His Resurrection Is The Highest Proof
That Jesus Is The Messiah
"And if Christ [Greek, Christos, Anointed, i.e., Messiah] be not Risen, then is our preaching vain" (1Corinthians 15:14).
by Tom Stewart
Disclaimer: As it is with the presentation of any position, i.e., that the Resurrection proves that Jesus is the Messiah, some may be persuaded by more than what will be presented, some by less, and some will never be intreated by anything at all; however, you will be best served, if you present your doubts to the Spirit of the Almighty God, and let Him persuade you from the Scriptures offered, if Jesus is-- or not-- truly the Messiah. "And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His Ways, and we will walk in His Paths: for the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Micah 4:2). Preface
Christianity has already found its Messiah, but the same question that perplexes many a modern Jew was the same about 2,000 years ago. Can Jesus of Nazareth be the Promised Messiah? "27 And Jesus went out, and His disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way He asked His disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? 28 And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. 29 And He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto Him, Thou art the Christ [Greek, Christos, the Anointed, i.e., the Messiah]. 30 And He charged them that they should tell no man of Him. 31 And He began to teach them, that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days Rise again" (Mark 8:27-31).
What evidence should satisfy the most inquisitive mind that Jesus is the Messiah? All of humanity must be born into this world, and it will be by the hand of the Almighty that He will take us out of this world, i.e.,
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this The Judgment" (Hebrews 9:27), so birth and death are common to man. However, who but God Alone has the Power to resurrect from the dead? "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that Power belongeth unto God" (Psalm 62:11).
Even if a questioning mind could not settle whether Jesus resurrected by His own Power or whether it was the Power of the Almighty to resurrect Jesus from the dead, Why would Jehovah resurrect Jesus and thereby vindicate the claims of Jesus of Nazareth that He would Rise again after three days, unless Jesus is the Messiah? "3 Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our LORD, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 and declared to be the Son of God with Power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the Resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3-4).
And, the Gentile sceptic of the Resurrection of Jesus would do well to listen along to the evidence, for if Jesus is the Messiah of disbelieving Israel, then through the Jews' unbelief "Salvation is come unto the Gentiles" (Romans 11:11).
Why then Salvation to the Gentiles? Because the Almighty wisely chose that the Gentile world's reception of the Gospel of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ might "provoke to emulation them [the Jews] which are my flesh, and might save some of them" (Romans 11:14).
According to the inspired testimony of the Apostle Paul, "For if the casting away of them [the Jews] be the Reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but Life from the dead?" (Romans 11:15). That is to say, When the Jewish world believes that Jesus is the Messiah, then all the Elect of the Gentile world will believe, as well. LORD, may the day be hastened of the Jews heartfelt understanding that Jesus is the Messiah!
"1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.
4 Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the Word of the LORD.
5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9 Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11 Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14 and shall put My Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD" (Ezekiel 37:1-14).