For many in the Christian community, the Resurrection focuses on one event—that being, the bodily resurrection of Jesus. The proof? Hundreds of people saw Jesus—not as a spirit—but in His resurrected body. In First Corinthians 15:3-8, the Apostle Paul gives a list of those to whom the risen Jesus appeared on several different occasions. These witnesses to the resurrected Jesus include Cephas, then of the twelve, after that Jesus was seen of above five hundred brethren, after that of James, then all the apostles, and last of all Paul.
Why are these proofs of the bodily resurrection of Jesus important?
It’s because, as the Apostle Paul states in First Corinthians 15:14-17: And if Christ be not risen, 
- then is our preaching vain,
- and your faith is also vain.
- Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ …
- And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
If Jesus did not shed His blood and rise from that guarded and sealed tomb, after being therein for three days and three nights, He would be an imposter. This pinnacle miracle, the Resurrection, had to take place. Absent His bodily Resurrection, all that Jesus said and accomplished on this earth would be of no avail. He would have been a deceiver; and we, too, would remain in the grave after death in our bodies corrupted by sin.
Everything Jesus said must be true else He is not God. God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19 … Jesus Christ … the true God, and eternal life. 1 John 5:20
Documented, witnessed, and foretold—it was!
The sacrifice of God through His only begotten son, Jesus, is incomprehensible, mystifying, perplexing—and to the human mind, seemingly unfathomable. Yet, it not only happened, but Jesus pre-told (prophesied) of His Crucifixion and Resurrection numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments. He did this before these events took place.
Jonah and the whale are a witness.
The Pharisees, like some today, wanted to see more signs and miracles to substantiate God’s Word. Jesus told the evil, taunting, and doubting Pharisees that signs and miracles had already been given. He told them … An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall be no sign given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas [Jonah] was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:39-40 Jonah is a prophetic prototype from the Old Testament book of Jonah predicting the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Abraham and Isaac are a witness.
Even some 2,000 years before the Crucifixion, God gives us an incredible panoramic visual of the death and resurrection of Jesus through the lives of Abraham and Isaac. This was when the LORD is said to have proven the faith of Abraham by instructing him to provide what would be a prototype of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. That is, God said to Abraham: … Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of … And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. Genesis 22:2, 14
What shall be seen? It would be the Crucifixion of Jesus, God’s only Begotten Son some 2,000 years later. Moriah is the very mountain range believed to be where Jesus was crucified—a place called Golgotha.
God would, some two millennium later, as He required of Abraham, offer not His only son but His only Begotten Son as a sacrifice. However, Abraham’s striking of the knife into the body of his only son was stopped. Abraham “offered,” but was not required to take the life of his son. It was God Who would offer up Jesus to be brutally beaten, mocked, spit upon, and nailed to a cross through His hands and feet; and it was Jesus Who died, was encased in a sealed and guarded tomb, and Who arose bodily from that secured sepulchre.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 3:8: that … God … preached before the gospel unto Abraham … Thus, Abraham’s faith in the words of God at this point was solid. This is confirmed when Abraham responded to Isaac’s question: And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father … Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering … Genesis 22:7-8
The image at left depicts a lamb that is alive and not struggling but ready to be killed. This is reflective of Jesus. As the Lamb of God, He voluntarily went to the cross without a struggle. Be not deceived, Jesus by His actions and words, proved that He GAVE His life: I [Jesus] lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again … John 10:17-18
Many do not understand that God provided HIMSELF to be that sacrificial lamb—even some who are highly educated and those who rewrite God’s prophetic statement in Genesis 22:8. Study carefully the table below to reinforce for yourself the fact that it was God, manifest in the person of Jesus Christ, Who paid this sacrificial price for you and me.
If you have questions or haven’t studied the amazing faith exhibited by Abraham, and the sacrifice God made for you and me, you are urged to view our video: Is it Faith or Foolishness, Part 5: https://www.restorationofthefamily.org/is-it-foolishness-or-faith-part-5-perfecting-faith/
The Exodus from bondage in Egypt is a witness.
The book of Exodus also chronicles the prophetic Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus, the Lamb of God. This was the night before the Israelites were released from their 430 years of bondage in Egypt. God had directed Moses to tell Pharaoh, the leader of the Egyptian nation, to free His people nine times. After each refusal, God sent a disastrous plague so catastrophic that Pharaoh changed his mind saying he would free the Israelites if God would lift the plague. However, Pharaoh lied each time and did not free God’s people. Thus God, in a tenth command to Pharaoh through Moses to “let my people go,” warned of His final plague:
And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. Exodus 11:5
It was the miraculous Passover—that was the ultimate prophetic witness.
This edict from God applied to the Israelites and the Egyptians. However, our merciful God gave yet another opportunity for belief in His Word and repentance; and a way to be protected from this horrific plague of the death of all the firstborn—men and animals. It is detailed in Exodus 12. Every household was to kill an unblemished lamb a year old and to spread the blood from the Lamb on the sides and top of their doorposts.
For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. Exodus 12:23
The unblemished Lamb prophetically represented Jesus 2000 years hence Who would be that Lamb—unspotted by any sin in His life. He would shed His blood to atone for the sins of every person who has turned or will turn to Him as LORD and Saviour in repentance and faith. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:12
Tragically, Pharaoh and the Egyptians who refused to apply the blood of the lamb were not “passed over” by the death angel. Every first born, including the eldest son of Pharaoh, died; but the plague passed over each home which had lamb’s blood on the top and side posts to the entrance. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. Exodus 12:23
The blood of an innocent lamb was shed to set Israel free. The blood of Christ today is the believer’s offered protection from the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and the damnation of hell—those who repent from sin and follow Jesus: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
For God so loved—you and me—that He gave …
God, manifest in the flesh of Jesus, gave a kind of love for you and me that we can in no way process or fully understand. Likewise, the disciples of Jesus also did not understand: From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Matthew 16:21
This multifaceted miracle was completely planned, foretold, and executed by God—even before the recorded event of Jonah, that of Abraham and Isaac, and the Passover miracle in Egypt. It was in place and foretold before the foundation of the earth was laid: … the Lamb [Jesus] slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 Peter also records this amazing fact: Who [Jesus] verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you … that your faith and hope might be in God. 1 Peter 1:20-21 … God was manifest in the flesh [as Jesus Christ] …1 Timothy 3:16
There was a need for Christ’s bodily Resurrection.
The prophetic work of Jesus was not complete with the crucifixion. There had to be the proclamation: He is not here: for he is risen, as he said … Matthew 28:6 There had to be a bodily resurrection, else, we, too, would not be raised from the grave, and physical death would be our final demise; however, it is not. We, too, who have bowed our knees to make Jesus Christ LORD and Saviour, will rise again—as Jesus did and foretold.
Bowing to Jesus means that we love Him enough to obey His statutes and commandments. However, obedience and love are not the same. Many obey without loving. If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21. IF we love God, we will not sin against him such as those who habitually lie, steal, murder, commit fornication or adultery, engage in drunkenness, etc.
Today’s Passover is a prototype for you and me, but different.
Jesus Christ came to set each of us free—free from the bondage of sins in which we partake—to pay a spiritual debt through His shed blood, the Crucifixion. However, this his gift is misunderstood by many.
When we sin, we often offend or do harm to someone else; yet, what should be more alarming is that when we sin, we create what is called a spiritual debt. For the wages [penalty] of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 Sin “debt” cannot be satisfied by any physical means. That’s because what really happens is that we spiritually sin against God.
For example, Joseph, a great leader and godly man, gave us a succinct definition of sin and its real effect. When he was serving as a slave in the home of Potiphar, his wife tried to seduce Joseph. Rather than to give in to the lust of the flesh (which has likely reared up its ugly head in the lives of those who are saved and those who are not at some time in their lives), Joseph ran from this deadly sexual sin. (He would have been a fornicator and Potiphar’s wife, would have been an adulteress; although, in her heart she was an adulteress. (See Matthew 5:28.) Instead, Joseph made a statement to Potiphar’s wife that each of us should embed in our minds.
And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth [knoweth] not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Genesis 39:7-9
Potiphar’s wife was angered that Joseph refused her sexual advances and lied to her husband telling him that Joseph had tried to seduce her; thus, Potiphar put innocent Joseph in prison. (The rest of this story is given in Genesis 39:10-23.)
Removal of sin debts can be a type of our Passover privilege.
Sin debts are only released or satisfied when the blood of Jesus is applied to our lives. How is that done? The Israelites applied the blood to the doorposts of their homes; however that was a temporary protective endeavor. Today, the blood of Jesus is spiritually applied when we turn from sin through repentance (truly hate sin and have nothing to do with it) and follow (love) Jesus by making Him LORD and Saviour of our lives. If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15
You see, if our sin debt is not paid for by Jesus, we would die with sin debt and have no way to have an afterlife with our LORD and Saviour. Those who reject their “Passover privilege,” choose instead, an afterlife (resurrection) of torment—… in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone … Revelation 21:8 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:44, 46 48 Yet, the latter is totally avoidable as Jesus shed His blood to pay for every believers’ sin debt—those sins which are no longer a part of one’s lifestyle: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Every person has at some time sinned against God. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 Confession is a two-part process: (1) confessing and (2) turning from sin: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso [1] confesseth and [2] forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13 Thus, the importance of the Crucifixion and Resurrection are vital for each of us. We must BELIEVE in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ before we can embrace our Passover privilege: that of making Jesus Christ LORD and Saviour of our lives. To claim this privilege, we must repent (turn from sin) and make Jesus LORD and Saviour.
Are you sure you are saved? BE not deceived. Just as Pharaoh did not want to free the Israelites, Satan does not want those who have been taken captive by sin to repent and follow Jesus and to be free from the bondage and captivity created by sin. Have you repented of what God says is sin (as recorded in the Bible) and made Jesus Christ LORD of your life? Have you committed to honor the LORD by studying the Scriptures and submitting to being taught?
Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;
but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25
Happy Resurrection Day.
We have created a booklet of this teaching we would like to share with you. If you would like a copy, send your postal address to us at RestorationOfTheFamily@gmail.com. This offer is good only for those with U.S. Postal addresses as as our supply lasts. 
Please let us know if you need prayer, have questions that we might answer for you, or would like to receive our periodic email teachings. We are blessed when we hear from you.
In Christ’s Service, Judith Brumbaugh:
President/Founder: Restoration Of The Family, Inc.
www.RestorationOfTheFamily.org;
RestorationOfTheFamily@gmail.com;
PO Box 621342 Oviedo, FL 32762
