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Home » The Undeniable Proof of Jesus’ Resurrection—Bible Study
The Undeniable Proof of Jesus' Resurrection - Bible Study

The Undeniable Proof of Jesus’ Resurrection—Bible Study

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If anyone ever lived in a day when people were blind to the meaning of life, it is today. That is one explanation for our culture’s inclination toward the many self-destructive activities that are prevalent in our world. The other reason, of course, is they are blinded by sin and have not found their purpose for living through Christ.

Recognizing that this is the kind of world in which we live, the message of Easter takes on new meaning. Only the Risen Christ can take the meaninglessness and despair out of our daily existence. It is only in Christ that we find the true meaning of life.

Meme: Only the Risen Christ can take the meaninglessness and despair out of our daily existence.

Too often Christians focus their attention on the benefits of Christ after death, and they underestimate the benefits of being a Christian now, here in this life. For me, it wasn’t until I settled eternity in my heart that this life began to make any sense. The Gospel clarifies everything.

The Foundation of the Gospel

First Corinthians 15 offers the best definition of the Gospel to be found in the Word of God:

“That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures”
(verses 3-4).

That is the Gospel.

Sometimes we stop short of giving the complete definition by simply saying that Jesus Christ died on the cross. Christ’s death is mentioned in the New Testament 175 times, so it is an essential part of the Gospel. But there is more to it. The Gospel is also about the burial of Jesus Christ.

One of the Old Testament sacrifices illustrated how sins were taken away. They would ceremoniously place their sins upon a goat. Then the goat—the scapegoat—would be sent into the wilderness never to be seen again.

This ceremony portrayed the people’s sins being removed. The burial of Jesus Christ illustrates the same truth. When He took our sins on His body and was buried, He carried our sins away, so we never have to face them again.

Unfortunately, many people who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ stop right there—Jesus died and was buried. But the miracle of Easter is this:

No tomb anywhere in the universe holds Jesus’ remains! He died, He was buried, and He rose again on the third day.

This is the Gospel.
This is the foundation of Christianity.

The Christian Gospel rests on the truth of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:14, Paul puts it this way: “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.” Without the Resurrection, there is no reason to attend church! The foundation of the Gospel is predicated on Jesus Christ’s victory over sin and over death.

Meme: The Christian Gospel rests on the truth of Jesus Christ and His resurrection.

The Proof of the Resurrection—Missing Soldiers

The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—all record the events of our Lord’s resurrection from the grave. It’s a familiar story. Quite often we jump ahead in the Resurrection story to all the witnesses who saw Jesus Christ alive after He had come out of the grave. And we rightly use that evidence to teach the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the grave.

But let’s begin before He was ever seen by anyone. Why? Because there are several critical things that happened on the first Easter that caused the disciples and the women to believe in the supernatural Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the women approached the tomb that day, they noticed the soldiers were gone.

Mary and her friends knew the Roman authorities had dispatched soldiers to guard the tomb day and night because they feared that some of His followers would steal His body and then claim He had risen from the grave. It’s no wonder they were startled to find the tomb unguarded.

Some skeptics have suggested that the Roman soldiers simply became tired and took a break. But consider this: If a Roman soldier failed to do his duty, the punishment would be death. He would be taken into the public square and burned alive.

So why did they leave? Because something supernatural happened. The earth shook, and an angel of the Lord rolled the stone away from the grave. The grave was open, and Jesus was no longer there. Fearing for their lives, the guards fled into the city. These elite soldiers were more fearful of the risen Lord than the reprisal of Rome.

In fact, Matthew 28 details the interactions between the soldiers who had fled and the chief priests. The priests didn’t want the soldiers to admit that something supernatural had happened at Jesus’ tomb, so they paid them off. The evidence for the Resurrection was overwhelming—the death penalty could not be warranted. Instead, the soldiers were bribed to remain silent about Christ’s resurrection.

The Proof of the Resurrection—The Seal and the Stone

After finding the tomb unguarded, the women discovered its seal was broken. To keep anyone from tampering with a tomb, the Romans would place a seal across it. According to Roman law, anyone who broke a Roman seal would be hung upside down.

The Romans placed great importance on their seal. It was the absolute mark and stamp of authority of the Roman government. And yet, when the women arrived at the tomb, the stone was gone, and the seal was broken. Something phenomenal was going on.

Next, the women noticed the stone had been rolled away. There are four places in the New Testament where it says the stone was rolled away. One of the original Greek words means to “incline up a slope.” Roman tombs were sealed by carving a great hole out of the rock that would be the burial chamber. A groove would be created in front of the grave, and a huge stone would be secured in the groove, up an incline. When the grave was ready, the deceased was placed inside the tomb, the stone was released to roll down and cover the mouth of the tomb.

When Mary and the disciples came to the tomb that day, they could not understand the scene. According to the text, the stone was rolled back up the incline, away from the mouth of the tomb, and the tomb was wide open.

In fact, John’s account tells us the stone was not only rolled up an incline, it was standing in a place by itself. The estimated weight of the stone that covered the tomb is between one and two tons. Yet the stone that had sealed Jesus’s tomb was set apart from the tomb—as if it had been picked up and moved.

When the Jewish authorities came to examine the tomb and saw the stone sitting far off, they knew the Roman soldiers couldn’t have moved it. The stone moved in a manner that was humanly impossible. And so, they bribed the soldiers not to tell anybody.

Occasionally when people talk about Easter, they say the stone was miraculously rolled away so that Jesus could get out. But that was not the reason. The stone was rolled away so that people could look in. Jesus didn’t need the stone to be rolled away. He rose from the grave without ever changing the configuration of His grave clothes. And if He was able to strip off the restraints of His grave clothes without changing their form, He could also move past the stone in front of the grave without touching it.

The stone was rolled away so that Mary and the others would be able to see further evidence of the Risen Lord.

The Proof of the Resurrection: The Empty Sepulcher

The soldiers were gone. The seal was broken. The stone was moved away. And the sepulcher was empty. This is the obvious fact of the Resurrection. When the disciples saw the empty tomb, they immediately ran back to the city of Jerusalem and began to preach this truth. Here is something to note about this event: The news of the empty sepulcher could be validated by anybody in the city who would take a fifteen-minute walk to the tomb and look for themselves. It instantly validated Christ’s resurrection. There is not one shred of evidence to the contrary.

The Proof of the Resurrection: The Shroud Was Intact but Empty

Of all these things, the most phenomenal demonstration of Christ’s resurrection was the shroud in which He was buried. It was intact, but unoccupied. When they buried someone in Jesus’ day, each part of the body was wrapped independently—the arms and legs, torso, and even the head. Once that was completed, they wrapped the entire body. This complicated process created a complete burial garment.

When the women looked inside the tomb, they couldn’t believe it. The wrappings that had covered Jesus in His burial were laying in the tomb, except Jesus was not in them. John and Peter came to investigate, and they found the same thing.

The shroud was like the chrysalis of a cocoon, but there was no body in it.

The Scripture says the napkin that surrounded His head or that which wrapped His head was in a place by itself, just exactly where it would be in proximity to the body.

This had to be an overwhelming sight because it was evidence that Jesus had risen without disturbing the clothing, and He had walked out of that grave alive. This sight forever changed the lives of Jesus’ disciples.

Finding Hope in an Empty Tomb

Before finding the empty tomb, the disciples were depressed, discouraged, and completely without hope. Then on the third day, Jesus conquered the grave. Not only was He resurrected, but their hopes were resurrected as well. As Christians, we, too, can face feelings of despair and uncertainty with unshakeable hope in the Resurrection.

Meme: As Christians we can face feelings of despair and uncertainty with unshakeable hope in the resurrection.

When we place our trust in Him, we claim victory over death. That is why when Christians die, there is sorrow, but it is not a sorrow without hope. Even in sorrow, there is hope—a certainty that death is not the end.

The only way I know to have hope in this life is to settle life in the future. When I became a Christian, two things happened in my life.

First, I no longer feared dying. I wasn’t anxious to die, but I didn’t fear it anymore. I didn’t worry that I would wake up in a strange place. I had absolute certainty that when I died, I was going to stand before God and be with Him forever. You may think that is a presumptuous statement, but it’s not. It is based upon the fact that the One who overcame the grave is now living in my heart, and He is my Savior. He has promised me that if I submit to Him, I will receive eternal life with Him.

Second, when I received Christ as a teenager, my life began to make sense. When I knew my eternal destination was settled, I discovered this life had a tremendous importance that I never understood before. I began to live my life with eternity in view. I began to have the desire for my life to count beyond the humdrum of each day. I began to live my life with purpose and with meaning.

There is no one who is beyond the reach of our loving God who sent His Son to die on the cross, to be buried, and to rise from the grave. If you will put your trust in the One who came out of the grave on that first Easter Sunday, you will never have to ask the question again, “Is that all there is?”

Bible Study Questions

Read 1 Corinthians 15. List the people who saw Jesus after His resurrection.

Why is the Resurrection so important to the Gospel?

Read Matthew 27:62-66. How would you answer someone who claims the guards were negligent?

Read Matthew 28:1-4. Who moved the stone?

How does Matthew describe the one who moved the stone? What does the guards’ reaction tell you about him?

Jesus’ resurrection defied the Roman Empire. What does that tell you about His authority over modern government?

Read Matthew 28:11-15. Have you ever found yourself more concerned about saving face than being right? Spend some time in prayer, asking God to help you value His truth above all else.

The apostles, who were fishermen and tax collectors by trade, ran away in the Garden of Gethsemane, denied knowing Jesus, and hid after His death. What is different about their behavior after the Resurrection?

In your mind, what is the strongest evidence for the Resurrection?

How do baptism and communion reflect the Resurrection?

How would you reply to someone who said, “Prove to me that Jesus rose from the dead?” Include Scripture in your response.

If someone asked you to describe a Christian, what would you say?

What is our responsibility to the Resurrection message, according to Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:12-20; and Acts 1:4-8?

Think about your family, coworkers, neighbors and friends. With whom could you share the Good News of Christ’s resurrection?

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Creation Care

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28

Marine litter is a huge ecological problem. Many countries’ coastlines are littered with plastic and debris, and there is an “island” of plastic more than the twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean where currents have accumulated the debris. Fish become entangled in discarded fishing nets and lines, with bellies full of plastic debris they have swallowed.

Such images are in stark contrast to the pristine beauty and glory of Eden as presented in Genesis. Though mankind was given the mandate to “have dominion over” (that is, to care for) all of creation, we have not done a good job. When God’s mandates go unfulfilled on earth, God’s glory is diminished. And that mandate extends to our personal life as well. Paul writes that we belong to God and we are to glorify Him with our care and use of our body.

When you see opportunities to care for creation—nature or your own body—do so as a way of glorifying the Creator.

The creation is both a monument of God’s power, and a looking-glass in which we may see his wisdom.
Thomas Watson

Steadfast

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Paul’s letter to the people at Corinth was an exhortation to remain steadfast. The church in Corinth was an undisciplined church, and he was letting them know that even though the culture around them was in flux, their faith in Jesus Christ needed to remain focused and sure. It is true for us today also. How can we remain steadfast in our faith and avoid the pressures of this ever-changing world? By devoting time each day to the study of God’s Word.

As we read the Bible and immerse ourselves in God’s truth and character, our lives are changed—we become more like Him. God’s Word is a powerful litmus test for our souls and actions. As our lives center on God, giving priority to hearing His voice and reading His Word, we become bolder in sharing our faith.

Joshua had the confidence and courage to lead God’s people into the Promised Land because He believed in God’s promise and presence. We serve the same God who said: “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

You can place your steadfast trust in Him.

When we find a man meditating on the words of God, my friends, that man is full of boldness and is successful.
Dwight L. Moody

Ready and Willing

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

A leper approached Jesus and said, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus touched the man, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed”—and he was healed (Mark 1:40-42).

That event is a beautiful example of the willingness of God. In fact, there are no instances of Jesus being asked to help or heal and Him answering, “I am not willing.” There is a place where the Bible says God is “not willing,” and that is 2 Peter 3:9. In writing about the timing of the Day of the Lord (the end of the age), Peter says God is waiting for all who will be saved to come to Him. He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Said another way, God is willing for any who want to be saved to come to Him (John 6:37; 7:37). The question is never whether God is willing but whether man is willing.

Have you responded to God’s willing invitation to come to Him?

God is far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved.
J. C. Ryle

Treasure!

I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.
Psalm 119:162

Earlier this year, a volunteer for a charity in Arizona was going through books donated for a sale. One was an old copy of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The volunteer decided the dilapidated volume wasn’t worth saving and was about to throw it away when she thumbed through it and found a hidden chamber. Someone had used a knife to cut a hole in the middle of the book. Inside was $4,000!

That’s nothing compared to the treasure you’ll find when opening the covers of the Bible. Perhaps it would help to think of it in those terms. Use your imagination to see every word of Scripture turning to gold as you read it. Think of every promise as a precious stone. See the words about Jesus in the Gospels as sparkling like diamonds. Visualize your daily Bible study time like a miser running his hands through a chest of gold.

The treasury of Scripture will enrich your mind, refocus your goals, replace your doubts, and redirect your path—but only if you read it and heed it. Start today!

To get the best use out of [the Bible] for daily life,...Give it the best and freshest, not the most tired and dull, hour of the day.
M. S. Kimber in The Sunday School World, 1893

Hello Heaven!

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside.
2 Peter 1:13-14, NIV

Peter wrote his final letter shortly before his execution. He wasn’t discouraged; he was looking forward to the future. He spoke of “looking forward to these things.” and “[looking] for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13-14).

Life is full of hardships and heaviness. We have the promises of God to help us in difficult days, and we have the Holy Spirit within us. We have a purpose for being here—to refresh the memory of others regarding the things of the Lord. But we’ll soon put aside the tent of our earthly body, and what a relief! Goodbye hardship and heaviness. Goodbye trials and troubles. Hello Jesus! Hello heaven! Hello golden streets, glorified bodies, endless days, and the fresh air of New Jerusalem!

During difficult times, the hope of eternity gives us strength. If you’re prone to worry yourself to sleep each night, turn your thoughts upward and close your eyes thinking of heaven and its eternal throne.

A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a palace for me over there.
Harriet Buell, in her hymn “A Child of the King”

Overcoming Temptation

Temptation. Whether we realize it or not, it is part of our past, and it will be part of our future. The moment we resolve to stand strong and walk away is when temptation grows most intense. That is why Scripture is of paramount importance. God's Word contains the answer to resisting temptation before it's too late. Consider these verses:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, brings forth death (James 1:13–15).

Some people wonder about the value of the Old Testament in a Christian's life. The apostle Paul addressed that question in 1 Corinthians 10:11—"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition." To what things was Paul referring? He listed them in verses 7–10. They are idolatry, immorality, infidelity, and disloyalty.

Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is.

With that background, Paul exhorted believers not to make the same choices the Israelites made—not to provoke God's discipline by willfully sinning. None of us is above God's discipline if we engage in sin. We must look for and take "the way of escape" God provides in every situation where temptation is found (verse 13). To think our temptation is unique is to believe a lie. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man" (verse 13). There are no "new" temptations in life.

The apostle James argued that if temptation becomes serious, it is because we have allowed it to do so. Our own "desires" entice us away from God and desire "gives birth to sin" (James 1:13–15). God doesn't tempt us, but He may allow temptation to enter our lives in order to give us opportunities to make obedient and mature choices.

Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and He took the same means of escape that is available to us—obedience to God's Word (Matthew 4:1–11; Hebrews 5:8). Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is. There is always a righteous choice to be made if we are willing to seek it.

Victory in Him

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57

To first-century leaders in the Roman world, the imagery was familiar: A victorious Roman general returning from battle leading his soldiers and their captives into the city. Citizens lined the streets applauding while the aroma of celebratory incense filled the air. Paul uses that image to say that Christ leads His followers in a victory procession through every difficulty in life (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

The Christian’s victory is through Christ. The victory over the world, the flesh, the devil, and sin was won by the Cross and the empty tomb. He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We have victory now and for eternity only because of the victory Christ won for us. Therefore, if we are to experience victory in this life, it will come only as we depend on Him. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, the life we now live is the life of Christ in us as we keep our faith in Him.

If you need a victory in your life, begin every day by renewing your faith in Christ in whom all our victories are to be realized.

The spiritual battle, the loss of victory, is always in the thought-world.
Francis Schaeffer

Faithful Fathers: Abraham

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
James 2:23

We can imagine a child writing an appreciative and sentimental memoir about her “perfect father,” understanding that “perfect” was not intended to be taken literally. But how about a book titled The Righteous Father? The patriarch Isaac could have written that book about his father, Abraham.

Righteous doesn’t mean sinless, of course. We know that Abraham wasn’t perfect. But he did manifest some qualities that every father should emulate. First, he believed the promises of God about the future God had planned for him (Hebrews 11:8-12). And when he believed God, “[God] accounted it to [Abraham] for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Again, not perfect or sinless, but in a right standing with God. Second, as a result of Abraham’s trust in God, he became a “friend of God” (Isaiah 41:8). Could any father set a more worthy example to his children or grandchildren than that of being friends with God? Living in right standing with God? That means communing with Him, walking with Him, living for Him, and above all, trusting Him and His promises.

Follow Abraham’s example as a faithful father by deepening your friendship with God.

Friendship is the marriage of affections.
Thomas Watson

Modern Idolatry

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5

Colossians 3:1 tells us to “seek those things which are above, where Christ is.” In verse 5 we’re told to put to death the passions that come from below—"fornication, uncleanness, passion, and evil desire.” Then the Lord added the sin of greed or covetousness to the list, calling it idolatry.

That verse changes our view of idolatry. It’s not just bowing down to a small carved statue or a pagan worshiper offering incense at a shrine to Buddha. It’s the act of becoming too attached to the material things of the world—falling more in love with the things on earth than on things in heaven.

This has nothing to do with how much money you do or don’t have—a poverty-stricken person can covet just as much as a billionaire. It has everything to do with what’s at the center of our affections. Is it Christ? Is it things above? Or is it things below?

Make sure Christ is at the center of your life and that your love for Him eclipses everything else!

You don’t have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them…. Whatever you love more than God is your idol.
D. L. Moody

New Beginnings: Ezekiel

In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
Ezekiel 1:1, NIV

We often need fresh starts after enduring bitter disappointments. As a young man, Ezekiel had dedicated himself to be a priest. He was from a priestly family, and he undoubtedly looked forward to serving God in Jerusalem’s temple. Priests began their temple duty at the age of thirty. But when he was about twenty-five, Ezekiel was seized and taken to Babylon, and he never saw the temple again. When his thirtieth birthday came, he must have struggled with questions of “why” and “if only.”

That’s just when God appeared to him as he was among the exiles by the Kebar River. Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of God—the throne of God surrounded by angelic beings. Amid the strange and apocalyptic vision described in Ezekiel 1, God called the thirty-year-old exile to be a powerful prophet.

Oh, to see the glory of the Lord while in the midst of the disappointments in life. When we think life has collapsed around us, the God of glory appears above us. God always has a plan, and our false starts become His fresh starts.

Ezekiel is the prophet of the glory of the Lord…. Ezekiel looked beyond the sufferings of Christ to the glory that should follow.
J. Vernon McGee

The Conspicuous Hand

The Lord your God cares.
Deuteronomy 11:12

In a letter to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, George Washington marveled at how God’s hand had protected him and given success to the cause of liberty: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and… has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.”

In the middle of life’s battles, we’re tempted to question God’s ordering of our circumstances, but every follower of Christ can look back and see the conspicuous hand of God’s Providence. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will.

Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

That’s the way He cares for us too—every day, all year long, always.

[The Lord] loves, and cares, and sympathizes, and understands, and seeks, and saves, and forgives, and helps, and encourages, and walks by our side… taking care of us in life when we can’t take care of ourselves.
W. A. Criswell

God of Second Chances

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
Jonah 3:1-2

It was not uncommon in the Old Testament for “the word of the Lord” to come to God’s prophets again and again. It happened to Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and others. And it also happened to Jonah: The word of the Lord came to Jonah the first time (Jonah 1:1) and then the second time (Jonah 3:1). With the other prophets, the “second time” meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. But with Jonah, the “second time” was because Jonah had failed to speak God’s word the first time. Jonah was a disobedient prophet.

God commissioned Jonah to go east to Assyria, to the capital of Nineveh and deliver a message of judgment. But Jonah fled west toward Spain because he feared the Assyrians. You know the story—Jonah ended up in the sea where he was swallowed by a great fish. Jonah repented and called on the Lord and was delivered. God gave him a second chance.

Don’t let your past keep you from trusting God for a second (or third, or fourth) chance. The God of grace loves to forgive.

Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins.
G. Campbell Morgan

All You Need Is Love: Forgiveness

When Jesus saw [the friends’] faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
Mark 2:5

The hardest part of forgiving another person is acting like the offense never occurred. But that is what forgiving someone means—restoring relationships to the status they enjoyed before the offense took place. It’s one thing to say, “I forgive you,” but it’s another to act like all the effects of an offense are completely erased. After all, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, love is known by its actions more than its words.

Jesus faced this dilemma when He healed a paralytic man. When He told the man that his sins were forgiven (and by extension, he was healed), He was criticized. He was accused of blaspheming by saying He had the authority to forgive sins—something only God can do. So, Jesus proved He had the authority to say, “I forgive you,” by doing something harder. He healed the man’s paralysis. After all, as Jesus explained, actions speak louder than words (Mark 2:8-11).

We cannot go through life without being hurt by others, so we should learn to forgive. Even more, we should practice demonstrating our forgiveness by our acts of lovingkindness. Look for opportunities to do both.

Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins.
G. Campbell Morgan

A Whole Person

In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.
Titus 2:7

In mathematics two of the basic kinds of numbers are integers and fractions: 2, 100, and 56 are integers, while ½, ¼, and 2.5 are fractions. Integers, from a Latin root meaning “whole” or “entire.” The word integrity comes from the same root; a person with integrity cannot be divided in beliefs or morality based on varying circumstances.

When the apostle Paul wrote to his young pastoral protégé, Timothy, he told him to show “integrity” in doctrine, to be incorruptible in belief and in actions. Paul wanted Timothy to hold fast to the truth of God, not allowing himself to be divided. A person of integrity obeys the whole counsel of God every day, in every circumstance. Daniel’s three friends in Babylon demonstrated integrity when they were threatened with being burned alive (Daniel 3:16-18). They told the king they would not divide their allegiance, that they would maintain their faith in God and His promises. That is integrity.

Are you a whole person or a fractioned person today? If your beliefs, and therefore your actions, have become divided, gather them back together as you commit to God and His Word.

Integrity of heart is indispensable.
John Calvin

New Earth

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Revelation 21:1

A great misconception carried by many Christians has to do with the location of heaven. The word heaven itself implies that our eternal destiny is somewhere “up there” in the heavens. But the Bible says our eternal destiny is earthly, not heavenly. As Peter wrote, we look for a “new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

In his vision of the future, the apostle John saw that “new heaven and a new earth,” our new domain being pictured as the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:1-2). Somehow, at the end of the age, when Christ has returned to reign and inaugurate the eternal state, this earth will be renovated and a new earth will be the result—a new earth full of righteousness in which pain and sorrow will be absent. The beautiful imagery of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 lets us know that the new earth will be a place that reflects the glory of God throughout.

Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you if you belong to Him (John 14:1-4). The New Jerusalem, on the new earth, is that place.

Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death.
William Gurnall

The Conspicuous Hand

The Lord your God cares.
Deuteronomy 11:12

In a letter to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, George Washington marveled at how God’s hand had protected him and given success to the cause of liberty: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and… has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.”

In the middle of life’s battles, we’re tempted to question God’s ordering of our circumstances, but every follower of Christ can look back and see the conspicuous hand of God’s Providence. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will.

Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

That’s the way He cares for us too—every day, all year long, always.

[The Lord] loves, and cares, and sympathizes, and understands, and seeks, and saves, and forgives, and helps, and encourages, and walks by our side… taking care of us in life when we can’t take care of ourselves.
W. A. Criswell

The Need for Prayer

Now it came to pass in those days that [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

Officially, church historians recognize seven ecumenical church councils held between A.D. 325 and A.D. 787. The first, the First Council of Nicaea, met to agree on the nature of Jesus of Nazareth as both Son of God and Son of Man, as both fully divine and fully human.

The humanity of Christ, while at the same time divine, is hard to understand. But thankfully, Scripture gives us illustrations: Like us, Jesus suffered, experienced hunger, required sleep, ate food, and had limits on His knowledge (Mark 13:32). One of the most striking and helpful illustrations of Jesus’ humanity was His prayer life. We might think that, if Jesus was truly divine, He would have had no need to pray for knowledge, guidance, or help. Yet He did, following the example of godly men like Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 2:16-18). Jesus repeatedly said that He only did what the Father showed Him to do (John 5:19), and prayer was His means.

If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to go to His Father in prayer for strengthening and guidance, how much more do we (Psalm 32:6)?

Prayer and a holy life are one.
E. M. Bounds

What Is Humility?

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5, NIV

What is humility? Is it the opposite of pride? If pride expands one’s importance, does humility deflate one’s importance? That’s the view given by most English dictionaries—a deemphasis on one’s own importance. But what is the biblical view of humility

If someone compliments you on a job well done, do you refuse to take credit or receive their compliment? Or do you graciously say, “Thank you,” in a spirit of genuine appreciation and humility? In Romans 12:3 Paul exhorts the believers not to think of themselves pridefully but rather to think of themselves “soberly”—that is, realistically or accurately. Paul’s topic is the grace given by God to each Christian to serve in the Body of Christ. We should neither overestimate the gift of God’s grace or underestimate it. Rather, we should think of it soberly and realistically—humbly—and minister accordingly. To think less of God’s gift would be to devalue it; to think realistically about it allows one to serve humbly.

How do you view yourself? With pride? With false humility? Or soberly and realistically according to the grace of God in your life?

A really humble man…will not be thinking about humility, he will not be thinking about himself at all.
C. S. Lewis

The Power of Confession

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.
Psalm 32:4

California is a dry state that needs water to be transported over many miles to population and agricultural centers. Snowfall in the winter and melting snow in the spring are critical factors in replenishing shrinking reservoirs. In periods of modern droughts, aerial photographs document the receding water levels in reservoirs around the state—shorelines growing wider and drier as water levels fall.

Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32—a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his “bones grew old” and he groaned “all the day long” (verse 3). It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him (verse 5). And he encouraged his readers not to make the same mistake he had made (verses 9-10).

Confession and repentance reveal the access to restoration. Hiding sin does not remove it from God’s sight; but when we seek God’s forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restored—that is the power of confession.

The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession.
Richard Sibbes