew Henry’s commentary he also points out that it is a sign for those Jews demanding it, in order to show that Jesus had the authority to do so and to yet give a sign of his deity. (Henry, 2011)

Bibliography

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Commentary. unknown, May 3, 2011.

Macarthur, John. John Macarthur; The Sign of the Resurrection. September 09, 2009. http://apprising.org/2009/09/23/john-macarthur-the-sign-of-the-resurrection/ (accessed May 23, 2011).

Morris, Leon. Jesus is the Christ. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989.

Scofield, C.I. The Holy Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1909.

Towns, Elmer. John Believe and Live. Canada: AMG Publishers, 2002.