Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, April 20, 2025

The Resurrection on Trial

Today, Pastor Michael is discussing the Resurrection and Easter. Michael reinforces the case of the resurrection. Did Jesus really rise from the dead?  The answer is all-important: if the resurrection didn’t happen, then Christianity’s claims all fall apart. Paul covers this in 1 Corinthians 15. 14 

If it did, death has been defeated. 

If Jesus walked out of the grave, you cannot walk away unchanged.

Michael, Duncan, and David present a current version of a trial, with the defense showing Jesus is real and the other side showing it was a ruse.

The defense trumps the trial with eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, John 19: 33-34, heralding the efficiency of Roman executioners. Additional proof for the defense is that no single disciple recanted their belief in the Lord, even though most died suffering for the truth. 

The final proof of Jesus’s resurrection is that people saw Him after He had risen. If it wasn’t a miracle, it was absurd. Tacitus, a Roman historian who despised Christians, even confirmed Jesus’s resurrection!

This is the story of a tomb found to be empty.  Many early Christians were horribly persecuted for their beliefs.  And there were eyewitnesses, even enemies, who concluded: Jesus is risen! We don’t need a comfortable lie but a disruptive truth!

Live for Jesus!

Today’s verses are found in 1 Corinthians 15: 14 and John 19: 33-34.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.